Hull New Theatre – until 31st December 2022

Reviewed by Catherine McWilliams

5*****

Jack And The Beanstalk will deliver everything you could possibly want from a panto, it is an utter joy from start to finish. This production does not rely on gimmicks or major technical wizardry, it harks back to the simpler productions of yesteryear and is all the better for it. Having said that, the simple sets are quite stunning and the 3d effects are fabulous. Jack And The Beanstalk has all the audience participation you could want, cheesy jokes, singing and dancing and will brighten even the coldest of days.

This production has a small cast, but what a hugely talented and tight knit bunch they are, working hard to ensure that the audience has the best night out. In this version of Jack And The Beanstalk, the Giant’s wife Mrs Blunderbore (Chelsea Hall) comes down from Cloudland to find animals for her husband to eat and the Trots are worried that she will take their cow Daisy. Mother Nature (Georgia Iudica-Davies) has found Jack Trot (Gareth Gates) and Princess Jill (Allana Taylor), who she is sure will defeat the Giant.

Neil Hurst’s Silly Simon is an utter delight, he developed an instant rapport with the audience, working us with consummate ease! He is clearly in his element as he bounces around the stage causing chaos and ad-libbing with glee. Full of corny jokes that remain just this side of clean, absolutely perfect. He was the glue that held the whole panto together.

Gareth Gates made an excellent Jack Trot and clearly relished every minute of his role. He has a beautiful singing voice and his rendition of Unchained Melody was a highlight for me.

Jack Land Noble was delightful as Dame Trot, the perfect panto dame. Dame Trot’s costumes were suitably over the top. He had an excellent rapport with the rest of the cast.

Chelsea Hall may be from Hull, but as the baddy of the panto she was booed with great glee by all the audience. She played her part to perfection.

Georgia Iudica-Davies and Allana Taylor played their parts to perfection too, both have beautiful singing voices.

The ensemble was great, playing a variety of roles, the animals and particularly Daisy the cow being real favourites. The band led by Jon Chamberlain provided the perfect musical accompaniment.

Last night there was an additional person on stage – Andy the signer, as this was a signed performance. He was constantly being teased by Silly Simon as he tried to make him sign “rude” words or quickly gave him tongue twisters. Andy was wonderful to watch, BSL is a very expressive language and he threw himself into the whole performance. Absolutely fabulous.

Pantomime should be a joyous experience and this was just that. Do not make the mistake that pantomime is for children, I went with three adult friends and we all had an absolute blast and I left the theatre with my jaws aching as I had laughed so much. This is without a doubt the best panto I have seen. Make every effort to get to see it – it really will make your Christmas.

Everyman Theatre, Cheltenham – until 31st December 2022

Reviewed by Jacqui Radford

4****

Hammerpuzzle Theatre Company have adapted the literary classics written by Flora Thomson to the studio theatre setting.

The story is seen through the eyes of Laura Timmins as she looks back on her life; from her childhood in a rural community to her joy at breaking the mould and pursuing a life more in keeping with the stories in the books she loves. Leaving her family home to work as a postmistress, Laura relishes the opportunities opened up to her by her cousin whose vision is of a world where limits are not set by background or expectation but pushed away by enthusiasm and aspiration.

Performed in the Irving Studio Theatre with a cast of only four people, it is impossible not to feel like each of the characters is talking with you. Each scene is enhanced by sights, sounds, smells and quick changes that draw your eye to all areas of the stage.

Laura’s thirst for adventure and embracing new ideals is brought to life by Katy Sobey, who adds a dash of youthful spirit to the role. Meanwhile, Lizzie Crater seamlessly switches between the roles of two major and opposite influencers in Laura’s life; Emma Timmins (Mother) and Dorcas Lane (Cousin). The rest of the cast (Alex Wilson and Emmanual Olusanya) add further dimension to the character of rural life and love, bringing multiple characters and viewpoints into the mix.

If you are looking for a production that gives you a chance to stop and enjoy a moment of nostalgia or reflection, this definitely fits the bill.

BRIAN COX TO STAR IN  LONG DAY’S JOURNEY INTO NIGHT IN THE WEST END

Second Half Productions has today announced that Emmy-award winning actor Brian Cox will star as James Tyrone in a new production of Eugene O’Neill’s magnum opus Long Day’s Journey into Night, widely considered one of the greatest American plays of the 20th Century. This new production, which will open in the West End, will be directed by Jeremy Herrin.

Brian Cox says:“It has long been an ambition of mine to play Eugene O’Neill’s flawed patriarch James Tyrone, and I’m delighted to have the opportunity to do so on a West End stage. I’m a great admirer of Jeremy Herrin’s work and I am looking forward to us delving into O’Neill’s masterpiece together.” 

Jeremy Herrin says: “It’s the privilege of a lifetime to direct one of our finest actors in one of the greatest plays ever written. The peerless Brian Cox as James Tyrone is a match for the ages, and a wonderful opportunity to create a deeply moving and cathartic piece of the theatre.”

Further details including, venue, dates and creative team will be announced in due course. For priority booking please sign up to Second Half Productions’ mailing list: https://www.secondhalfproductions.co.uk/

Grand Opera House York – until Sunday 8th January 2023

Reviewed by Michelle Richardson

3 ½ ***

Berwick Kaler and the gang are once again gracing the stage at the Grand Opera House York with this years pantomime, The Adventures of Old Granny Goose. Along with Berwick, Martin Barrass, Suzy Cooper, David Leonard and AJ Powell, have such a following who come to see them year after year, a true York institution. There were a few in attendance on Press Night, having a whale of a time.

Berwick, as always, is the writer and director of this panto, this year working with UK Productions. As with all his panto’s, the plot is very loose and not quite what you would expect.

Set in Acomb, a suburb of the wonderful city of York, Mrs Plum Duff (Berwick) lives with her two children Jessie (Martin) and Cissy (Suzy). They are struggling in these desperate times, until the arrival of a huge goose, who honks a lot, but also magically lays a golden egg. That is until the dastardly Lucifer Nauseus (David) gets wind and, though he is terrified of geese, his greed overcomes any fears, he needs that goose and plots to achieve his goal, with the help of a fairy, also played by the charismatic Suzy.

Berwick relishes going off script and has his fellow cast members trying so hard not to break down in laughter and remain somewhat professional. This made for great comedy. His costumes are aplenty, and an improvement on last years. With some aerial work, yes by him, he certainly utilises the stage to its full advantage. After a dip into the fountain of youth, he reminded me so much of a family member, can’t say who, before bursting into song with a take on the 1990’s hit, Barbie Girl.

David is superb as the baddy and really plays up to the audience, encouraging more and more boos, very theatrical. His costume is wonderful, with a long red devil tail, that doubles up as a phone. I am so envious of his fabulous legs, I’m pretty sure that I have mentioned them in the past. The performance of Lou Reed’s Perfect Day with Suzy and AJ was a highlight, with the latter two frequently switching roles as the fairy. Check out AJ rocking the blonde wig and tutu, very Rebel Wilson.

There was a bit of Rocky Horror Show inspiration in one of the ensemble numbers, with the costumes and music, I do enjoy a bit of Rocky Horror. Jake Lindsay is in his 10th year of working with the team and he plays his role, as Jakey the Lad, who just wants a larger role after all this time, with such sweet innocent enthusiasm, but is constantly criticised by Berwick. Also joining the stage were some young performers from York Stage School, who performed with gusto, especially one young girl, she looked like the youngest and was quite mesmerizing to watch, full of exuberance.

Berwick’s Old Granny Goose is full of mayhem and just what you would expect from an unconventional Berwick panto. Whilst it may not appeal to traditional panto lovers, you never know it until you try it, it is worth a punt, and you never know, you may be the lucky recipient of a Wagon Wheel (you have to see the show to get where I’m coming from).

ACTING FOR OTHERS ANNOUNCE OVER £75,000 HAS BEEN RAISED AT THIS YEAR’S ONE NIGHT ONLY AT THE IVY, WEST STREET

Theatrical charity Acting for Others announces that over £75,000 has been raised at this year’s One Night Only that returned to The Ivy, West Street on Sunday 4 December for the first time following the Covid-19 Pandemic.

Stars of the stage and screen swapped their costumes for aprons and served diners for a one-off sitting at The Ivy. The cast trying their hand at taking over the bar, waiting tables, hosting and welcoming guests included Geraldine Alexander, Annette Badland, Samantha Bond, Harriet Cains, Bessie Carter, Jim Carter OBE, Kim Cattrall, Ben Forster, Tamsin Greig, Ginny Holder, Celia Imrie, Cassidy Janson, Robert Lindsay, Lesley Manville CBE, Jessica Madsen, Dame Arlene Phillips DBE, Golda Rosheuvel, Hugh Sachs, Samantha Spiro, Polly Walker and Tom Read Wilson.

Sir Derek Jacobi, Dame Maggie Smith and Dame Penelope Wilton were also in attendance at the Dames and Knights table.

The evening also included an exciting live auction, led by Louise Simpson and Samantha Bond, offering an array of ‘money-can’t-buy’ experiences such as dinner with Sir Derek Jacobi, an Ivy chef preparing dinner for 10 in your own home, and two VIP tickets to Mother Goose starring Sir Ian McKellen, followed by drinks with Sir Ian and members of the cast.

Sir Stephen Waley-Cohen, Chairman of Acting for Others said, “We are overwhelmed by the generosity of our supporters for the return of One Night Only at The Ivy which raised over £75,000, which is an enormous help at this difficult time. Our thanks go to all the wonderful diners who bid on exclusive lots in our live and silent auctions, as well as to those who donated the ‘money-can’t-buy’ items. This event of course would not be possible without the support of Samantha Bond and Richard Clifford who organised the fabulous Cast of 2022 who performed so well as Maître’d’s and waiters and were brilliantly supported by The Ivy’s regular cheerful team.”

CAST ANNOUNCED FOR THE UK TOUR OF TEECHERS LEAVERS ’22.

       THE CLASSIC AND POPULAR PLAY BY JOHN GODBER HAS BEEN LOVINGLY UPDATED BY THE WRITER TO REFLECT THE CHALLENGES OF STUDENTS TODAY.

Adrian McDougall, on behalf of Blackeyed Theatre is pleased to announce the cast for the world premiere UK Tour of Teechers Leavers ’22.

Opening at the Wilde Theatre, Bracknell on Wednesday 25^th January 2023, it continues a wide-ranging UK tour, running until Thursday 25^th May 2023 at the Albany Theatre, Coventry.

Directed by Adrian McDougall, Teechers Leavers ’22 will star Ciara Morris (The Play That Goes Wrong, Beast Quest) as Gail, Michael Ayiotis (The Sun, The Mountain and Me) as Salty and Terenia Barlow (Bridgerton) as Hobby.

Teechers Leavers ’22 is a newly updated version of the ever-popular play by John Godber, brought to stages across the UK by highly acclaimed Blackeyed Theatre.

John Godber, writer said: “This refashioned version of Teechers Leavers ’22 tries to take into account the embattled nature of state education during and post Covid 19. It still retains its comic elements, but I think the play is stronger, if darker, as it describes a school system which pushes arts subjects to the fringes. I had thought that social divisions might have grown closer in the thirty odd years since I first wrote the play: unfortunately, from what I hear and see, the divisions are wider and the marginalisation of drama in the curriculum in state education is still advancing strongly. I’m very excited that Blackeyed Theatre Company will have the opportunity to present this highly physical depiction of state education in their new production.”

Teechers Leavers ’22 is a hilarious, high-energy, full-blooded comedy that brings to life an array of terrifying teachers and hopeless pupils through the eyes of Salty, Gail, and Hobby; three Year 11 students facing a scary world with only their imagination and a love of theatre.

It’s 2022 at Whitewall, a struggling academy that’s failed its Ofsted. The bell’s gone and they can’t afford a new one. The first fifteen have lost sixty-seven nil and it’s not just the playing field that needs levelling up. Sadly, Whitewall’s led by donkeys. So’s Whitehall, come to that. Enter Miss Nixon, a new drama teacher with fire in her belly, a lesson for the elite and a well ‘sick’ Tik Tok!

Will Miss Nixon abandon her students in favour of a tranquil private school? Who puts the bounce in PE teacher Miss Prime? Will Mrs. Parry ever track down her Koko? And why does everyone smell like spring onions?

Adrian McDougall, director said “This will be our fourth national tour of Teechers, which tells you all you need to know about our love for the play. I come from a family of teachers and had precious little opportunity to do drama at school, so the play has always resonated with me. It’s scathing in its attack on a flawed, two-tier education system but at the same time inspiring in its celebration of the power of imagination and creativity. And what John’s done with this updated version of the script is just brilliant. It’s weightier without losing its comic irreverence. Together with our brilliant cast and artistic team, we’ll try our best to do it justice!”

Teechers Leavers ’22 is directed by Adrian McDougall, with assistant direction by Martha Godber, choreography by Scott Jenkins, set design by Victoria Spearing, costume design by Naomi Gibbs, lighting design by Alan Valentine and fight direction by Ronin Traynor.

Tickets for Teechers Leavers ’22 are on sale now.

Epstein Theatre Liverpool – until 1st January 2023

Reviewed by Jen Hughes

5*****

Straight to the point, don’t wait until the end of the review to find out that this was the best Pantomime I have ever seen! You must, must, must see it if you can. A love story, a traditional tale, a circus, a concert, a comedy masterpiece and a delivering of the most spectacular costumes sparkling and shimmering across the stage.

This was an explosion of everything that is magical and fabulous about pantomime. Laugh? I haven’t laughed like that in a long time, my cheeks ache and the challenges of the day melted away by the comedy genius of every actor that graced the stage. The humour finely tuned to the Scouse audience went down a treat.

Incredible dancing and circus routines blended beautifully with the story of Goldilocks ( Olivia Sloyan) who finds herself in alliance with three Scouse bears. But, will the bears escape the evil clutches of Baron Von Vippemall ( Timothy Lucas) ?

Lucas’ panto villain is spellbindingly genius . The audience, young and old, were completely captivated by his tormenting evilness which he delivered with precision humour and menace . Seemingly so funny he made himself laugh at his maddening delirious depiction of a sneaky honey bee. His performances was outstanding.

Superb in her portrayal of the Dame Gertie, Mama G managed some seriously impressive costume changes and perfectly timed humour. Wonderful with the children in the audience and never missing an opportunity for a belly laugh, she dazzled as the Dame!

An absolute family experience not to be missed. Teenagers, toddlers and adults both young and old were dancing, singing and roaring with laughter.

If you want a pantomime like no other with lashings of jokes for the grown ups, then this is the one for you. Proper family fun, what’s not to love about that !

Tanya Moiseiwitsch Playhouse Theatre, Sheffield – until 31st December 2022

Reviewed by Sophie Dodworth

4****

Tutti Frutti bring this fabulous production to the stage for the stretch up to new year, and what a show it is! Written expertly by Joseph Coelho, get ready for a strong, heart-warming and beautiful winter tale.

The Tanya Moiseiwitsch Playhouse Theatre is small and intimate. The performing space is limited, however, it doesn’t stop true magic being created on stage. There are a few moments at the start of the show, before things get going, where the actors start to mingle with the audience, asking the children ‘what do you know about our planet?’. The children are hooked and drawn in already as the characters, especially Mum (Michaela Murphy) are super animated and charismatic. At this point you already are getting a feel for this show delivering a message to kids about the environment and how we can look after our Earth.

We follow the whimsical story of Jack Frost (Luca Moscardini) who is a cheeky, mischievous boy with a frozen touch. He is the one that transforms our planet seasonally by using his magic to bring in autumn and winter. Problems arise when this winter, there isn’t as much of the cold as there normally is and winter has gone missing! Because of this, Jacks magic disappears. After meeting Annika (Sophie Golby) and her mum, the urgency builds, as Mum becomes frozen and Jack needs his magic to un-freeze her! Annika and Jack go on a quest to find where the winter is, meeting lots of different weird and wonderful characters on the way (all played by Murphy). Will Jacks magic return?

The small stage is full of life with a few lights making so much atmosphere and an aesthetically pleasing, wintery feel. The set is so minimal but so adaptable when moving to different scenes. Hats off to designer Warda Abbasi for this because this honestly makes the show what it is. The original music and songs were really catchy but you couldn’t always hear the vocals over the music, even when all three were singing together, which was really disappointing.

The three strong actors were all exceptional. The talent was quite outstanding, all three of them singing, dancing and playing instruments. Well done, what a fantastic team.

Live Theatre Newcastle – until Sunday 18th December 2022

Reviewed by Sandra Little

3***

Wishes on the Wind is a delightful short play currently showing at Live Theatre. This play, described as “a tender romantic comedy”is performed by two young local actors. Caitlin Barber from North Shields plays the part of Samantha and Luke Hammond from Walker plays the part of Charlie. The storyline essentially revolves around the events of five New Years Eve’s and in particular the annual village ceilidh. The performance is also interspersed with a range of foot tapping songs. Both the play and the music were written by Benjamin Storey whose writing skills were developed through Live Theatre’s talent development programme and this is Benjamin’s full length Live Theatre debut.

Throughout the play there are numerous references to social media including Tinder and Instagram. We learn early in the story that Samantha is quite obsessed with numbers of followers on Instagram and the image she presents there. However we soon realise that there are two very distinctive aspects to Samantha’s life; there is the fantasy world of Instagram and the realities of her life that Samantha has to acknowledge. Meanwhile we learn that Charlie has to grapple with the differences between the reality of his life and the life he would like to lead. Charlie loses his job, has no money, looks on Tinder for girlfriends and lives with his parents but he wants to be a successful musician!

As the story unfolds, the superficial, trivial and humorous aspects of this play are mixed with more serious issues that both characters have to face. Samantha in particular is forced to face the stark reality of her life. However it must be said that this story also includes tender, touching and quite amusing dialogue. I particularly enjoyed the worry lists included in the dialogue; they illustrated the different levels each character’s life was operating on and are a great mix of the trivial and the serious. I also enjoyed the way in which Charlie and Samantha’s relationship developed; it was lighthearted for much of the play but was also quite tender in places without being overly sentimental.

I thoroughly enjoyed this performance and would seriously recommend it to any 15 year old who is currently stressing about their lives and the lives of their peers as presented through social media. Whilst being a light hearted production, this play does raise questions about the impact of social media on our lives.

Before Wishes on the Wind begins there is a short play of about 10 minutes called Secret Santa, written by Alison Scurfield and performed by Brogan Gilbert (Christie) and Jackie Lye (Margaret).This play, set on Christmas Eve revolves around food and wine for W I members, lesbianism and a gift that Christie hopes will be accepted!

Brighton Theatre Royal – until 23 December 2022

Reviewed by Sue Bradley

2**

Produced by Tuckshop and Trafalgar Theatre Productions and written by Rob Evans. Drag has a long history of challenging the conventional and, in recent years, particularly with the runaway success of RuPaul’s Drag Race, we have become increasingly used to colourful and larger-than-life personalities filling our screens and stages. 

Death Drop – Back In The Habit brings four of the Drag Race stars, Willam, Cheryl Hole, Victoria Scone and River Medway to the stage together with Drag King Louis Cyfer. Unfortunately, Willam was unable to be present last night and Alex Roberts filled her shoes admirably. 

Largely set in and around the Convent of St Babs, a gaggle of nuns must contend with an ill-intentioned Cardinal, set on obtaining a piece of treasure at any cost. What ensues is a mock-horror story with plenty of high camp, risqué talk, colourful language and plain old vulgarity. Nobody could accuse this production of subtlety and the (nearly full house) audience lapped it up.

The show has an almost pantomime feel to it with plenty of slapstick and sight gags to keep it moving forward – and see how many pastiches of major films you can spot along the way. 

There is very little music in this show – Alex Roberts got the one big number towards the end and did it very well.

It has become the norm for Drag performances to challenge the everyday and this production certainly encouraged the performers to push the envelope – which they did with gusto. This is certainly not a show for children or those of us who prefer a script that relies more on subtlety and less on profanity to make a point.

If this is your kind of thing, then you won’t be disappointed. If you like Camp, but with more subtlety, save your money and go and see The Rocky Horror Show, which is also on tour at the moment.