THE ORANGE TREE THEATRE MARK THE START OF

MAJOR DEVELOPMENT PROJECT

WITH ROGER ALLAM, NIAMH CUSACK,

EMMA FIELDING AND FREDDIE FOX

BREAKING GROUND

Roger Allam, Niamh Cusack, Emma Fielding and Freddie Fox were in attendance today at the Orange Tree Theatre (OT) for their breaking ground event.The event marked the start of the major development taking place at the venue, which will transform the front of house and backstage areas to create a more accessible, welcoming and sustainable environment for audiences, creatives and performers.

OT Artistic Director, Tom Littler and OTExecutive Director, Julie Weston said, “Breaking ground today is a landmark moment for the Orange Tree, but this project is about much more than construction. It is about who gets to feel welcome here, who gets to take part, and what kind of theatre we want to be in the years ahead.

“We are opening the Orange Tree up without losing what makes it special. The intimacy stays. The ambition stays. The closeness between audience and artist stays. What changes is that more people will be able to experience it.

“And we are not going quiet while this happens. The Orange Tree remains open throughout the development. This theatre will keep making work and keep welcoming audiences even as the building changes around us.

“So, this is both a beginning and a call to action. We are in the final phase of the campaign, and the last support will help us finish a project that will change this theatre for generations.”

The development, designed by architects Allies and Morrison, will be led by Rise Contracts Limited who have been a part of major London theatres’ redevelopments over the years including at the National Theatre, Donmar Warehouse and The Old Vic.

The development will work around OT’s current programming with the venue remaining open. This includes the first major revival of Nicholas Wright’s Vincent in Brixton which begins previews this week.

OT’s public fundraising campaign for its development project OT: Open to Everyone is still open to help raise the final amount towards their target. For more information and to donate, please visit https://orangetreetheatre.co.uk/open/

THAT PROVIDE FREE AND UNLIMITED ACCESS TO THE SHOW ANYTIME, ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD FOR LIFE

“It’s not just the best musical I’ve ever seen; it’s the most rewarding theatrical experience I’ve ever had”
Taffy Brodesser-Akner, The New York Times

“One of British theatre’s great success stories and is packing out theatres in the West End and on Broadway… both spiffingly funny, in a Monty Python-esque fashion, and really quite moving”
Hugh Montgomery, Metro

“The West End hit is still the perfect mix of ingenious, silly and moving…With a new cast, the Olivier Award-winning musical about the wartime operation is as terrific as ever” 
Marianka Swain, The Telegraph

“The Brits have made the year’s funniest musical…Against the odds, the “Operation Mincemeat” gang has found its way to the big time.”
Peter Marks, The Washington Post

“A little show with a very big future”
David Benedict, Variety [2021]

109 ★★★★★ reviews and counting

Olivier and Tony^® Award-winning musical Operation Mincemeat, drew the winners of four Golden Tickets, that will afford recipients free, unlimited access to Operation Mincemeat, anytime, anywhere in the world, for life. The winners were drawn in person at the Fortune Theatre in London, and at the Golden Theatre in New York City by cast members from each city’s show. Operation Mincemeat is currently playing in the West End, on Broadway and has just launched its world tour, beginning with a UK leg ahead of travelling across the USA beginning October 2026, followed by Canada, Mexico, China, Australia and New Zealand.

The winners are:

• West End digital Golden Ticket Winner: Catherine Reid
• West End in-person Golden Ticket Winner: Joseph Kavanagh
• Broadway digital Golden Ticket Winner: Joe Cilibrasi
• Broadway in-person Golden Ticket Winner: Lela Pines

The production is still seeking the owner of the one millionth ticket located at seat B128 (Front Mezz) at Broadway’s Golden Theatre for the performance on March 19, 2026 at 7:00 P.M.. The buyer is encouraged to come forward and email millionthticket@operationmincemeat.com as soon as possible to claim a VIP prize including airfare, hotel accommodations, and more!

For West End and UK tour tickets, please visit OperationMincemeat.com

In Operation Mincemeat, it’s 1943, and the Allied Forces are on the ropes. Luckily, they’ve got a trick up their sleeve. Well, not up their sleeve, per se, but rather inside the pocket of a stolen corpse. Equal parts farce, thriller, and Ian Fleming-style spy caper (with an assist from Mr. Fleming himself), Operation Mincemeat tells the wildly improbable and hilarious true story of the covert operation that turned the tide of WWII.

Since opening at the 77-seat New Diorama Theatre in 2019, Operation Mincemeat has been nominated for 64 awards and won 13, including Best Musical 3 times, from the Olivier Awards®, WhatsOnStage Awards, and Off-West End Awards. On Broadway, the show was nominated for 4 Tony Awards® in 2025, including Best Musical. The production won Best Featured Actor in a Musical for Jak Malone’s portrayal of Hester Leggatt, who previously won the Olivier Award® in the same category.

Written by triple Tony Award nominees SpitLip (comprised of David Cumming, Felix Hagan, Natasha Hodgson, and Zoë Roberts), and directed by Robert Hastie, Operation Mincemeat recently announced its 18th – and biggest – extension at the West End’s Fortune Theatre, with performances now running through 20^th February 2027, while the Broadway production has confirmed its 8^th extension at the Golden Theatre, booking until 17^th January 2027. This comes alongside the launch of the Operation MincemeatWorld Tour, which opened with a sold-out, two-week run at the Lowry in the 1700-seater theatre last month, kicking off the show’s 40-week UK leg before travelling to four continents, with stops in the USA, Australia, Canada, China, Mexico, and New Zealand.

Operation Mincemeat is produced in the West End, on Broadway, and on tour by Avalon (in association with SpitLip). The show was commissioned by New Diorama Theatre, co-commissioned by The Lowry, and also supported by the Rhinebeck Writers Retreat.

Chichester Festival Theatre, Chichester – until Saturday 11th April 2026

Reviewed by Sally Lumley

5*****

Chichester Festival Theatre has started Festival 2026 with a whizzpopping bang with the arrival of The BFG this week. Based on the beloved 1982 novel by Roald Dahl, the story follows the Big Friendly Giant (John Leader) and orphan Sophie (Martha Bailey Vine) as they form an unlikely friendship and, with a little help from Buckingham Palace, hatch a plan to stop the larger “human bean” eating giants from devouring the remaining “norphans” of London.

This production, created in collaboration with the Roald Dahl Story Company, fully captures the magic of the book we all remember from childhood. Lighting, sound and special effects are used imaginatively to bring the wonder of Giant Country to life, with dreams phizzwhizzing around the theatre to create a truly spellbinding atmosphere. But the magic goes far beyond clever effects. The changes in perspective that show the enormous giants alongside tiny Sophie are wonderfully done. The puppeteers are the heroes here, breathing life into puppets of all sizes and seamlessly conveying the dramatic differences in scale between characters.

John Leader is a wonderful BFG, full of warmth, charm and gentle humour. He captures the giant’s kind-hearted nature beautifully and forms a delightful partnership with Martha Bailey Vine’s Sophie. This Sophie is modern, intelligent and spirited, bringing plenty of sass to the role while retaining the character’s bravery and curiosity.

The supporting cast shines too, with scene-stealing turns from Captain Smith (Philip Labey) and Captain Frith (Luke Sumner), whose comic timing had the audience in stitches. However, none of the dark, gruesome details that are so characteristic of Dahl’s stories are spared. The giants are filthy, grotesque creatures, and Richard Riddell as Bloodbottler perfectly captures the revolting humour of the role.

The BFG brings all the best moments of the book to life with warmth, whimsy and plenty of laugh-out-loud comedy. The delumptious, whizzpopping finale left my 10-year-old howling with laughter. At its heart, the story reminds us that anyone—from a tiny orphan, to a giant, to even the Queen of England—has the power to stand up and do something extraordinary. I attended with three generations of my family, aged 10 to 75, and we all agreed it was wonderful, with so many favourite moments it was impossible to choose just one. This is a magical, funny and heartwarming production that will delight and surprise audiences of all ages, and I’m sure it will receive many more standing ovations like the one the audience gave it last night.

Aylesbury Waterside Theatre – Thursday 12th March 2026

Reviewed by Rachel Clark

3***

Hidden is brought to the theatre by Motionhouse and described as a jaw dropping dance circus. As much as a appreciate the hard work and the amazing fitness levels of the performers it wasn’t for me. Yes the set was clever with the imagines projected to the screens and in the beginning how the dancers moved around to the scenes, then the screens mainly went and the dancers performed the dances using a frame, and they were clever and got into positions I could never even try, and I do applaud them for that, but for me the act we just a bit too long as it was much of the same thing.

Hidden takes place over two acts, act one – Descent into the Darkness which was an hour and then a 25 min interval and followed by a 30 mins for Act two – Finding the Light.

Making Hidden was a personal journey for the Kevin Finnan MBE. He was aware of what felt to him a lot of darkness and division of the world, when making the show he was touched by the stories of the wildfires in Canada, floods in Spain and other conflicts around the world. In times of crisis we need each other, and it is often ‘Hidden’.

I did enjoy the start of the act where the Motionhouse had been to a school and worked with boys that some had never danced/performed before – they where great and big round of applause for them.

If you are into dance, gymnastics it is for you, you will most definitely enjoy it.

Theatre Royal Windsor – until 14 March 2026

Reviewed by Marcia Spiers

4****

“A thoroughly entertaining evening with excellent music and dance. This show as a real feel-good factor”

Written by Gary Kupper, Larry Marshak and Rose Caiola, with original music and Lyrics by Gary Kupper and Directed by Randal Myler, this show tells the story of Alan Freed, an American disc jokey who helped coin the term “rock and roll” and propelled a musical revolution across America.

Before seeing this production, I knew little about Alan Freed. Yet the performance inspired me to learn more about this person whose passion for music brough white and black teenagers together in the 1950s. His success made him a target for conservative forces determined to preserve the status quo, and his eventual downfall was shaped by outside pressures as well as his own self-destructive behaviour. Despite this Freed was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986 for breaking down racial barriers and transforming popular culture.

This cast are all extremely talented with many taking on multiple roles with impressive versatility. Constantine Maroulis portrays Alan’s maverick nature, his determination to enact change, and his more vulnerable side very well. Joe Bence gives an excellent performance as a young Buddy Holly. Marquie Hairston, Joey James, Jairus McClanahan and Anton Stephans shine not only as a quartet but also in their portrayals of Jay Hawkins, Frankie Lymon, Chuck Berry, Little Richard and Bo Diddley. Joey James emanating the mannerisms of Chuck Berry and Jairus McClanahan in his portrayal of the flamboyant Little Richard are highlights.

Cherece Richards gives a strong, polished performance of singer LaVern Baker, a woman with a powerful voice. Dominque Scott is a whirlwind of energy playing Jerry Lee Lewis, Pat Boone and others while serving as the show’s Musical Director and a musician. Gary Turner gives a wonderful performance as Leo Mintz, Alan’s record store confidant and as the scheming Morris Levy, nothing more than a gangster out for his own gain. Shelby Speed is an amazing dancer leading many of the dance numbers and brings authenticity to supporting roles including Jackie, Alan’s Mother and his daughter. Mark Pearce moves effortlessly between J Edgar Hoover and the various figures of the 1950s conservative majority both in comedic and dramatic moments.

The staging is simple but effective, making creative use of TV interludes and phone calls. It provides plenty of space for the performers to take centre stage and the music and choreography to shine. Choreographer Stephanie Klemons and her team deserve praise for the wonderful dance numbers that help tell the story. I must also highly commend the musicians because they are fantastic.

Overall, Rock & Roll Man is a celebration of a turbulent but transformative chapter in music history. I enjoyed it. Please go watch!

PLAYHOUSE THEATRE, LIVERPOOL – UNTIL SATURDAY 14TH MARCH 2026

REVIEWED BY MIA BOWEN

5*****

Last night, I had the immense pleasure of attending the press night of The Constant Wife at the Playhouse, and it was a delightful surprise. Upon entering the theatre, I had only a vague idea of what to expect, but the evening soon revealed itself to be an absolute joy from the very first moment.

Before a single word was uttered, the audience was whisked back in time, thanks to the breathtaking set design by Anna Fleischle. The stage instantly conjured the glamour and elegance of the Roaring Twenties, featuring a meticulously crafted Art Deco aesthetic that was both stylish and immersive. The level of detail was impressive, creating a setting that truly embodied the essence of the mid-1920s. As the lights dimmed, a man in a black suit quietly took the stage. He approached the piano and began to play. The audience fell silent, captivated by the music that filled the theatre, marking the graceful beginning of the play.

Written in 1926 by W. Somerset Maugham, The Constant Wife is a brilliantly incisive comedy that delves into themes of marriage, betrayal, and independence with both humour and unexpected modernity. Almost a century after its inception, the play remains notably relevant, providing a refreshingly unconventional viewpoint on infidelity and personal freedom.

The story centres around Constance Middleton, portrayed with exceptional charm and intelligence by Kara Tointon. Constance has long been aware of her husband’s affair with her best friend, Marie-Louise. However, when the affair comes to light, her reaction is surprising to everyone. Rather than displaying anger or heartbreak, she calmly seizes the opportunity to take charge of her life. She starts working, pays her husband rent to stay in the house she now financially supports, and ultimately asserts her independence.

With Laura Wade’s adapted script and Tamara Harvey’s direction, the production exudes warmth, wit, and impressive craftsmanship. It showcases a profound admiration for Constance’s understated strength and celebrates a woman who steadfastly rejects society’s expectations.

The entire cast delivers outstanding performances, with each actor infusing charisma and energy into the stage. While all deserve commendation, Philip Rham’s portrayal of Bentley the Butler is especially noteworthy. Rarely speaking but always vigilant, he moves silently in and out of scenes, becoming a constant ally to Constance as their secrets gradually come to light.

At the core of the production is Kara Tointon’s outstanding performance. She infuses Constance with warmth, intelligence, and bravery, perfectly embodying the character’s wit and subtle resolve.

This production of The Constant Wife is graceful, humorous, and unexpectedly empowering—an utterly delightful evening of theatre that demonstrates great writing is always timeless.

Live Theatre Newcastle – until 21st March 2026

Reviewed by Sandra Little

4****

Shuggy Boats is a debut play written by Jacquie Lawrence and is a North East story set around the coastal town of Tynemouth. The play takes place in 2021 which is when a money lending scheme known as Provident was wound up. Older readers of this review might well remember the “Provvy woman” as Maeve (Phillippa Wilson) is affectionately known in the play.

The action begins in the Shuggy Boat beach bar run by barman Kaz (Soroosh Lavasani ) as Maeve celebrates her sixtieth birthday with friends and family. The party includes a zoom call with old friends and a quiz organised by Maeve’s quiz obsessed husband Jocka ( Dave Johns). Three instantly recognisable local North East celebrities appear on the zoom call as Maeve’s friends. There is Sharon from the Co-Op, Geordie the Geordie, and Helen Harper. Their identity is revealed at the end of this review. We also meet Gladys (Barbara Heslop ) on a zoom call, a long time Provvy customer.

Following the quiz, Maeve shares a secret with her family that she has kept hidden for many years. Maeve reveals to her husband Jocka, sister Angie ( Libby Davison), son Ryan (Benjamin Storey ) and niece Carolyn (Natalie Ann Jamieson) that she is a lesbian and her first kiss was not with Jocka as everyone assumed.

As the story unfolds the complexities of family relationships and the impact of Maeve’s revelation are explored with a great deal of insight. Added to the mix Ryan has his own relationship issues to deal with, there is bereavement from the death of her husband for Angie to cope with and a bombshell for Carolyn the social worker which sets her life on a completely different path!

Despite all of the issues addressed there is a happy ending provided mainly by the arrival of Fingers Foster (Alicya Eyo ) who changes Shuggy Boat into a lesbian bar called Fish Fingers!

The set for this play consists mainly of slatted drift wood, drinks bottles, a deck chair and fishing nets. It serves as The Shuggy Boat bar, a beach, Jocka’s front room and the set of Mastermind! Creative lighting, a sprinkling of imagination and the cabaret style of Live Theatre all work together to provide an effective backdrop to the play.

I thoroughly enjoyed this production for a host of reasons. There were funny moments that were mixed seamlessly with great poignancy and tenderness in places. The conversation between Jocka and Angie about bereavement and family relationships was particularly moving. I also thought it refreshing to have a North East play where people with professions (Ryan is a teacher and Carolyn a social worker) were not portrayed as, “posh” and the characters led lives that didn’t primarily revolve around unemployment and disadvantage. Although there is a place for such drama it wasn’t needed to tell this story. Dialogue used is blunt and includes swearing and quite explicit sexual references but within the context of the play I didn’t find this offensive at all.

I think this play could follow in a Live Theatre tradition ( Pitman Painters, Gerry and Sewell ) and move to a wider audience and bigger theatre. It absolutely deserves further recognition.

N. B. Shuggy Boat is a North East term for a traditional fairground ride known as a swing boat in other parts of the country.

Denise Welch, Si King and Charlie Hardwick appear on zoom calls in the play.

Birmingham Hippodrome – until 14th March 2026

Reviewed by Emma Millward

5*****

The National Theatre’s production of Dear England arrived in Birmingham for the final fixture of its UK tour. Written by James Graham and directed by Rupert Goold, the play charts the unlikely emotional evolution of the England men’s football team under the management of Gareth Southgate (David Sturzaker). Graham focuses on the turning point when Gareth Southgate took charge of the squad after a long run of tournament defeats. The production examines how Southgate’s team decided to try something radical, they began talking about their feelings. Enter sports psychologist Pippa Grange (Samantha Womack), whose influence helped reshape the squad’s culture. Suddenly, the national team is discussing fear, failure, and vulnerability, all topics rarely heard over the masculinity and bravado of the beautiful game. 

The show begins with Southgate’s penalty shoot-out miss in 1996. An event that would follow and haunt Southgate for years to come. At the centre of the action, David Sturzaker delivers a calm and quietly humorous portrayal of Southgate. Rather than a stereotypical shouting manager, he is thoughtful, composed, and occasionally wry. Samantha Womack brings an equally calm warmth to Pippa Grange, who is initially met with resistance in the male-dominated environment.

The squad itself is brought vividly to life by a lively ensemble. Oscar Gough captures the gentle authority of captain Harry Kane, while Ashley Byam gives Raheem Sterling plenty of emotional heart. Jayden Hanley plays Marcus Rashford with charm and determination, and Connor Hawker turns Harry Maguire into a surprisingly comic presence. George Rainsford delivers a sharp performance as sceptical Mike Webster, who isn’t convinced Southgate is doing the right thing. Jack Maddison as goalkeeper Jordan Pickford draws many laughs from the audience. Liam Prince-Donnelly as Dele Alli, Jass Beki as Bukayo Saka, Jake Ashton-Nelson as Jordan Henderson, Kadell Herida as Jadon Sancho, and Tom Lane as Eric Dier all give the dressing room an authentic sense of camaraderie.

Beyond the players, the football world pops up in colourful cameos. Ian Kirkby clearly relishes his turn as presenter Gary Lineker, while Ian Bartholomew lends authority to former FA chairman Greg Dyke. Meanwhile, Steven Dykes has fun portraying the brief and chaotic reign of Sam Allardyce. I am Dudley-born and bred, I found his accent was verging on a Yorkshire accent rather than Black Country, but I’ll give him points for trying! Courtney George stole the show for me with her portrayals of Lioness-turned-pundit Alex Scott and a hilarious turn as Theresa May. Supporting them is a versatile ensemble including Miles Henderson, Natalie Boakye and Ebube Chukwuma, who hop between roles as journalists, fans, and officials.

The production doesn’t shy away from discussing serious issues, including the racist abuse that many of the players received online after penalty shoot-out misses in the EURO 2020 finals. A section depicting an angry mob menacingly inching closer to the players as they prepare to take their penalties felt genuinely claustrophobic. The victory of the Women’s Lionesses also gets a well-deserved mention during the play.

The simple, yet effective set design (Es Devlin), lighting (Jon Clark), sound (Dan Balfour/Tom Gibbons), and clever video design (Ash J Woodward) all combine to skilfully evoke the energy of the game, especially the authentic stadium sounds throughout. Choreographed movement recreates penalty shoot-outs, media frenzy, and training exercises, and perfectly captures the highs, lows, and occasional absurdity of tournament life.

Even if football isn’t your thing, Dear England proves there’s plenty of drama and laughs behind the sport. By the final whistle, the crowd rose to their feet for a well-deserved standing ovation for a show that is funny, inspiring, and surprisingly moving.

Hull New Theatre – until 14th March 2026

Reviewed by Dawn Bennett

5*****

I have had the pleasure of seeing a number of Hessle Theatre Company productions over the years and they are always excellent. I have only seen Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat once and that was a school production and a long time ago, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. I did remember some of the songs, Any Dream will Do, One More Angel in Heaven, Close Every Door to name a few, and the music was excellent under Musical Director Rebecca Barques. The show, directed by Martin Beaumont, can only be described as funny, with great music and ever so slightly bonkers! Where else would you have a Pharaoh with more than a hint of Elvis Presley (played brilliantly by Christian Brodie)?

The story is narrated by Elinor Kirby who helps it move along seamlessly; she is a very talented actress and singer. Ben Bailey plays the title role of Joseph and he was able to bring the character alive on stage and his rendition of Any Dream Will Do was particularly good.

Joseph lives with his eleven brothers but as the favourite son of Jacob (Kevin Hickson) his brothers are very jealous of him and have him sold as a slave, telling his father that he was dead. We then follow the story of how Joseph survives being in prison in Egypt and by interpreting Pharaohs dreams he is able to become a powerful leader there. He reconciles with his brothers and then returns to visit his father showing his brothers forgiveness for what they did to him.

All the cast played their parts really well it was great to watch them obviously enjoying themselves a lot!

The young cast were also very good and they all looked engaged on stage and their singing was fabulous.

The set was simple but effective and I particularly liked the video backdrop that was colourful and told the story well.

It would be difficult to name check everyone who were on stage, as there are a lot of them, but each and everyone of them put 100% into this production to help make it into the success it will no doubt be. Hessle Theatre company is an amateur company making very professional shows and long may they do so!

Wycombe Swan, High Wycombe – until Saturday 14th March 2026

Reviewed by Rachel Clark

5*****

Absolutely an outstanding performance

The Shawshank Redemption is an Iconic movie based on the novel by Stephen King. This stage version was adapted by Owen O’Neill and Dave Johns, directed by David Esbjornson.

Andy Dufresne is a banker and gets wrongly accused of the murder of his wife and her lover, it tells of the story of his life in prison and how he becomes the financial advisor and investor for the prison staff and gets the library better set up due to his persistence on writing letters to get more books.

Andy Duresne is played by Joe MacFadden – know for his part as Pc Joe Mason in Heartbeat and Raf in Holby City, he played the part exceptionally well, but the one who stood out to me was Ben Onwukwe who played Ellis ‘Red’ Redding and acted as the narrator – he was absolutely superb, an amazing performer, a great clear voice and kept your attention with a spot on American accent. Bill Ward played Warden Stammas and you couldn’t fault his performance he has over 750 episodes of Coronation Street and Emmerdale.

I could mention all the actors by name and say each one was outstanding, I can’t fault anything, it was just top class, the clear voices, word perfect and the set was brilliant, it was like you were in the film as one on the inmates looking on. The set was all in the prison and it was very realistic; I kept looking at the walls thinking how much work must have gone into creating it and the way the props were added and the sounds in the background of the birds etc – excellent. The costumes all looked authentic, everyone who worked on this performance need a round of applause or more.

A top-class show and definitely not one to be missed.