Hampstead Downstairs, London – until 28th October 2023

Reviewed by Celia Armand Smith

4****

Behavioural biologist Professor George Grey (Jemma Redgrave) lives in a university owned house with an octopus called Frances. Alongside her late husband, she wrote world renowned papers about Frances and her life in a tank in a living room. Enter Dr Harry Giscard (Ewan Miller), an anthropologist with bold new ideas about both Frances and George. They tumble and tussle with each other’s intelligence, taking in grief, love, sentience, and spirituality along the way.

Marek Horn’s pacy script is cerebral and funny. There are times when my internet addled brain can’t cope with the highly researched narrative, however those moments are fleeting and dormant parts of my brain fire up again. Under Ed Madden’s direction, the two characters take it in turns to narrate the piece, intertwining like two research papers being written on the same subject. It’s a bit like witnessing a TED talk in someone’s home whilst life goes on around them.

Running throughout there is a sparky and sweary humour and playfulness, and dancing to blasts of David Bowie tracks brings a welcome change in pace and tone. Octopolis is 100 minutes of at times incredibly complicated dialogue, but it is the charismatic performances by Miller and Redgrave that hold your attention throughout. Their relationship is believable and dynamic, and by the end quietly revelatory.

Anisha Fields’ simple yet effective design along with Jamie Platt’s vivid lighting is brilliant at creating the presence of Frances without ever seeing her. The tank runs the length of the stage, and changes in mood and emotion are revealed through a spectrum of colour changes from bright orange to red to a cooler blue. There are jets of foam and bubbling noises which serve as a signal for a new chapter and a new narrator.

Complex thoughts and ideas give way to the shifting emotions in a play that is profound and funny. It has huge themes, a small but clever space, and impressive performances. Enjoyable to the end, you come away having learnt something about octopuses and humans alike.

AHOY THERE LANDLUBBERS!
WEST END CAST ANNOUNCED FOR

CAUSING PAN-DEMONIUM THIS CHRISTMAS
AT THE LYRIC THEATRE

By Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer and Henry Shields

Based on Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie

Mischief, creators of the multi award-winning global sensation The Play That Goes Wrong, The Comedy About A Bank Robbery and Royal Television Society award-winning BBC comedy series The Goes Wrong Show, announce the West End cast of Peter Pan Goes Wrong which sails into the West End for 7½ weeks only at the Lyric Theatre this Christmas(Thursday 23 November 2023 – Sunday 14 January 2024, with a Gala Performance on Tuesday 28 November) before continuing to tour the UK.

Returning to the West End following successful runs on Broadway and in Los Angeles are Matthew Cavendish (Max), Harry Kershaw (Chris), Chris Leask (Trevor), Ellie Morris (Lucy), Charlie Russell (Sandra), Greg Tannahill (Jonathan), and Nancy Zamit (Annie, 23 Nov – 17 Dec & 11 – 14 Jan). They are joined by the current UK touring cast Jamie Birkett (Annie, 19 Dec – 10 Jan), Clark Devlin (Dennis), Matthew Howell (Robert) and Jean-Luke Worrell (Francis). The company is completed by Romeo Mika, Clare Noy, Consuela Rolle, and Phil Yarrow.

Co-penned by Mischief’s award-winning writing trio, Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer and Henry Shields, Peter Pan Goes Wrong is a highly physical comedy packed with finely-tuned farce and Buster Keaton inspired slapstick, delivered with split-second timing and ambitious daring. The play sees the ‘Cornley Drama Society’ back on stage battling technical hitches, flying mishaps and cast disputes as they attempt to present J.M. Barrie’s much-loved tale. But will they ever make it to Neverland?

Nominated for an Olivier Award for ‘Best New Comedy’ in 2016, Peter Pan Goes Wrong has enjoyed two West End seasons, a tour of Australia and New Zealand and two major UK tours. Original members of the Mischief company have just completed hugely successful Broadway and Los Angeles seasons of the production, winning the Drama Desk Award for ‘Unique Theatrical Experience’ and the Broadway.com Audience Choice Award for ‘Favorite New Play’. Peter Pan Goes Wrong has just begun a 6 month UK tour, visiting venues around the country until April 2024. BBC One broadcast a one-hour version of the show on primetime television in December 2016, starring David Suchet as the guest narrator, watched by an audience of over six million worldwide.

Peter Pan Goes Wrong is directed by Adam Meggido,with associate director Fred Gray, set designs by Simon Scullion, costumes by Roberto Surace, lighting by Matt Haskins and sound by Ella Wahlström. Original music by Rob Falconer and Richard Baker. Peter Pan Goes Wrong is regrettably produced by Kenny Wax Ltd. and Stage Presence Ltd. by arrangement with Mischief Worldwide Ltd.

New Wimbledon Theatre – until 30 September 2023

Reviewed by Amber Mills

5*****

Magical musical fantasy, where dreams come alive!

Shrek is a classic childhood film that was originally a fantasy comedy picture book published in 1990 by American book writer and cartoonist William Steig, about a mean lord who exiled fairytale creatures to the swamp of a terrifying, repugnant green ogre by the name of Shrek, who must go on a quest and rescue a princess for the lord in order to get his land back. Shrek ends up leaving his home to see the world and ends up marrying an ugly princess.

This big, bright, beautiful cast was remarkable. Each and every cast member was captivating and larger than life during the ensemble numbers, in particular, ‘Freak Flag’, I didn’t know where to look. Everyone really embraced their characters and took them to another level. They didn’t just play there bulk standard fairytale creatures, they went beyond and each added their own spice on top of the general characteristics which reinvigorated these fun-loving, lively characters.

In particular there were 4 dancing prisoners in ‘Donkey’s pot pie’ song who drew my eye. They brought the power, and pazzazz to this crazy routine. These dancers had chains around their wrists and ankles yet were still going full out with feeling and because of this it made it an even funnier moment to watch.

One of my favourite characters of the evening was Donkey, who was played by Brandon Lee Sears. Donkey is known for his talkative, but annoying demeanour, which Brandon portrayed fantastically!

His ecstatic energy and impeccable characterization had me in fits of laughter throughout the show.

Another talented member of the cast who stood out to me was Jonathan David Dudley for his superb multi-roling. He played the Captain of the Guard, Pied Piper and the Priest, all of which had totally different character qualities and to be able to switch between these roles throughout this show is a real talent when these are completely different types of characters. From his clear diction to his bold character choices Jonathan is a very versatile performer who I couldn’t take my eyes off of, even when not speaking in a scene.

I was also mind blown with Cherece Richards performance as the Dragon. It was a powerful but mellifluous performance that gave me shivers when watching. Cherece also plays the Wicked Witch but it was her performance in ‘Donkeys Pot Pie’ that really raised the roof for me.

To conclude the characters Fiona (Joanne Clifton) and Shrek (Antony Lawrence) in their duet of ‘I think I got you beat’ bounced off each other and gave a very fun, joyful performance. Joanne nailed Fiona’s split personality of a pretty, innocent princess, who also has tomboy mannerisms.

Anthony’s performance as Shrek throughout was solid and truthful.

The whole set of Shrek was very unique and true to the story, however a personal opinion of mine would be that in certain scenes the projector ruined some of the authenticity. In previous productions of Shrek there was a real bridge to the dragon’s castle which in my opinion made it more authentic but nevertheless the excellent timing that Shrek and Donkey had with the screen made up for it.

The lighting patterning and the costumes in this show really complemented the magical fairytale creatures. The way all of the costumes were vibrantly glitzed up just made the whole magical fantasy land even more life-like.

This was an extremely entertaining show that was casted very cleverly. It’s a show that brings back the magical childhood memories and is a must watch for all families!

Lyceum, Sheffield – until 30 September 2023

Reviewed by Alison Beaumont

4****

The Drifters Girl musical tells the story of the highs and lows of the woman who made the Drifters. Faye Treadwell explains the highs of the Drifters hit records to the lows of tragedy and legal battles to her daughter. Faye Treadwell was the manager of the Drifters who refused to give up on the group she held so much passion for.

The stage setting for this show is simple but effective with changing in lighting and screen projections.

The cast consists of only 6 members, Faye Treadwell (Carly Mercedes Dyer), George Treadwell & others (Miles Anthony Daley), Ben E King, Rudy Lewis & others (Ashford Campbell), Clyde Mcphatter, Lover Paterson & others (Tarik Frimpong), Johnny Moore, Gerhart Thrasher & others (Dalton Harris) and the Girl (Jaydah Bell-Rickets). Although the men all did a remarkable job juggling all these roles, I did feel that with them playing so many different characters it was quite confusing especially as the show is quite fast paced telling the story especially in Act 1. Sometimes the onstage quick costume changes was a little off putting.

Carly Mercedes Dyer (Fay) has an amazing voice and certainly did the role justice. All the men, Miles Anthony Daley, Ashford Campbell, Tarik Frimpont and Dalton Harris are all very talented and their vocals and dancing were brilliant, for me I think Ashford Campbell just had that little bit of something extra but all of them did the main character role of the Drifters exceptionally well.

The orchestra were a major part in this musical and were faultless.

The Drifters Girl showcases lots of musical numbers that everyone loves such as Come on Over to my Place, Save the Last Dance for me, Saturday Night at the Movies and Under the Boardwalk. The hardest part in this musical was trying not to sing along to the songs but in true theatre style at the end they got everyone up on their feet for a dance and sing along.

If you love Drifters songs, you will no doubt love going to see this musical. I could have stayed longer just listening to them singing.

New Victoria Theatre, Woking – until Saturday 30th September 2023

Reviewed by Carly Burlinge

5*****

New Victoria Theatre brings you Rodgers and Hammersteins classic,The King and I and what a spectacular production it was! Opening with an orchestra that played such delightful music and powerful sounds as the curtain lifted from the stage and what an applause from the audience it received!

For me this was the first time I had ever seen this show and it didn’t disappoint!
The King and I tells the story of an English school teacher Anna Leonowens (Annalene Beechey) who accepts a job and becomes hired by King of Siam (Brian Rivera), to educate some of his many children as well as his wives in the English culture.

During this time a friendship is formed between Anna and King although it’s not without many clashes along the way. They both come across very stubborn, with the King trying desperately to control Anna and Anna continuing to challenge him and stand her ground. An atmosphere he’s not quite use too! But as time goes by they begin to understand and accept each others very different cultures. Through it all a kindness is formed between the pair and a true friendship is made.

Onstage they both show an amazing connection for all to see with Anna and the King offering spectacular  vocals sang with strength and much stamina throughout the performance.

Everything about this show was of high standard. The dancers showed  impressive skill throughout and the children were charming and adorable to watch. The costumes were very authentic colourful and a joy to take in.

Looking around the audience there was much emotion throughout with smiles and laughter as well as tears!

I must admit I enjoyed every second of this superb magical production that ended in a standing ovation in which it definitely deserved. I wish I could go back and watch it all over again! Definitely one not to be missed – just incredible. What an amazing enjoyable evening had by all

Everyman Theatre, Cheltenham – until 30th September 2023

Reviewed by Jacqui Radford

5*****

Calendar Girls the Musical, written by Gary Barlow and Tim Firth is a welcome throwback to the film that many will remember with a smile. Twenty years on from the film release, this musical version has the same effect.

Based on a true story, the production centres around a group of women who are all members of the Women’s Institute in a Yorkshire village. An eclectic group of women, all of them find friendship in their regular and traditional WI activities; inter-group craft competitions, cake baking and fundraising. Following the death of a member’s husband and fuelled by their mission to raise money for the local hospital, the group moves hilariously from eclectic to electric!

The key components of life, love, friendship and loss are really the main theme and not the nudity we all associate with ‘The Calendar Girls’. All elements are sensitively portrayed in this production, directed by Jonathan O’Boyle and reinforced with a mix of uplifting and thoughtful song.

The production set is simple in design and switches swiftly between being a village hall, hospital relatives’ room and the WI national conference stage. However, the simplicity of it means that the focus is always on the depth of the relationships that are the commentary of the production and the musical elements that add further dimension.

Annie (played by Tanya Franks) and Chris (played by Amy Robbins) have been friends for 40 years and pull together against the harsh reality of Annie’s husband having cancer. The portrayal of their deep friendship keeps the audience vested in its value and ultimately drawn into the turmoil that is felt when you lose someone close, let alone the love of your life.

The tragic loss of Annie’s husband is the cue for a step change in the group’s attitude to tradition and reputational risk. Every member of the group is transformed by the ‘not insane’ idea of revamping the WI calendar, replacing images of churches and teapots with more risqué images.

At this point, the whole cast and lighting also take on a livelier disposition. Every one of the main characters poses individually on stage for a photo shoot, with carefully placed WI props and cheeky lines. The audience reaction is one of awe and applause; a perfect segway to the end of the show that reminds us of the amazing things that can be achieved when ‘ordinary people do something extraordinary’.

Malvern Theatre – until Saturday 30 September 2023

Reviewed by Kathie Hodges

2**

Loosely based on the movie Bridesmaids ~ Bridesmaids of Britain tells the story of Sarah ~ the Bride to be and the new found rivalry between her oldest friend Becky and her new seemingly posh and perfect best friend Tiffany.

You enter to see the stage lit up in a striking bright pink which wows at first glance, and a wedding dress, but that’s about as much styling as you can expect, the set is very simple and though you are promised a great night out of huge belly laughs with your girlfriends, the show lacked rather. I was grateful I didn’t drag my girlfriends along.

The three actresses (Kathryn Rutherford, Rebecca Tebbitt, Rebecca Jayne-Davies) did the best job they could with what they had, there were laughs, dance offs, sing offs and lots of gobbing off (expect strong language from the outset) but the script was seriously lacking.

I wouldn’t rush to this one sadly.

Festival Theatre, Edinburgh- until 30th September 2023 

Reviewed by Marcus 

4****

It’s the show of the moment, everyone seems to have seen it or heard about it. So what’s the deal? I’ve always loved horror theatre, the iconic ‘Woman in Black’ and ‘Ghost Stories’ have been some of the best shows I’ve ever seen. 2:22 A Ghost Story deserves its place alongside these shows. Throughout the show I jumped, had goosebumps, and felt constantly uneasy. 

A cast of four actors makes use of the intimate staging. The busy space is the home of Jenny and Sam, played by Louisa Lytton and Nathaniel Curtis respectively. The stage takes us on a journey to somewhere very real. An ordinary (obviously mid-renovation) home and an ordinary gathering of friends. A mirror image of everyday life. Throughout the show, that sense of normality is snatched away with no notice, and the highly unordinary supernatural takes over. A clock placed on the stage, counting down the hours and minutes to 2:22 constantly increases the unease and tension. You know something big is coming, but don’t know what. This is what made watching the show so chilling for me, this constant reminder glowing at us in the haunting red digital clock. The jump scares throughout actually serve to give the audience a break from the tension, preventing the story from becoming unbearable. 

Alongside Lytton and Curtis, you have Joe Absolom playing Ben, and Charlene Boyd playing Lauren. Initially, the characters felt a little bit too caricature-ish. It shortly became clear, however, that the big personalities make the characters shine, and the actors did a good job of handling these roles. Boyd, a Scottish actress, played an American person who likes the odd glass of wine or two. Well, actually, any glass she can pick up. It was such a pleasure to watch how she progresses in the drunken state, from humour to horror. Curtis deftly plays a know-it-all, with an answer for everything. Science as absolute law. The character is deeply unlikable, but Curtis’ performance was my favourite of the show. Absolom and Lytton both also did such a phenomenal job. Absolom played the partner of Lauren, a builder who has a skill for communicating with the dead. Lytton played a distressed new mother, looking to protect her daughter from the ghost that is haunting her house. The large personalities of the characters contrasted and complemented each other, going from argument to laughter to argument again. 

This tour of 2:22 will be making its way across the UK until June 2024, and I would highly recommend looking on their website to see if the show is coming to a theatre near you. It’s an enjoyable show which at times is hilarious, haunting, and straight-up shocking. It will be in Edinburgh for a few more days but is returning to Scotland in November, making a stop in Glasgow.

Hull New Theatre – until 30th September 2023

Reviewed by Dawn Bennett

4****

Bill Kenwright and Paul Taylor-Mills present Heathers The Musical with Book, Music and Lyrics by Kevin Murphy and Laurence O’Keefe and based on the film by Daniel Waters.

I have never seen Heathers before or the film of the same name but the very enthusiastic audience at Hull New Theatre last night certainly had! Cheers and clapping at the end of every song and the standing ovation at the end of the production from the very appreciative packed auditorium proved what a much-loved show this is!

This musical is quite dark with its subject matter it includes murder and suicide to name two but I think it covers them well and doesn’t stop it from being an uplifting production.

Heathers is set at Westerberg High School in the fictional small suburban town called Sherwood in Ohio, USA in 1989. It tells the story of Veronica Sawyer (Jenna Innes) who wants to be in with popular girls The Heathers who are made up of Queen Bee, Heather Chandler (Verity Thompson), Heather Duke (Elise Zavou) and Heather McNamara (Billie Bowman), the girls who everyone wants to be like and who they love and hate in equal measures. Veronica gets her wish to join the mean girls, she dresses like them and then starts to act like them alienating her friend Martha Dunnstock (Kingsley Morton). The jocks, Kurt Kelly (Alex Woodward) and Ram Sweeney (Morgan Jackson) spend all their time chasing the girls and fighting the boys, with some great comic timing. Then a new student arrives at the school. Jason ‘J.D’ Dean (Jacob Fowler) the ‘geeky’ grungy dressing teenager falls for Veronica and her for him. But JD’s obsession for Veronica very quickly takes a dark turn and what follows for them and the rest of the school shocks the community!

This production is very slick, with brilliant choreography by Gary Lloyd and the Heathers Band are so good (led by Musical director Will Joy). All the actors in this production are very much a triple threat and a very talented bunch of people.

If you want to see a musical that is fabulously done, very dark in subject, with great comedy, catchy and toe tapping tunes and brilliant singing then this is the one for you.

Theatres Trust’s plan to support theatres to
be fit for the future

Theatres Trust, the national advice and advocacy body for the UK’s theatres, has set out its vision and priorities for the next three years, under the new tagline “Theatres fit for the future”.

Theatres Trust will provide greater targeted support with its free advice service alongside improved data and intelligence gathering as the theatre sector deals with a new and even more challenging environment following the pandemic and in the face of the cost-of-living crisis. Its work will be underpinned by four key principles: resilience, environmental sustainability, inclusion and placemaking.

Central to this will be an expansion of Theatres Trust’s free advice service. Theatres have always called on Theatres Trust’s knowledge when undertaking capital projects and planning applications, but Theatres Trust will now provide even more guidance to theatre owners and operators on a range of management issues including business planning, governance, building management, ownership or leases. The Trust will draw on its in-house expertise as well as a pool of external consultants to act as a ‘critical friend’ to theatres.

A significant piece of work for the Trust in the next three years will be building the UK’s first
comprehensive database of theatres. The database will support information and knowledge sharing across theatres and the wider sector and form a full picture of the country’s theatre buildings, enabling Theatres Trust and other stakeholders to monitor trends and issues across the sector and provide invaluable information to help advocate on behalf of theatres.

Alongside these new areas of work, Theatres Trust continues its ongoing work as the only organisation that supports every theatre in the UK, historic or modern, commercial, subsidised or voluntary in a variety of ways. These include:

• Responding to all planning applications involving or impacting a theatre building in its role as a statutory consultee in the planning system.
• Commenting on local planning and culture policies to ensure they safeguard and promote culture, placemaking and sustainable theatre.
• Continuing the Resilient Theatres: Resilient Communities programme for another two years, offering grants and specialist training to Theatres at Risk, and webinars open to the whole sector on subjects including governance, fundraising and audience development.
• Being a driving force, alongside major industry partners, on the Theatre Green Book project, taking on the role of secretariat to support further developments and adoption across the sector.
• Running grant schemes offering funding to improve theatres’ resilience, sustainability or accessibility.
• Assisting community groups campaigning to save or revive their local theatres, particularly those on the Theatres at Risk Register.
• Publishing advice notes to support theatre owners, operators, campaign groups and local authorities with common issues relating to theatre buildings.
• Submitting and supporting heritage listing applications for buildings of particular
  architectural and cultural merit to give them greater protection.
  

Theatres Trust Director Jon Morgan says, The changes we’ve made are not radical, but they are significant. I see it is an evolution of our vision, our priorities and our work to best support theatres to meet the challenges of today and into the future.