Festival Theatre, Malvern – until 29th August 2026
Reviewed by Courie Amado Juneau
4.5****
This week Malvern Theatres explores the sultry back streets, hot spots and low lives of the Cuban capital for Graham Greene’s classic comedy Our Man in Havana.
The story concerns James Wormold, a vacuum cleaner salesman who is not very successful at his craft. With low funds and a wallet challenging daughter, he reluctantly takes up the opportunity to make some extra cash when he is recruited by the British Secret Service. They think he has connections. He has no connections. So he starts making them up, as well as bogus reports. As events unfold his fabrications (and simple life) begin to unravel…
Jack Ashton gave a enjoyable and compelling performance as lead character, James. His story arc gave the actor plenty of opportunity to display his full range; from desperate to exasperated, defiant to validated. A fabulous portrayal which gave us a believable man in the midst of a ridiculous situation – quite a feat of acting skills.
Jack played our lead throughout but the other three actors played multiple roles – Leon Ockenden (Captain Segura, Lopez and a host of others), Bob Barrett (Dr Hasselbacher, Hawthorne…) and Jodie Steele (as James’s daughter Milly, various dancers, a stripper, Agent Severn etc etc…) – all amazing. Their ability to make quick changes in the wings and reappear not only wearing a different outfit but with a totally different voice and personality were astonishing. To be honest, that was half of the fun of the show – hoping that they accidentally kept the previous character upon reappearance as the next. Unfortunately, the actors were far too good for that kind of schoolboy error and so we were left to marvel at their acting accomplishments instead.
The set was a clever concoction evoking Havana perfectly. With lots of entry and exit points, things being pushed in from the wings and dropping from the ceiling and alcoves and shutters aplenty it was a sumptuous creation that did the play and Set and Costume Designer Julie Godfrey justice. It also made me want to visit Cuba!
Clive Francis’s adaptation really takes off in the second half with many of the highlights being after the break. The convention dinner and Jodie Steele’s striptease are comedy gold and worth the price of admission alone. And the checkers game adds a new level of suspense which is very welcome – and pivotal to the story. All well worth waiting for, hurtling us to a very satisfying conclusion to the evening.
In many ways this is a comedy of errors and one that could easily fall into the category of “you couldn’t make it up” – although the programme notes explain that, in fact, the novel was inspired by the true story of a Spanish spy who provided fictitious reports to the Nazis about England whilst never leaving his home in Portugal, solely using a tourist guide and his imagination! Life – it’s a funny old game.
Sparkling performances throughout, a fun script, laughs, danger, intrigue, dancing, some worrying drag moments… this play really does have something for everybody. A highly recommended slice of nonsense to thrill the senses and fire the imagination. And it’s useful for practicing your Spanish too! What more incentive could you need?
A Slow Fire is not your normal, everyday play that you go to the theatre to see. The first act is a complete conundrum. Nothing is properly explained and it is left to the audience to try to figure out what is going on. I went to see this without reading anything about it beforehand so it left me somewhat confused by the time the interval came.
The set is that of some sort of manmade bunker but we are not told why the two men who inhabit it, Ashton and Reece, are living there. We assume there has been some kind of apocalyptical event on earth and that is where they have taken refuge. Are they the only people left on the planet? Why and how are they the only ones to have survived? What hope is there for their future? How do they cope on a day to day basis with regard to food and water? How do they prevent themselves from going insane in a world that has clearly already gone mad? These, and many more questions, I found myself asking as I watched this very intense piece of theatre.
The characters appear to change names and personalities as the play progresses. Parts of scenes are repeated over and over again. The character of Ashton is unwell and is unable to leave the bunker and so relies on Reece’s account of what has happened and is happening outside. Is Reece telling the truth or is he lying so as to keep Ashton in hiding?
This piece delves into what man needs to survive apart from food and water and what is important to him come what is possibly the end of the world. Hope is definitely one requirement, along with companionship and what about possessions from an outside world that no longer exists?
This is a very bleak play that demands your total concentration to try to work out what is happening. All is made much clearer in the second act which at times has you on the edge of your seats worrying about what you are watching and when you come out of the theatre at the end of the performance you are left in no doubt that you have just witnessed a very important, original and masterful piece of theatre.
Ross Gaynor is outstanding at Ashton, the sickly man who has built the bunker in the hope that he can survive the devastation outside. He gives a performance that has you gripped from the moment he first appears, and is ably supported by Ian Toner as Reece and Fionn Ó Loingsigh as Presley (a third man who appears to have also survived but what difference will his arrival have upon the two men who have lived together for several years now without seeing anyone else?)
This is an excellent play written by Tony and Olivier award winning Simon Stephens that demands to be see in its UK premiere. Stick with it and you will be richly rewarded if you do.
Nottingham Theatre Royal – until Saturday 29th August 2026
Reviewed by Louise Ford
3***
The clue’s in the title.
It’s nearly the end of the school holidays, and this week it is the final offering in Colin McIntyre’s Classical Thriller Season 2026, in Nottingham. This season there are only three plays, I’m sure that there are usually four, but maybe I’ve misremembered. As we know, memories are fickle, and people can lie.
The original story was written by Robert Thomas in 1960 and was set in the French Alps. The story was translated, updated, and relocated to a remote holiday cottage in Cornwall by Sean Aita. The promotional literature for the play and the program give us some clues about the central story: memories can be stolen, and identities can be assumed. Just who do you think you are?
The play is set in one room in the cottage, so there are no set changes to distract the audience or slow down the story. The cast is pretty pared back with just five actors on stage. These are the man, Daniel Edwards (Parvan Maru), the Inspector (John Goodrum), Reverend Susan Green (Susan Earnshaw), the woman (Sarah Wynne Kordas), and the visitor (Juliette Strobel).
The story centres around a disappearance. A couple of newlyweds are holidaying in a wet and windy Cornwall when the wife, Lizzie, goes missing. The manhunt is being investigated by Cornwall’s finest, a cross between Colombo and Inspector Barnaby, with a Cornishish accent and a Wycliffe ringtone on his mobile. The Inspector treads a fine line in believing Mr Edwards that his wife has disappeared, and that she simply doesn’t want to be found, and something more sinister. The story unfolds with the comic Reverend Green (very Vicar of Dibley) arriving at the French windows. She’s a fan of the single malt. Reverend Green has had a guest over the last few days who is….drum roll….Lizzie. It looks as though the mystery is solved and we are in for an early bus home. However…second drum roll…Daniel says that the woman is not his wife. So what is going on? Several scenes in, and several repeat visits from the Inspector, it seems as though Mr Edwards is an unreliable witness. The woman answers all of the questions, seems plausible, and what would she have to gain by pretending to be Lizzie?
The story ends with a neat twist, and we can all leave the theatre happy after an enjoyable evening. The cast and the audience really enjoy the thriller mystery summer season, and the good news is, is that they will be back in 2027, so spend the intervening months practising your sleuthing skills.
Chris Harper Productions and Sonia Friedman Productions in association with Hope Mill Theatre are delighted to announce full casting for the new production of Jonathan Larson’s Tony Award® and Pulitzer Prize winning musical RENT, directed by Olivier Award winner Luke Sheppard.
Joining the previously announced Gaten Matarazzo as Mark, Travis Ross as Roger, Billy Nevers as Collins, Lazy Violet as Maureen, Olivier Award nominee Danielle Fiamanya as Joanne, Jeevan Braich as Angel and Joaquin Pedro Valdes as Benny, will be Alexa Lopez as Mimi, making her West End debut.
Bella Brown will no longer appear as Mimi this autumn. Bella has made the difficult decision to withdraw from the production due to an injury sustained prior to rehearsals.
Alexa Lopez (Mimi) most recently appeared as Christine in the immersive off-Broadway production Masquerade based on Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Phantom of the Opera. Her further theatre credits include Sondheim’s Old Friends on Broadway, which marked her Broadway debut, Cosette in the North American tour of Les Misérables, and originating the role of April in the world premiere of Falcon Girls at the Yale Repertory Theater.
The cast is completed by Baylie Carson, Laura Delany, Ryesha Higgs, Montoya Holloway-Johnson, Rhys Hopkins, Shem Omari James, Hannah Macpherson, TJ Matara-Holloway, Ryan Nixon, Leah Vassell, James Wilkinson-Jones and Kevin Yates.
Celebrating 30 years since the musical premiered on Broadway, RENT will begin performances at the Tom StoppardTheatre (currently named the Duke of York’s Theatre) on 26 September 2026 with an opening night on 8 October 2026. The production is booking until 27 March 2027.
Set in New York’s East Village, RENT follows a group of young artists, musicians and friends, navigating love, ambition and creativity while trying to build lives on their own terms. Inspired by Puccini’s La Bohème, this iconic musical captures the joy, uncertainty and resilience of a generation determined to make every moment count. Featuring an unforgettable score and a story that continues to resonate, RENT is a powerful celebration of community, connection and a call to live every minute as if it were your last. No day but today.
RENT has music, lyrics and book by Jonathan Larson. Itis directed by Luke Sheppard with choreography by Tom Jackson Greaves. Set design is by David Woodhead, costume design by Gabriella Slade, lighting design by Howard Hudson, audio production and sound design by Paul Gatehouse, video design and cinematography by George Reeve and Nathan Amzi, make-up and hair design by Jackie Saundercock, UK Casting by Pearson Casting CSA, CDG, CDA and US Casting by Jim Carnahan CSA. The musical supervisor is Bill Sherman and the musical director and associate musical supervisor is Katy Richardson, the intimacy director is Asha Jennings-Grant, the associate director is Priya Patel Appleby and the dialect coach is Joe Trill.
This production of RENT will be produced in the West End by Chris Harper Productions, Sonia Friedman Productions, Winkler & Smalberg and Julie Larson in association with the Hope Mill Theatre.
RENT was originally produced on Broadway by Jeffrey Seller, Kevin McCollum, Allan S. Gordon, and the New York Theatre Workshop.
Book by DAVID GREIG Music by MARC SHAIMAN Lyrics by SCOTT WITTMAN & MARC SHAIMAN
DIRECTED BY NIKOLAI FOSTER
PLAYING IN CURVE’S THEATRE 21 NOVEMBER 2026 – 16 JANUARY 2027
Leicester’s Curve theatre has announced the full cast joining its Made at Curve Christmas musical, CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY, as well as an extension to the initial run dates due to demand.
CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY will now run at Curve from Saturday 21 November 2026 to Saturday 16 January 2027. Leicestershire actor Jonny Fines will play the eccentric and mysterious Willy Wonka. Fines has appeared in numerous Made at Curve productions, including as the Scarecrow in THE WIZARD OF OZ (2022), as Johnny in MY BEAUTIFUL LAUNDRETTE (2019), as Zack Mayo in the UK tour of AN OFFICER AND A GENTLEMAN – THE MUSICAL (2018) and as Kenickie in GREASE (2016). His stage credits also include ANNIE (Piccadilly Theatre and UK tour), THE SOUND OF MUSIC (UK tour) and AVENUE Q (UK tour). On screen, Fines’ credits include THE JETTY (BBC), DEVI (Sky Arts), EASTENDERS (BBC) and CORONATION STREET (ITV).
Our hero and golden ticket winner, Charlie Bucket, will be shared by Lucas Kerr, Jett Moises, William Stafford and Theo Wake.
Charlie’s Grandpa Joe will be played by David-Michael Johnson (STARLIGHT EXPRESS, international tours and WE WILL ROCK YOU, UK tour). Curve leading lady Molly Lynch returns to Leicester as Mrs Bucket, following Made at Curve productions of MY FAIR LADY and THE SOUND OF MUSIC.
Playing Violet Beauregarde will be Serei Knight-Francis, Shamiso Nyamuda and Tida Nyamuda. The role of Mr Beauregarde will be played by Lejaun Sheppard (COME FROM AWAY, Phoenix Theatre and TINA: THE TINA TURNER MUSICAL, Aldwych Theatre).
The role of Mike Teavee will be shared by Kyrelle Lammy, Leo Hollingsworth and Samuel Smith. Rachel Izen returns to Curve as Mrs Teavee, having previously performed in productions of BILLY ELLIOT, THE SOUND OF MUSIC and KINKY BOOTS.
Matilda Hennessy, Rose Jammeh and Sophie Purnell will play Veruca Salt. Mr Salt is played by Darren Bennett (TITANIQUE, Criterion Theatre, GREASE, Curve, Dominion Theatre and UK tour, SCROOGE and THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST, Curve).
Augustus Gloop will be played by Thomas Burton, George Consterdine and Benjamin Dalton. Lizzie Bea (SISTER ACT, UK tour and HAIRSPRAY, London Coliseum) will play Mrs Gloop.
Michelle Cornelius (THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, Her Majesty’s Theatre) plays Grandma Josephine, Thea Jo Wolfe (THE MAD ONES, The Other Palace) plays Grandma Georgina, Samuel Sarpong-Broni (HAMILTON, Victoria Palace Theatre) plays Grandpa George, Liam Doyle (KINKY BOOTS, Curve, UK, Ireland and Europe tours and London Coliseum) plays Jerry, Sinead Kenny (THE PRODUCERS, Garrick Theatre) plays Cherry and Aisha Davis (THE HARDER THEY COME, Theatre Royal Stratford East) plays Mrs Green.
The company also includes ensemble cast members Elsie Buckley (DEATH NOTE: THE MUSICAL, Barbican), Ru Fisher (KINKY BOOTS, Curve, UK, Ireland and Europe tours and London Coliseum), Liam McEvoy (KINKY BOOTS, Curve, UK, Ireland and Europe tours and London Coliseum), Billy Medlin (JACK & THE BEANSTALK, Aylesbury Waterside) and Hannah Nuttall (BANK OF DAVE THE MUSICAL, Curve and Lowry). Making his professional debut, Jordan Dixon joins Rachel Jayne Picar (A CHORUS LINE, Curve, Sadler’s Wells and UK and Japan tours) as onstage swings, with Joseph Craig (MAMMA MIA!, Novello Theatre) and Tori McDougall (KINKY BOOTS, Curve, UK, Ireland and Europe tours and London Coliseum) as offstage swings.
A Community Company of over twenty young people, many from Leicestershire and the East Midlands, will join the ensemble on stage to complete our CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY Company.
CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY is directed by Curve’s Artistic Director Nikolai Foster (LEGALLY BLONDE, Curve, UK and Ireland tour). Ebony Molina (THE SOUND OF MUSIC, Curve) is Choreographer, set design is by Leslie Travers (NATASHA, PIERRE AND THE GREAT COMET OF 1812, Donmar Warehouse) and costume design is by Katrina Lindsay (HARRY POTTER AND THE CURSED CHILD, Palace Theatre). Illusions are by Chris Fisher (STRANGER THINGS: THE FIRST SHADOW, Phoenix Theatre), Ben Cracknell (BANK OF DAVE THE MUSICAL, Curve and Lowry) is Lighting Designer, Adam Fisher (MY FAIR LADY, Curve) is Sound Designer, George Reeve is Video Designer (HERCULES, Theatre Royal Drury Lane), Mark Marson for Campbell Young Associates (PADDINGTON THE MUSICAL, Savoy Theatre) is Wigs, Hair and Make-up Designer, and Rachael Canning (THE WIZARD OF OZ, Curve, London Palladium and UK tour) is Puppets Designer and Director. Stephen Brooker (SUNSET BOULEVARD, Curve and National tour) is Musical Supervisor, George Dyer (KINKY BOOTS, Curve, UK, Ireland and Europe tours and London Coliseum) is Orchestrations Adaptor and Isaac McCullough (MARY POPPINS, UK and International tour) is Musical Director. Casting is by Olivia Laydon (THE SOUND OF MUSIC, Curve) for Jill Green Casting. Curve’s former Birkbeck Trainee Director Ollie Khurshid (BANK OF DAVE THE MUSICAL, Curve and Lowry) and Jordan Isaac (KINKY BOOTS, Curve, UK, Ireland and Europe tours and London Coliseum) are Associate Directors, with Dale White as Associate Choreographer (BANK OF DAVE THE MUSICAL, Curve and Lowry).
Come with me and you’ll be in a world of Curve’s imagination.
Roald Dahl’s magical and much-loved story of CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY is spectacularly brought to life this Christmas in our thrilling new Made at Curve production.
Join Charlie Bucket, Grandpa Joe, Augustus Gloop, Veruca Salt, Violet Beauregarde, Mike Teavee and the Oompa-Loompas as we step through the gates of Willy Wonka’s marvellous chocolate factory into a world of pure imagination. From the banks of a scrumdiddlyumptious chocolate river to the dizzying heights of the Great Glass Elevator, nothing is quite as it seems in this wonderful Wonka wonderland.
Directed by Curve Artistic Director Nikolai Foster (KINKY BOOTS, LEGALLY BLONDE, THE SOUND OF MUSIC) and featuring the wonderful songs ‘The Candy Man’, ‘It Must Be Believed To Be Seen’, ‘The Oompa Loompa Song’ and of course, the unforgettable ‘Pure Imagination’, this timeless classic is a dazzling mix of theatrical magic and sweet nostalgia for all the family, creating memories lasting longer than an Everlasting Gobstopper.
Book your Golden Tickets for the festive event of the year this Christmas at Curve.
Accessible performances will take place across the run, including British Sign Language interpreted (4 December, 7:15pm), Captioned (12 December, 7:15pm and 17 December, 2pm), Dementia Friendly (16 December, 2pm), Audio Described and Touch Tours (19 December, 2pm and 6 January, 7:15pm) and Relaxed (3 January, 1pm and 7 January, 2pm).
This new Made at Curve production will be complemented by wraparound learning and engagement activity delivered by Curve’s Creative Programmes team, including a free digital Education Pack and bespoke workshops for school groups, as well as a Theatre Day on 10 December, where school groups and audience members of all ages will be able to learn more about the creation of the production and behind the scenes insights from the show’s team.
CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY runs at Curve Saturday 21 November 2026 to Saturday 16 January 2026. Tickets are on sale now. To find out more, visit www.curveonline.co.uk, call the Box Office on 0116 242 3595, or visit in-person
Bill Kenwright’s legendary, award-winning production of the international smash hit musical, Blood Brothers has announced cast for the upcoming Autumn tour which will open at The Playhouse Theatre, Weston-Super-Mare on Tuesday 8 September 2026. It also announces further dates for the 2027 Spring tour.
Vivienne Carlyle will return to the role of Mrs Johnstone. With nightly standing ovations, Carlyle’s rendition of the finale song ‘Tell Me It’s Not True’ will be performed at the 10th Anniversary of Magic at the Musicals at the Royal Albert Hall on 20 September 2026. This concert will then be broadcast at a later date on Magic Radio.
Kristofer Harding will reprise his role as the Narrator between Weston-Super-Mare and Chester before handing over the mantle to Richard Munday who will perform between Birmingham and Northampton. Sean Jones and Joe Sleight will continue as the twin brothers, Mickey and Eddie.
Joining the tour will be Tricia Adele Turner as Mrs Lyonsand Beth Danher as Linda.
The Autumn cast also introduces Jamil Abbasi (Neighbour), Sarah Moss (Donna Marie/Miss Jones), AmeliaPoggenpoel (Brenda) and Jack Anthony Smart (Perkins). Reprising their roles will be Tim Churchill (Mr Lyons), Michael Gillette (Sammy), Alex Harland (Policeman/Teacher) and Graeme Kinniburgh (Bus Conductor/ Postman).
Following its first week at The Playhouse Theatre, Weston-Super-Mare, the tour will continue to Cambridge, Oxford, Chelmsford, Grimsby, Chester, Birmingham, Leicester, Crawley, Malvern and will conclude 2026 in Northampton.
The 2027 Spring tour will begin at the Cliffs Pavillion in Southend on Tuesday 12 January 2027 and move to Southampton, Dartford, Sheffield, New Brighton, Cardiff, Eastbourne, Woking, Blackpool, Norwich, Billingham, Skegness, Torquay, Manchester, Croydon, Bath, Leeds before concluding in Shrewsbury on Saturday 22 May 2027. Casting for the Spring 2027 tour to be announced.
Written by award-winning playwright Willy Russell, few musicals have been received with such acclaim as the multi-award-winning Blood Brothers. Considered ‘one of the best musicals ever’ (Sunday Times), Bill Kenwright’s production surpassed 10,000 performances in London’s West End and has been affectionately christened the ‘Standing Ovation Musical’, as inevitably it “brings the audience cheering to its feet and roaring its approval” (Daily Mail).
This epic tale of Liverpool life started as a play, performed at a Liverpool comprehensive school in 1981, before opening at the Liverpool Playhouse in 1983. The musical has since triumphed across the globe, completing sell out seasons in the US, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and Japan, and scooping up four awards for Best Musical in London and seven Tony Award nominations on Broadway.
Blood Brothers tells the captivating and moving tale of twins separated at birth, who grow up on the opposite sides of the tracks, only to meet again with tragic consequences.
When Mrs Johnstone, a young mother, is deserted by her husband and left to her own devices to provide for seven hungry children she takes a job as a housekeeper in order to make ends meet. It is not long before her brittle world crashes around her when she discovers herself to be pregnant yet again – this time with twins! In a moment of weakness and desperation, she enters a secret pact with her employer which leads inexorably to the show’s shattering climax.
Willy Russellis one of this country’s leading contemporary dramatists. His countless credits include Educating Rita and Shirley Valentine. Educating Rita, originally commissioned by the Royal Shakespeare Company, enjoyed a two-year run in the West End and was made into a movie starring Michael Caine and Julie Walters. Shirley Valentine also made the move from stage to screen in an enormously popular film starring Pauline Collins and Tom Conti. The production made a triumphant return to the West End in 2023 with Sheridan Smith.
Wednesday 26 August 2026 – We have been warned by MISCHIEF, the multi-award winning company behind The Play That Goes Wrong, Peter Pan Goes Wrong and The Comedy About Spies, that most of the original UK cast plus co-writer Henry Shields and Allie Dart, will perform in Christmas Carol Goes Wrong at Manchester Opera House (17-21 November 2026), Portsmouth’s Kings Theatre (24-28 November 2026) and at the Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles (12 December 2026-January 10 2027). Prepare for a theatrical catastrophe like no other this Christmas.
The full cast responsible for the chaos this Christmas in these three venues is Matt Cavendish (Max), Allie Dart (Annie), Sasha Frost (Sandra), Henry Lewis (Robert), Chris Leask (Trevor) and Jonathan Sayer (Dennis), Henry Shields (Chris) and GregTannahill (Jonathan).
The understudies are Matthew Biddulph, Siobhan Cha Cha, Orla O’Sullivan and Josh Patel-Foster.
The performances in Manchester and Portsmouth are part of the show’s second UK tour which begins in Bromley on 27 October 2026 and continues to bring a cacophony of chaos and Christmas cheer around the country until 7 March 2027.
The cast is yet to be announced for the remaining tour venues and for the production’s West End run at the Wyndham’s Theatre which begins on 18 December 2026 and runs until 23 January 2027.
The North American premiere sees Mischief return to the Ahmanson Theatre in Downtown Los Angeles, where Peter Pan Goes Wrong shocked audiences in 2023. Alongside the Australian production in the Gold Coast and Sydney, this will be the first time yuletide mayhem has attempted to be performed outside the UK. Christmas Carol Goes Wrongin LAisproduced by Kenny Wax, Stage Presence and Kevin McCollum.
The cast for the show in Australia (Hota in the Gold Coast from 4-12 December 2026, and at Sydney Opera House from 17-29 December) is also yet to be announced. Christmas Carol Goes Wrong is brought to Australia by GMG Productions & Stoddart Entertainment Group. The Mischief production of Christmas Carol Goes Wrong is presented globally in arrangement with Mischief Worldwide Ltd.
Christmas Carol Goes Wrong brings tidings of chaos and joy as The Cornley Amateur Drama Society return and attempt to tackle the Charles Dickens’ classic, A Christmas Carol. The Cornley crew battle miscommunication, delays to their set, actors missing in action and a growing feud over who will play the lead. This disastrous take on the much loved classic Christmas story of Ebenezer Scrooge is a festive slice of pure escapism.
Christmas Carol Goes Wrong played to sell-out houses, when it premiered at the Apollo Theatre in Shaftesbury Avenue last year. It is written by original Mischief Members Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer and Henry Shields and the production is directed by Matt DiCarlo, who also helmed the award-winning The Comedy About Spies which is on its second mission at London’s Adelphi Theatre where it is running until 26 September 2026.
The creative team joining the authors and director are set designer Libby Todd, costume designer Roberto Surace, lighting designer David Howe and sound designer and composer Alexandra Faye Braithwaite.
A 15 minute short documentary is available on YouTube, where you can go behind the mayhem and chaos and discover how this disastrous festive treat has been created by MISCHIEF.
Christmas Carol Goes Wrong in the West End and on tour in the UK is produced by Kenny Wax and Stage Presence.
Full cast announced for York Theatre Royal panto Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs…
York Theatre Royal have today announced that actress Marcavia McCarthy will be taking on the titular role of Snow White in this year’s panto.
Marcavia has previously starred in Evolution Productions’ Cinderella and has a wide variety of theatre credits including Luna Loves Library Day the Musical (UK Tour); Dad Is Not My Friend (The Cockpit Theatre London) and Sleeping Beauty: The Pantomime (Worthing Pavilion Theatre).
Marcavia joins the talented cast which includes CBBC and CBeebies’Richard David-Caine (Horrible Histories, Swashbuckle, Horrible Science) and West End star Jenny Gayner (Chicago, Gangsta Granny) – alongside returning audiences favourites Robin Simpson,Tommy Carmichael and Christian Mortimer.
Alongside the all-important Snow White, the cast of the fabulous Seven Dwarfs will be led by Dean Whatton (Game of Thrones) – with Lucy Blenkiron, Richard Blenkiron, Willie Coppen, StijnKeuleers, Maria Popska and Harrison Taylor joining the YTR panto family this Christmas.
Juliet Forster, Creative Director at York Theatre Royal, said: “We are so delighted to have such a brilliant cast lined up for the show. It is the first time Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs has been performed on our stage and audiences can expect something really special! I can’t wait to get started on rehearsals and see this fabulous show come to life with this amazing team.”
The show is written by Paul Hendy, directed by Juliet Forster and co-produced with award-winning Evolution Productions – the team behind previous York pantomime smash hits Jack and the Beanstalk, Aladdin and last year’s Sleeping Beauty.
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is at York Theatre Royal from 4 December 2026 to 3 January 2027. With lavish costumes, stunning sets, hilarious jokes and dazzling special effects, the show is set to be an unmissable treat for the whole family.
Family tickets are available for all performances with savings of up to £61 on bookings with 4 tickets. Find out more on the York Theatre Royal website.
Tickets are available at Box Office 01904 623568 | yorktheatreroyal.co.uk
Richard David-Caine plays Herman Von Badapple. His TV credits for BBC include CBBC’s Horrible Histories and Horrible Science, Shakespeare Live!, Horrible Histories: The Movie, Class Dismissed and Big Fat Like. Other Film/TV credits include Steal (Amazon), Masters of the Universe (MGM/Mattel), Cruella (Disney), Father Brown (BBC), Better Things (FX), Avenue 5 (HBO), Midsomer Murders (ITV), Murder, They Hope (UKTV Gold); Finding Alice (ITV), Dead Air (BBC), Skins: Redux (E4), Doctors (BBC), Big Field (BBC) and People Just Do Nothing (BBC).
Theatre credits include The Importance of Being Earnest (Mercury Theatre), The Witches (National Theatre), Soho Cinders (original West End cast recording, Queens), Horrible Histories: The Concert (National Tour), Taming of the Shrew (Derby Theatre), The Tempest (Orange Tree), Potted Panto (Vaudeville) and Jihad! The Musical (Jermyn Street), as well as his award-winning, one-man show, Tall, Dark and Anxious (Soho).
Robin Simpson plays Dame Dolly. It is Robin’s seventh York Theatre Royal pantomime. His theatre credits include Footloose, Beautiful: The Carol King Musical, Sense & Sensibility (Pitlochry Festival Theatre), Gaslight and Men of the World (Devonshire Park Theatre), Guy Fawkes (York Theatre Royal), Abigail’s Party (Harrogate Theatre), Classic (Edinburgh Fringe & Hope Mill Theatre/Her productions), Macbeth/ Midsummer Night’s Dream (Shakespeare’s Rose Theatre), Dirty Laundry (Claybody Theatre), Almost a Sacred Duty, Anna of the Five Towns, Beryl, A Voyage Round my Father and Laurel and Hardy (New Vic), Chamaco (HOME),Neverland (Lakeside Arts), Boeing Boeing,Bedroom Farce, David Copperfield, The Hound of the Baskervilles; The Road to Nab End and Travels with my Aunt (Oldham Coliseum), The Travelling Pantomime, The Wind in the Willows, To Kill a Mockingbird, The Seagull, Hansel and Gretel, The Railway Children; Pinocchio, Pygmalion and The Little Mermaid (York Theatre Royal), Inside Out of Mind (Meeting Ground Theatre Co.), Grandpa in my Pocket (Nottingham Playhouse), Lost Boy Racer (Lawrence Batley Theatre), We Love You City! (Coventry Belgrade), Me, as a Penguin, It’s a Lovely Day Tomorrow, Flat Stanley (West Yorkshire Playhouse), A Passionate Woman (Chester Gateway and Theatre by the Lake), Frankie and Tommy, The Rivals, Red Skies over the Severn, The Century Plays (The Swan Theatre). His television credits include The Continental (from the world of John Wick), Coronation Street, Emmerdale, Doctors, Holby City, Waterloo Road,Liverpool 1, Home Fires, and See No Evil – The Moors Murders.
Tommy Carmichael plays Muddles. His theatre credits include Big Strong Man (National Tour), Charlie, Sleeping Beauty and Aladdin (York Theatre Royal), Robin Hood (The Maltings, Ely), The Wind In The Willows (National Tour), Big Strong Man (CAST, Doncaster), Cinderella (The Maltings, Ely), Alice In Wonderland (National Tour), The Jungle Book (National Tour), Dick Whittington (Alderford Lake), Snow White & the Seven Dwarfs (Queen’s Theatre, Barnstaple), Bleak House (National Tour), Orphan (South West Tour), Lord of the Flies (Greenwich Theatre), BackPAGE (The Lion & Unicorn), Sleeping Beauty (National Tour), Howl (The Nest, Bath), Jack and the Beanstalk (Dearne Playhouse, Goldthorpe), The Shed Man (The Lion & Unicorn) and Where There’s a Will (The Egg Theatre, Bath).
Jenny Gaynor plays The Wicked Queen. Her theatre credits include Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (UK Tour), Singin’ In The Rain (Sadlers Wells Theatre & UK/International tour), ANNIE (UK tour), Gangsta Granny (West End & UK Tour), The Girls (West End-Original London cast), A Christmas Story (Waterloo East Theatre), Singin’ in The Rain & Legally Blonde (Kilworth House Theatre), CHICAGO (West End and UK Tour), A Chorus Line (Lowry Theatre), Spamalot! (West End), Relatively Speaking (International Tour), Before The Night is Through (Landor Theatre), The Rocky Horror Show (European Tour and UK Tour), Sleeping Arrangements (Landor), The Boyfriend (Southwold), I Am a Camera (English Theatre of Hamburg), Annie (Arts) and 42ND Street (Octagon Theatre). Her film and TV credits include The Power (Amazon Prime), The Trial (Ch5), Entanglement (Amazon Prime), Material Girl (BBC), Sex & Drugs & Roll (Netflix), The Special Relationship (BBC & HBO) The Magical Legend of the Leprechauns (HBO) Charismata (Netflix), The Addicted (Netflix) Coming Up (Channel 4) PERCEPTIONS (London Live) All About The McKenzies (Freeview) All in The Method & Rules Of Life (BBC3 pilot) Network Failure (Virgin Media) A Soldier’s Story (BBC Wales). For pantomime Jenny has appeared in leading roles in Aladdin, Snow White and Cinderella at theatres across the UK.
Christian Mortimer plays Prince Charming. His theatre credits included Sleeping Beauty and Cinderella (York Theatre Royal),Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat (Gaiety Theatre).
Marcavia McCarthy plays Snow White. Her theatre credits include Cinderella (Evolution Productions), Luna Loves Library Day the Musical (UK Tour), Dad Is Not My Friend (The Cockpit Theatre London) and Sleeping Beauty: The Pantomime (Worthing Pavilion Theatre).
Dean Whatton plays Sarge. His theatre credits includeSee How They Run (UK tour), Snow White The Musical (France/Belgium tour), Love Labours Lost and Richard the III (Northern Broadsides, UK tour), Macbeth (Derby Shakespeare Company), Pericles, A Midsummer Nights Dream, Life of Galileo, The Tales of Hans Handerson, The Class of 77 and Viking Tales. TV credits include Game of Thrones (HBO), Call the Midwife (BBC), Little Britain (BBC), Life’s Too Short (BBC), The John Bishop Rollercoaster Tour (BBC), PANTO! (ITV), An Bronntanas (TG4 Ireland), The Paul O’Grady Show (ITV), The Pheonix Club Live Show Performance (Children in Need – BBC), The One Show (BBC), This Morning (ITV), Celebrity Juice Christmas Special (ITV), Come Dine with me Christmas Special (Channel 4), Dick and Dom in Da Bungalow (CBeebies), Peak Practice (ITV), and I am Spazticus (Channel 4).
LISTINGS INFORMATION
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs www.yorktheatreroyal.co.uk/show/snow-white-and-the-seven-dwarfs/ A York Theatre Royal and Evolution Productions co-production York Theatre Royal, Main House Fri 04 Dec, 7pm Sat 05 Dec, 2.30pm, 7pm Sun 06 Dec, 11am, 3pm Tue 08 Dec 10.30am, 7pm (Press Night) Wed 09 Dec 10.30am, 5.30pm Thu 10 Dec 10.30am, 5.30pm (Relaxed Performance) Fri 11 Dec 10.30am, 7pm Sat 12 Dec 2.30pm,7pm Sun 13 Dec 11am,3pm Tue 15 Dec 10.30am, 7pm Wed 16 Dec 10.30am, 5.30pm (Dementia Friendly Performance) Thu 17 Dec 2.30pm, 7pm Sat 19 Dec 2.30pm,7pm Sun 20 Dec 11am, 3pm Mon 21 Dec 1pm, 5.30pm (British Sign Language Interpreted Performance) Tue 22 Dec 2.30pm, 7pm Wed 23 Dec 2.30pm, 7pm Thu 24 Dec, 11am, 3pm Sat 26 Dec 2.30pm, 7pm Sat 27 Dec 11am, 3pm Mon 28 Dec 2.30pm, 7pm Tue 29 Dec 1pm (Audio Described Performance), 5.30pm Wed 30 Dec 2.30pm (Captioned Performance), 7pm Thu 31 Dec 11am, 3pm Sat 02 Jan 2.30pm, 7pm Sun 03 Jan 11am, 3pm
Wycombe Swan, High Wycombe – until Saturday 29th August 2026
Reviewed by Rachel Clark
5****
Mark Senior
This is an Iconic Broadway Classic and the tour is Celebrating 20 years of Jersey Boys and the best of it is – it is in High Wycombe for the week. It is an award-winning show and you will see why when you watch it, it is a must.
The book was written by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice, so we have a big thank you them both.
This is the musical of the story of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons they had numerous top 40 hits and were successful on stage and the radio BUT what about their private life? The boys came from New Jersey and had a colourful life, prison plenty of women, debt.
The group had plenty of previous names one being the Four Lovers!!! the last and successful one being the Four Seasons and when Bob Gaudio joined and wrote the music and the lyrics were by Bob Crewe, this made them more successful along with the voice of Frankie Valli – Valli spelt with an ‘I’ rather than a ‘Y’ as it would be a more successful name as he was told.
The Wycombe Swan theatre was truly brought alive to this 20th Anniversary tour of Jersey Boys.
The stage set was very good and what I liked was when the set was 180 degrees, so it went from us watching them from the stalls to being at the back of the stage, looking out to the stalls, very clever , mainly done with the lighting.
Luke Baker was Frankie Valli and his voice was amazing he kept the audience captured. He was faultless, hit after hit and for me the voice and the hits got better as the show went one, I just didn’t want it to end – Walk Like a Man, Rag Doll, Sherry just a few of the famous hits.
The other Four Seasons cast were Carl Boumouglbay – Tommy DeVito – the biggest rogue of the group and got them into debt, Lewis Kennedy – Nick Massi and Bob Gaudio was played by Toby Miles, all were exceptional.
The band were brilliant, faultless music, there is nothing quite like live music and a shout out to the director Des Mcanuff for the great show. A must go and see.
WYNDHAM’S THEATRE FOR A STRICTLY LIMITED SEASON FROM 22 SEPTEMBER TO 12 DECEMBER 2026
FURTHER TICKETS RELEASED
Wessex Grove and Gavin Kalin Productions are delighted to announce full casting for a stinging new production of Noël Coward’s irresistible comedy Hay Fever.
Joining the previously announced two-time Tony Award® winning Christine Baranski as Judith Bliss and Academy Award nominee Richard E. Grant as David Blisswill be Nancy Carroll as Myra Arundel, Will Close as Simon Bliss, Charles Edwards as Richard Greatham, Ophelia Lovibond as Sorel Bliss, Ash Hunter as Sandy Tyrell, Lucy Karczewski as Jackie Coryton and Jo McInnes as Clara. The cast is completed by Helena Antoniou, Charlotte Avery and Shaun Mendum.
Directed by Emily Burns, Hay Fever will play at Wyndham’s Theatre, a Delfont Mackintosh Theatre, for a strictly limited season from 22 September to 12 December 2026. Further tickets from £30 have been released for the production today. hayfeverplay.com
Nancy Carroll’s theatre credits include After the Dance, for which she won both the Olivier Award and Natasha Richardson Award for Best Actress, The Enchantment, Man of Mode, The Voysey Inheritance, The False Servant, The Talking Cure Manor and The Magistrate, all at the National Theatre. Her West End credits include Arcadia, You Never Can Tell, See How They Run and The Duck House. Her other theatre credits include Broken Glass at the Young Vic, Hamlet, Twelfth Night, As You Like It, Henry IV Parts 1 and 2 and The Winter’s Tale all at the RSC, The Cabinet Minister and Marjorie Prime at the Menier Chocolate Factory, Rock ‘n’ Roll and The Moderate Soprano at Hampstead Theatre, Betrayal at Theatre Royal Bath, Closer and The Recruiting Officer at the Donmar, House of Games, Waste and King Lear at the Almeida, Mammals at the Bush Theatre, A Midsummer Night’s Dream at Sheffield Theatres and Still Life/Astonished Heart at Liverpool Playhouse. Her television credits include The Diplomat, Dalgleish, Ghosts of Beirut, Father Brown, The Crown, Murder in Provence, Stephen, Will, Suspicions of Mr. Whicher; Lewis, Queens of Mystery, Call the Midwife and Cambridge Spies. Film credits include Clayface, F1, Happy and Glorious, Fantastic Four, The First Steps, Magic Mike – The Last Dance, The Gathering Storm, Iris and An Ideal Husband.
Will Close won the Olivier Award for Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of Harry Kane in the hit play Dear England, both at the National Theatre and in the West End. His other theatre credits include Porn Play at the Royal Court, Man Mountain, Bad Altitude, 1599, Great British Mysteries? all at Soho Theatre, Mediocre White Male at the Park Theatre and Golem at the Young Vic. His film credits include Beware Boiúna and Falling and his television credits include The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole Aged 13¾, Silent Witness, Midsomer Murders, Death in Paradise, Dalgliesh and Buffering.
Charles Edwards’ theatre credits include The Line of Beauty at the Almeida, Best of Enemies at the Young Vic, for which he received an Olivier Award nomination for Best Actor, The Ballad of Hattie and James at the Kiln Theatre and Absolute Hell, Waste, Strange Interlude, Twelfth Night, The Duchess of Malfi, and All My Sons, all at the National Theatre. He has been nominated three times for the Evening Standard Theatre Award for Best Actor for his performances in Much Ado About Nothing at Shakespeare’s Globe, The King’s Speech at the Wyndham’s Theatre and This House at the National Theatre. His other theatre credits include Copenhagen at Chichester Festival Theatre, My Fair Lady at the Capitol Theatre in Sydney, Richard II at Shakespeare’s Globe, Blithe Spirit in the West End and the Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles and The 39 Steps in the West End and on Broadway. His film credits include Elsinore, The Duke, The Witches, Philomena and Mansfield Park. His television credits include War, Patience, The Lord of the Rings – The Rings of Power, The Gentlemen, Dreaming Whilst Black, The Lady, The Crown, Downton Abbey, The Terror, Holy Flying Circus, The Halcyon, Henry IX, Under the Vines, Sherlock and Arthur and George.
Ophelia Lovibond’s theatre credits include The Hills of California at the Harold Pinter Theatre in the West End and the Broadhurst Theatre on Broadway, Nightfall at The Bridge Theatre, The Bay at Nice at the Menier Chocolate Factory, The Effect at Sheffield Crucible, The Libertine at the Theatre Royal Haymarket and The Stepmother at Chichester Festival Theatre. Film credits include Here, Real Love (Yes, It’s Real Love!), Timmy Failure: Mistakes Were Made, Rocketman, The Autopsy of Jane Doe, Tommy’s Honour, Man Up, Guardians of The Galaxy, A Single Shot, Eight Minutes Idle, Mr. Popper’s Penguins, No Strings Attached, London Boulevard, 4.3.2.1., Chatroom, Nowhere Boy, Shadows in The Sun, Popcorn, Oliver Twist, Crusade in Jeans. Television credits include W1A (series S1, 2 and 3), Mobland, The Lady, Partygate, This England, Minx, What If…?, Trying, Roadkill, Feel Good, Elementary, Whiskey Cavalier, Hooten & The Lady, Mr. Sloane, Inside No.9, The Poison Tree, Titanic: Blood & Steel, FM, Inspector Lewis, Messiah: The Rapture, Delta Forever, Heartbeat, Nathan Barley, Single, Loving You and The Wilsons.
Ash Hunter’s theatre credits include, for the National Theatre, Grenfell: In The Words of Survivors (also at St. Ann’s Warehouse in New York), Wuthering Heights and Light Shining in Buckinghamshire. His West End credits include Hamilton at the Victoria Palace Theatre and his other theatre credits include Pitcairn at Shakespeare’s Globe, HY Brasil at The Old Vic, Anthony & Cleopatra for the RSC and at the Public Theatre in New York, A Midsummer Night’s Dream at the Almeida Theatre, The Meat Kings! (Inc.) of Brooklyn Heights at the Park Theatre, Macbeth at Leeds Playhouse, God’s Property at Soho Theatre, Unrivalled Landscape at Orange Tree Theatre, Gravity at Birmingham Rep and A Clockwork Orange at Theatre Royal Stratford East. His film credits include Intrigo: Dear Agnes and The Thief, and his television credits include Maya, Alma’s Not Normal, Grace, Father Brown, Bridgerton, Harlots, The Trial of Christine Keeler, Death in Paradise, The Secret Agent, Wolfblood, Switch and Good Times Rolled.
Lucy Karczewski won The Stage Debut Award for Best Performer in a Play for her performance in Stereophonic at the Duke of York’s Theatre, for which she also received an Olivier nomination for Best Actress in a Supporting Role and a nomination in the Emerging Talent category for the London Standard Theatre Awards. Her other theatre credits include The Seagull at the Barbican, and The Caucasian Chalk Circle, The Glass Menagerie, Romeo and Juliet, The Cherry Orchard, The Government Inspector and A Monster Calls, all at LAMDA. She will soon make her television debut in the Peaky Blinders sequel.
Jo McInnes’ theatre credits include 4.48 Psychosis for the Royal Court Theatre and RSC, and at St Ann’s Warehouse, Coram Boy at Chichester Festival Theatre, Romeo and Julie at the Almedia Theatre, Medea at SohoPlace, The Corn is Green, The House Of Bernarda Alba, and The Children’s Hour, all at the National Theatre, The Jungle at The Young Vic, the Playhouse Theatre and St Ann’s Warehouse, Wastewater, Fleshwound, and Bluebird, all at the Royal Court, The Herbal Bed, As You Like It, and General from America for the RSC, Uncle Vanya at the Young Vic, M.A.D at the Bush Theatre, On Blindness and Dirty Butterfly at the Soho Theatre, and Edward II at the Sheffield Crucible. Her television include This England, Eternal Law, Five Daughters, Material Girl, Recovery, Afterlife, Sorted, The World Of Impressionists, Spooks, Living It, and Playing The Field. Her film credits include Me and Orson Welles, The New Romantics, My Wife is an Actress, Birthday Girl, and Gangster No. 1.
Noël Coward’s HAY FEVER is directed by Emily Burns with set and costume design by Frankie Bradshaw, lighting design by Oliver Fenwick and sound design by Tingying Dong. The fight and intimacy director is Bethan Clark, the dialect coach is Danièle Lydon the Associate Director is Blythe Stewart and Casting is by Jim Carnahan CSA and Liz Fraser CSA.
It’s LOATHSOME being looked after. Last year, Judith retired from her life-on-stage. Already, she misses the applause. Idling away at their country home, the rest of the family – reclusive novelist husband David and failure-to-launch children Sorrel and Simon – are too self-involved to be a good audience. So, Judith invites a young fan as her guest for the weekend. But unbeknownst to her, each of the Blisses have a guest of their own arriving at the very same time. Completely unsuited to hosting and allergic to compromise, the house quickly erupts into a chaos of parlour games, put-downs and unrequested encores.
