Soho Theatre, London – until 27 April 2024

Reviewed by Claire Roderick

4****

Luke Kempner promises 60 impressions in 60 minutes, but he may be the only one counting as the audience just sit back and enjoy the onslaught of police procedural drama clichés that he also manages to cram into this dynamic and often hilarious show.

A “beloved” TV personality has been murdered, and it’s up to Superintendent Ted Hastings to solve the crime. Calling on his team: Catherine Cawood from Happy Valley, Luther, Claudia Winkleman and an uncanny Louis Theroux, and Ian McKellen thrown in as well, investigations set them on the trail of an anti-aging drug ring. But who is the villain in charge – Jurgen Klopp, David Attenborough, King Charles or could it possibly be a bent copper?

Kempner gleefully trawls through the meeting around the suspect board, the suspect interviews and prison visits. A very unexpected prison governor and a glorious lampoon of Silence of the Lambs finds Louis Theroux walking down the corridor that houses the worst offenders on his mission to try to get into the mind of the drug kingpin. And instead of Hannibal Lector looming out of the dark, Theroux has a certain ex-president trying to outwit him.

Alongside the tenuous plot, Kempner showcases his singing talents with his characters launching into songs from Wicked, Phantom of the Opera and Aladdin – Catherine Cawood’s down-to-earth northern voice surprisingly soaring into falsetto as she duets with Luther!

The jokes arrive at breakneck speed, and this fast and furious approach sometimes trips Kempner up, but he endearingly acknowledges this and creates fresh laughs as he gets back on track showcasing his impressive repertoire of voices. This is a feelgood show that covers all the bases – comedy, impressions and musical theatre. An irreverent, gag-filled, hour well spent.

LIVERPOOL PLAYHOUSE – UNTIL 27TH APRIL 2024

REVIEWED BY JEN HUGHES DALEY

4****

Based on the best selling novel by Khaled Hosseini, directed by Giles Croft and adapted for stage by Matthew Spangler, prepare for a heart wrenching, intense and emotive bringing to life of the journey of two best friend in 1970’s Kabul. The boys, Amir ( Stuart Vincent) and Hassan ( Yazdan Qafouri ) portrayed their friendship beautifully. Slingshots, kites and mischievous play, all depict the innocence of childhood. Childhood not yet tainted by the consequence of theft. But how those very same symbols of childhood change and cause pain and revenge is truly breathtaking. Layer after layer of distress enveloped the stage as waves of emotion and tension ripped through the audience under the soothing sounds of Hanif Khan’s percussion.

Friendship, loyalty, betrayal, love, competition, guilt and wanting, these themes run through the veins of the performance, but not more than theft …..“When you kill a man you steal a life, when you tell a lie , you steal someone’s right to the truth”. How can a joyful neighborhood kite race change the lives of two boys forever? The answer to that can be found in the menacing, spine tingling, Assef (Bhavin Bhatt) . Special mention to this award-winning best newcomer at the Asian Media Awards. Every word spoken was spat with venom. His clenched fists and threatening presence were truly chilling.

Trigger warning for some scenes of strong language depictions of sexual violence, suicide, weapons and gun shots. This is gripping, gritty and raw. It sits proudly on a stage of minimal props and set. The white, seemingly innocent, fluttering like lingers above the stage. But underneath it is the unravelling relationships bound by loyalty and lies.

This is a must see, and for me is now a must read. It’s a performance that I will always remember as one presented in the simplest yet powerful of ways.

WORLD PREMIERE OF NEW MUSICAL

HERE & NOW

ADDS ADDITIONAL WEEK

OF PERFORMANCES AT

THE ALEXANDRA, BIRMINGHAM

DUE TO POPULAR DEMAND

NOW RUNNING FROM 9 NOVEMBER – 30 NOVEMBER

Due to phenomenal demand, including The Alexandra’s fastest selling on-sale in history, which saw 50% capacity sold within 24 hours, the producers of the brand new musical HERE & NOW, presented by UK pop sensation, Steps, are delighted to announce that the show will play an additional week at The Alexandra, Birmingham. HERE & NOW will now run in Birmingham from 9 – 30 November 2024. Tickets for the additional week will go on sale at 12noon on Monday 29 April.

Featuring Steps’ most beloved hit songs, HERE & NOW has an original book by Shaun Kitchener and is produced by the band and ROYO with Pete Waterman. It will be directed by Rachel Kavanaugh, with choreography by Olivier Award winning Matt Cole and Matt Spencer-Smith as musical supervisor, orchestrations and arrangements.

Casting to be announced.

Welcome to seaside superstore Better Best Bargains, where it’s Friday night, the vibe is right, and everyone’s dancing in the aisles. But when Caz discovers the shelves are stocked with lies and betrayal, the summer of love she and her friends dreamed of suddenly feels like a tragedy. Have they all lost their chance of a ‘happy ever after’? Or does love have other plans in store…

Steps said, “We were thrilled and grateful for the response we received when we announced the show, people were queuing up outside the theatre from 3am to purchase tickets! The past few weeks we have been workshopping the script and songs; it is so exciting to see it lift off the page. We can’t wait to share this with you!”

Steps (Claire Richards, Faye Tozer, Ian ‘H’ Watkins’, Lee Latchford-Evans and Lisa Scott-Lee) are the UK’s most successful mixed sex pop group of all time, with 14 top five singles, 4 number one albums, 22 million record sales, 500 million streams & 11 sold-out national arena tours under their belts. The band’s hits include #1 singles Tragedy/Heartbeat and Stomp, the gold certified One For Sorrow & Better Best Forgotten, the silver certified 5,6,7,8, Last Thing On My Mind, Love’s Got A Hold Of My Heart, Chain Reaction, all of which will feature in the musical alongside many more.

Steps’ 2017 comeback tour sold out all 300,000 tickets, making it one of the biggest pop tours of the year. The band have since continued to release new music including two further iTunes #1 singles, the Sia-penned What The Future Holds in 2020 and the Michelle Visage duet Heartbreak In This City in 2022. In 2022 Steps celebrated their 25th anniversary with a headline summer tour and released the #1 album Platinum Collection which means they join ABBA, Rolling Stones and Stereophonics as the only groups in UK history to score #1 albums in four consecutive decades.

Choreography is by Matt Cole, musical supervision, orchestrations and arrangements by Matt Spencer-Smith, set design is by Tom Rogers, costume design is by Gabriella Slade, lighting design by Howard Hudson, sound design by Adam Fisher, wigs, hair and makeup design by Sam Cox, casting by Will Burton for Grindrod Burton Casting, associate direction by Matt Hassall, associate choreography by Jane McMurtrie with associate sound design by Ollie Durrant.

Website: TheStepsMusical.com

Instagram: @TheStepsMusical

X: @TheStepsMusical

TikTok: @TheStepsMusical

Facebook: @TheStepsMusicalUK

LISTINGS INFORMATION

HERE & NOW

9 – 30 November 2024

The Alexandra

Suffolk Queensway,

Birmingham,

West Midlands,

B5 4DS

Performances: Tuesdays – Saturdays at 7:30pm, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays at 2.30pm

N.B there will only be a 7:30pm performance on Saturday 9 November, Sunday 10 November and Thursday 28 November, and an additional 2:30pm performance on Wednesday 27 November.

There will also be an audio described performance on Tuesday 19 November and a signed performance on Thursday 21 November.

Tickets from £13

www.atgtickets.com/venues/birmingham

National Theatre at Home to host first live stream premiere of the new musical ‘The Little Big Things’

National Theatre at Home has announced it will host its first live streamed premiere of the ‘triumphant new musical’ (★★★★★ WhatsOnStage) The Little Big Things, a production from Michael Harrison, at 7pm BST on 9 May 2024. Audiences around the world can come together to enjoy this ‘groundbreaking’ (★★★★ Time Out) production from the comfort of home on the theatre streaming platform. Viewers of the premiere can join the live conversation via social media using hashtags #TLBT and #NationalTheatreatHome.

The Little Big Things premiere is exclusively available on National Theatre at Home with a subscription (monthly cost £9.99, annual cost £99.99) providing unlimited access to the platform with new titles added every month, or through a one-off payment to watch live for £9.99.

Filmed during its run at @sohoplace, the ‘show with the biggest heart in town’ (★★★★★ Sunday Express) directed by Luke Sheppard, is based on the extraordinary true story about Henry Fraser, an avid sportsman whose life changed forever aged 17 when a diving accident led to a new life as a tetraplegic. Based on Henry Fraser’s Sunday Times best-selling autobiography, the musical follows as the Fraser family are split between a past they no longer recognise, and a future they could never foresee.

The ‘uplifting, heart-swelling’ (★★★★ Evening Standard) musical written by Joe White includes a theatrical pop soundtrack by Nick Butcher and Tom Ling and Olivier nominated choreography by Mark Smith, with Henry played by Jonny Amies and Ed Larkin.

Following the live stream, The Little Big Thingswill be available to watch on National Theatre at Home with captions, audio description and British Sign Language, providing inclusive and accessible theatre experiences for audiences worldwide.

Amy Trigg, who recently won an Olivier award for her role in The Little Big Things  said: “I’m so excited for more people to have the opportunity to experience ‘The Little Big Things’. The electricity we felt in the theatre every night was unforgettable; it’s a joy knowing that feeling is going to be accessible for so many more people. I hope the new audiences enjoy the show as much as we loved performing it!”

All titles on National Theatre at Home are available with captions, and over 85% of titles are available with Audio Description.  

Bloomberg Philanthropies is Headline Sponsor of National Theatre at Home.  

National Theatre at Home is also supported by The Linbury Trust. 

York Theatre Royal – until Saturday 27th April 2024

Reviewed by Michelle Richardson

3***

Written by R.B. Sheridan and nearly 250 years after its first foray onto stage, The School for Scandal, is a comedy of manners. Tilted Wig, under the direction of Sean Aydon, has adapted this production for the 21st century and is currently playing in York as part of its UK tour.

It is fast paced from the start, with its intricate plot, a tale of gossip, scandal, and coercion. Revolving around Sir Peter Teazle (Joseph Marcell), with his much younger wife (Lydea Perkins) squandering his money and spending time in society. This is perfect fodder for Lady Sneerwell (Emily-Jane McNeill) and her band of gossips, who love nothing more than plotting and interfering with the lives of all around them. So starts a melee of rumours and misunderstandings.

With 8 actors playing the 15 quirky characters, all, bar Marcell, are double hatting, a perfect showcase for their skill and ability, talent in abundance. As well as quick changes of characters, the physicality shown is impressive, the aim of throwing and catching of items, whilst not even looking is testimony to this. 

Shoutout to Garmon Rhys and Alex Phelps, as the two brothers, Charles and Joseph. Rhys is an energetic performer, providing much needed laughs with his physicality and facial expressions. He was very charismatic to watch. Phelp’s scene with the screen and chaise lounge was a show highlight. Tony Timberlake as the boy’s uncle Sir Oliver, shares some great comedic scenes with the duo.  Perkins as Lady Teazle is a delight as the willful young wife, frivolous, though with a tender side, and comes to realise the grass is certainly not greener. McNeill is sharp as the huge gossip monger Lady Sneerwell, and shows relish playing such a withering sensationalist.

The costumes are full-on 1950’s glamour. The colours are so vibrant, oranges, teals, pinks and greens in abundance. This contrasts with the stripped back set and its muted colours, apart from the three brightly coloured telephones, on plinths at the back of the stage. I did find it hard to follow the show when the lighting was dimmed, with a red glow, it was just a bit too dark. It was lacking in laugh out moments, though I did have a few jumps and giggles along the way. 

This is a wordy play, it is amazing that all the cast can remember all their lines so well, in their differing characters. Marcell especially has some complicated pieces, he delivers them brilliantly. Some of the vocabulary is blurred, posh voices almost shouting, the dialogue got lost in translation. Also, though the complexity of the relationships between the characters can be a bit confusing at times, there is so much going on, the cast work well together with the material they have. 

It also goes to prove that nothing has changed over the years, with gossip and scandal even more prevalent today, especially with social media and the internet. The School For Scandal is a decent night out at the theatre, you get to see some fine actors honing their craft. 

Cambridge Arts Theatre – until Saturday 27 April 2024

Reviewed by Steph Lott

5*****

Christopher Haydon’s production of Reginald Rose’s “Twelve Angry Men” at the Cambridge Arts Theatre is a masterclass in tension, drama, and the power of persuasion. It’s a riveting exploration of justice and morality. The play, written in 1954, remains as relevant as ever, captivating the audience with its thought-provoking themes and stellar performances.

The play follows the deliberations of a jury in a murder trial, where a unanimous decision is required to determine the fate of a young man accused of killing his father. Tristan Gemmill, as the fiery Juror 3, delivers a commanding performance, his character’s unwavering belief in the defendant’s guilt serving as a formidable obstacle to justice. Michael Greco, as the slick and impatient Juror 7, adds a layer of humour to the proceedings, while Jason Merrells, as the thoughtful and principled Juror 8, anchors the production with his measured and persuasive performance. However, the entire cast must be congratulated because, as each of them takes centre stage debating the fate of the young man, each of them shines like a star.

Haydon’s direction is a triumph, orchestrating the 12 actors in a dance of words and emotions. The jurors’ interactions are carefully choreographed, each movement and gesture adding to the building tension. The claustrophobic atmosphere of the jury room is palpable, with the set design, lighting, and sound working together to create a pressure cooker environment that mirrors the characters’ internal struggles.

The set, a wooden panelled jury room, serves as a perfect canvas for the actors to paint their characters’ emotions and motivations. The costumes, true to the 1950s setting, add a layer of authenticity to the production. Chris Davey’s lighting design is particularly effective, with its use of shadows and focused spots.

“Twelve Angry Men” remains as accessible and relevant to modern audiences as it was when it was first written. The play’s themes of justice, prejudice, and the importance of questioning assumptions still resonate deeply today. The standing ovation at the end of the performance is a testament to the production’s impact and the enduring power of Rose’s words.

In conclusion, “Twelve Angry Men” at the Cambridge Arts Theatre is a must-see for anyone who appreciates powerful, thought-provoking theatre. The stellar cast, masterful direction, and impeccable design elements come together to create an unforgettable experience that will leave audiences questioning their own biases and beliefs long after the curtain falls.

Southwark Playhouse – until 4 May 2024

Reviewed by Claire Roderick

5*****

While the actual matches should be the main focus of Remembering England’s run in 2020’s European Championship, the enduring images will always be crowds storming the gates at Wembley and BumFlare Man. Alex Hill’s debut play imagines what drove the man to do this (besides alcohol or drugs) and skilfully presents a story of grief, loneliness and the desperate need to belong in 60 minutes of barnstorming writing and performance.

The play begins with a boisterous and jubilant bang, football chants and songs getting the audience joining in and laughing before the flare is lit. After a radio interview where he gives a flippant reply to the question “Why?”, Billy expands on what led to his infamous act. Hill takes the audience on a breakneck journey through Billy’s life, from kickabouts in the park with best friend Adam and their first trip to watch their team play. The love and innocent joy that this friendship and shared pleasure in football becomes strained as they grow up and encounter Wine Gum and his mates in the pub. The boys’ indoctrination into Wine Gum’s firm and introduction to heavy drinking and drugs leads to a huge shift in tone from childhood euphoria to brutality as Billy’s accounts of matches become monosyllabic chants of excess and violence. As Billy is swept along by this intoxicating feeling of belonging, Adam becomes an increasingly distant figure – their traditional matchday breakfast ritual stops, and Adam is spending more quality time with Billy’s girlfriend than he is. Hill tackles male friendship and mental health brilliantly, with Billy’s frustrated and confused comments about Adam effortlessly demonstrating the need to communicate honestly. Much like England’s time at Euro 2020, Hill’s play drives the audience through expectation, high energy excitement and then quiet despair as Billy finally sees his “mates” in their true light and realises, too late, what he has lost.

Adam Hill ‘s writing is poetic, funny and incisive, and he gives an intoxicating performance – always reminding us of the lost boy beneath the macho bravado with flashes of gentleness amongst the laddish nonsense. Sean Turner’s excellent direction and Hill’s dynamic performance create a seamless production that you simply can’t look away from.

A brilliant show that will thrill not just football fans. A fantastic debut – Hill is a name to look out for in the future.

Norwich Theatre Royal, Norwich – until Saturday 27th April 2024

Reviewed by Boo Wakefield

4****

The Boy At The Back Of The Class is a heartwarming adventure story for children, written by the prize winning author Onjali Q. Rauf and adapted for theatre by Nick Ahad. It follows the journey of 9-year-old Ahmet (Farshid Rokey), a refugee from Syria who only speaks Kurdish, as he starts at his new English school. Ahmet, traumatised by his journey to the UK and deeply anxious about his missing parents, is initially mute. He is taken under the wing of Alexa (Sasha Desouza Willcock) and her gang of friends, geeky Michael (Abdul-Malik Janneh), sporty Josie (Petra Joan Athene) and enthusiastic Tom (Gordon Millar) who try to protect him from the class bully Brendan (Joe McNamara) and the bigoted teacher Mr Irons (Zoe Zak). Alexa and her gang are sad that Ahmet’s parents are missing and set about trying to help find them, eventually journeying to Buckingham Palace to lobby the Queen (the book was written whilst the Queen was still alive).

Adults acting as 9 year-olds is not an easy ask, riven as it is with potential pitfalls – but the cast pull it off brilliantly with Sasha Desouza Willock as Alexa, on stage almost throughout, the stand out performance. Over half the audience on the performance I watched were children; from their enraptured and energised reactions they certainly didn’t feel patronised or undersold.

Overall, the play, by its nature, is a story which is told, rather than shown. On stage there are interludes of compelling theatricality, not least at the start of each half with sheets of billowing silk, and supporting sound and lighting (Giles Thomas and Ryan Day), depicting Ahmet’s sea crossing, and Ahmet’s visceral outburst at the end of the first part; but these stand out in contrast to the more deliberate story-telling of the rest of the performance. Lily Arnold’s set is clever; a stripped back school gymnasium wall allows the cast to clamber and swing like children while also enabling slick, inventive scene transitions.

But, make no mistake, this is a play about the world as seen through the eyes of 9-year-olds and is aimed, principally, at a similarly youthful audience, with a steady drumbeat of age-appropriate educational messaging about morality, inherited prejudice, ethics and compassion permeating almost every scene. As a stepping stone for pre-teens into the magic of theatre, it’s hard to beat.

Theatre Royal Concert Hall Nottingham – until Saturday 27th April 2024

Reviewed by Amarjeet Singh

4****

Drop the Dead Donkey, the smash hit satirical comedy from the 90s has been reawakened for the stage in a new production. Retaining seven of the original cast members, Gus (Robert Duncan), George (Jeff Rawle), Helen (Ingrid Lacey), Sally (Victoria Wicks), Damian (Stephen Tompkinson), Dave (Neil Pearson) and Joy (Susannah Doyle), it was sadly without Henry (David Swift) and Alex (Haydn Gwynne) who are no longer with us. A few new faces padded out the cast and we had a full newsroom.

Thirty years after first airing, original writers Andy Hamilton and Guy Jenkin’s production verbally fills in the gaps from where The TV series ended and the current day begins. From the combustion of Globe Link News, to the now, when the team are reassembled to start a new news company called ‘Truth News’, which is apparently run by algorithms, for the people by the people. However, we soon see that things are not quite what they seem and like the BAFTA award winning show, the production is full of twists and turns and calamitous capers.

This is a trip down memory lane for those who have fond recollections of the original show. As each cast member appeared on stage, they received a raucous round of applause. The characters have been through quite a few changes to bring them up to date with the modern world, some were more plausible and fleshed out then others. But some were caricatures of their TV personas, very one dimensional which didn’t lend itself too well to the stage.

The scenes where the team were broadcasting were superbly performed and directed, at other times it felt very dialogue heavy with cast members just loitering on stage waiting to be activated. Fake swiping on phones and a distinct lack of action made it feel like an extended episode and not a fully realised play. It’s an entertaining piece of theatre that is well performed. But I feel you need prior knowledge of the show to truly enjoy it. This is not one for newbies.

THE GOVERNMENT INSPECTOR

GHOSTS AND YONDERLAND CO-CREATOR, WRITER AND PERFORMER MARTHA HOWE-DOUGLAS JOINS FELLOW TV STARS KIELL SMITH-BYNOE AND DAN SKINNER IN A BRAND-NEW PRODUCTION OF GOGOL’S SATIRICAL MASTERPIECE

OPENING AT THE MARYLEBONE THEATRE

3 MAY – 15 JUNE 2024

 TICKETS ON SALE NOW HERE

Martha Howe-Douglas – best known as one of the co-creators, writers and performers of hit BBC Comedy Ghosts and Sky 1’s Yonderland – will join her fellow stars Kiell Smith-Bynoe and Dan Skinner in the brand-new adaptation of Nikolai Gogol’s satirical masterpiece, THE GOVERNMENT INSPECTOR, premiering at the Marylebone Theatre from 3 May – 15 June 2024, with a press night on Wednesday 8 May.

“There’s no money in honesty!”
A comedy about hypocrites, hysterics and hustlers.

Martha will join the company as ‘Mrs Swashprattle’ to replace the previously announced Vicki Pepperdine, who is stepping away from the show for personal reasons.

Howe-Douglas co-wrote and performed the role of ‘Lady Button’ in five series of Ghosts, the critically acclaimed and BAFTA nominated hit TV show that recently went out on a high with a Christmas special in December 2023. She played alongside Kiell Smith-Bynoe as ‘Mike’ who’ll be playing ‘Percy Fopdoodle’ opposite her on stage.

Previous work includes playing various roles in all 5 series of the hit children’s TV show, ‘Horrible Histories’ (BBC). She also appeared in series 1 of the BBC drama ‘Doctor Foster’.

The Government Inspector will be her first stage work since 2003.

As previously announced, Dan Skinner (Shooting Stars, This Time with Alan Partridge, The Kennedys) will play  ‘Governor Swashprattle’ – once again playing a husband and wife pairing with Howe-Douglas; in all 3 series of the fantasy comedy ‘Yonderland’ (Sky 1) he played ‘Peter Maddox’ opposite Martha as ‘Debbie Maddox’, a show she also co-wrote.

Completing the company are Peter Clements (The Incident Room – New Diorama Theatre, Frau Monde: Farewell to the Theatre – Hackney Showroom) as ‘Ivan Brabble’, Chaya Gupta (Hansel and Gretel – Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, We’ll Have Nun Of It – Edinburgh Fringe & The Other Palace) as ‘Miss Swashprattle’, David Hartley (Macbeth & Henry VI – Shakespeare’s Globe, Measure for Measure – Shakespeare’s Globe & US Tour) as ‘Reverand Jargogle’, Nigel Hastings (And Then Come The Night Jars – Theatre503, UK Tours and Film Adaptation, Dmitry – Marylebone Theatre) as ‘Dr Mumpsimus’, Christopher Hunter (Mr Selfridge – ITV, Romeo and Juliet – Royal Shakespeare Company) as ‘Postmaster Cumberworld’, Daniel Millar (The Pillowman & The Play That Goes Wrong – West End, King Lear & Frankenstein – National Theatre) as ‘Fudgel’, Anna Savva (The Durrells – ITV, Henry VIII – Shakespeare’s Globe) as ‘Judge Woofit’, Dan Starkey (Doctor Who – BBC, Class Dismissed & Wizards vs. Aliens – CBBC) as ‘Ivan Grubble’ and Alison Ward (NewsRevue – Canal Café Theatre, Big Field – BBC3) as ‘Cyril/Marigold’.

This hilarious new adaptation sets the action in a small parochial town in late 19^th century Britain, where the corrupt local officials mistake an over-privileged, vainglorious liar, who just happens to be passing through the town, for a high-ranking government inspector. Desperate to cover up their crimes and escape censure, the town’s Governor and his cronies pull out all the stops to try and bribe this dishonest buffoon with money, wine and women.

Martha Howe-Douglas said, “I am delighted to be joining the company of The Government Inspector – my first Theatre role since 2003.”

The Government Inspector has cemented its reputation as one of the greatest comedies in world literature and ensured that wherever a corrupt and hypocritical government is in power, this play finds its way to the stage.

The Government Inspector is adapted and directed by Patrick Myles, with set and costume design by Melanie Jane Brookes, lighting design by Ric Mountjoy, sound design by Jamie Lu, and casting consultancy by Matilda James.