Toby Hampton and Matt Ballantyne’s funeral farce is great fun.
Burke & Sons Family Funerals has been run into the ground and is almost six feet under thanks to Regina’s (Gabrielle Nellis-Pain) crackpot/genius schemes. Younger sister Harriet (Laurel Marks) can just about cope with the alliterative funeral packages, but when she finds out about Regina’s plan to open Jolly Gina’s Gin Bar & Spa in the loft above the funeral parlour, it’s the final straw.
With bankruptcy looming, Harriet, ably assisted/hindered by new intern Malcolm (Gabriel Fogarty-Graveson) has no choice but to flog the fanciest funerals possible to the bereaved. Identity mix-ups and blackmail lead to the firm arranging two funerals at the same time, but Regina leaps into action and concocts a plan to run both, dragging Harriet and Malcolm along with her.
The writing is darkly funny and deeply daft with larger-than-life characters, but the codependent relationship of the clashing sisters is the touching heart of the play as we watch stoic, reliable Harriet deal with the fallout from Regina’s conveyor belts of “inspirational” business plans and relationships. Nellis-Pain is marvellously manic as Regina, reminiscent of the best Ealing comedy schemers, but with a brilliantly modern anarchic edge. Gabriel Fogarty-Graveson is hilarious as the sweet but constantly befuddled Malcolm, and Laurel Marks is the perfect foil for the pair – her wincing and head shaking as she is bubbling with frustration seeing mistakes and disasters looming but trying to keep calm is as funny as the physical nonsense surrounding her. Molly-Rose Treves is hilarious as Mrs Clarke – a grieving widow with designs on Malcolm -, the awful Lady Farrington and the eccentric Reverend Plumpkin.
Toby Hampton also directs, and the pace is perfectly judged as the situation snowballs and chaos ensues. The laughs are non-stop and the cast’s timing is sublime. Grave Mistake is gloriously silly and unmissable entertainment.
THIS JULY WITH AUTUMN AND WINTER TOUR DATES ANNOUNCED
CSI: Crime Scene Improvisation today announces they will be returning to Wilton’s Music Hall on Friday 4 July following two sell-out runs at the venue, before embarking on a nationwide tour to Star Inn, Komedia, The Theatre Chipping Norton, and Bristol Tobacco Factory. The show will be performed by Lee Apsey, Steve Bond, James Cann, Kayleigh Cassidy, Danielle Downey, Sarah Kempton,and Nicola Lucey.
The debut performance of CSI: Crime Scene Improvisation was at The Red Lion Pub, Moorgate in 2014. Since then, the productionhas enjoyed multiple sold out runs at Wilton’s Music Hall and festivals including Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Brighton Fringe and Leicester Comedy Festival.
Co-Creator of CSI, Sarah Kempton said today: “We’re thrilled to be returning to Wilton’s Music Hall with CSI! There’s nothing like live theatre and bringing improv to audiences throughout London and across the country is such a joy! Each performance is created with the audience, making every show unique.”
CSI: CRIME SCENE IMPROVISATION
Cast: Lee Apsey, Steve Bond, James Cann, Kayleigh Cassidy, Danielle Downey, Sarah Kempton and Nicola Lucey
Saturday 6 September at 9pm at Star Inn, Guildford Sunday 14 September at 6pm and 8pm at Komedia, Brighton Friday 19 September at 7.30pm at The Theatre Chipping Norton Sunday 1 February 2026 at 8pm at Bristol Tobacco Factory
No one knows who the killer is, not even the cast!
Following multiple five-star sell-out runs at the Edinburgh Fringe, CSI: Crime Scene Improvisation returns to Wilton’s Music Hall with another rip-roaring crime comedy made up entirely on the spot.
Who? What? How? The choice is yours in this fully-improvised, witty and absurd murder mystery where the audience creates the crime.
Solving made up crimes for over 11 hilarious years!
CSI: Crime Scene Improvisation has won awards including the Comedy Award at Colchester Fringe 2024 and Best Improvisation at Leicester Comedy Festival 2023.
Lee Apsey is a writer, director, producer and performer across film, theatre and digital media. His accomplishments range from award-winning feature films and TV pilots to multiple sold-out runs at the Edinburgh Fringe, Brighton Fringe and Leicester Square Theatre atop a multi-million viewership across online projects. He also co-created Your Flaws: The Musical as well the co-director of Multiverse Musical and tours performing his award-nominated freestyle rap show Slice of Rhyme.
Steve Bond’s theatre credits as an actor include Looking For Normal (Network Theatre), and Copenhagen (Edinburgh Festival Fringe). His own play The Abduction of Elizabeth Canning was performed at LSE in 2010, and he has also written and performed for sketch group Goes Well With Cheese, in their show Zinfandel at the Camden Fringe in 2012. He has performed short-form improv shows with Spontaneity Shop, has hosted the LSE Improv Show each year since 2012, and co-founded the improv group Agents Improvocateurs.
James Cann has performed with Hoopla Improv, The Spontaneity Shop, David Shore, Brixton Village Idiots, Catfish-Banjo & Stent and the London Improvised Pantomime. He can currently be found improvising with Kerfuffle and Improv the Dead.
Kayleigh Cassidy is an award-winning comedian andwriter. As a writer, Cassidy has been long listed for the Bridport flash fiction and Primadonna prize, and recently won a London Writers Award for her memoir, Tortoise. She trained at IO Chicago and The FA and has performed internationally with The Barcelona Improv Group.
Danielle Downey’s credits include Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (London Palladium), Annie (UK tour), as well as her sketch show The Jerry Hall Show (Brighton Fringe Festival). Downey also creates short, animated films, several of which have been featured at exhibitions (The National Trust) and screened at film festivals (Annual Horror film Festival Vancouver).
Sarah Kempton has narrated over 100 audiobooks and voiced multiple characters in games from the Warhammer series and Jackbox among others. Kempton has played leading roles in theatre across the UK and Europe and guested in multiple sitcoms.
Michael Kunze is an actor, writer, director and improviser. His critically acclaimed debut solo show, the rap musical comedy Lil Saffron: Ragu to Riches, began at the Edinburgh Fringe, and transferred to the Pleasance Theatre and Soho Theatre. He is also the co-founder of Blue Heart Theatre. Directorial credits include Exile (Southwark Playhouse, King’s Head Theatre and Lion and Unicorn Theatre).
Nicola Lucey’s previous theatre credits include Laundry (The former Gloucester Street Magdalene Convent), The Importance of Being Earnest (National tour), Riders To The Sea (The Projects Art Centre), and Apples (The New Theatre, Ireland). Lucey is a co-founder of Twisted Focus Theatre Company with whom she has written and produced Work In Progress and Jenny Is A Raver which premiered at Smock Alley Theatre as part of The Collaborations Festival.
A Gate Theatre Dublin and Belgrade Theatre Coventry Co-Production
THE WORLD PREMIERE OF
BY KATRIONA O’SULLIVAN
ADAPTED BY SONYA KELLY
DIRECTED BY RÓISÍN MCBRINN
OPENS 2nd OCTOBER AT GATE THEATRE DUBLIN
AS PART OF DUBLIN THEATRE FESTIVAL
TRANSFERRING TO BELGRADE THEATRE IN MAY
2026
TICKETS ON SALE IN SEPTEMBER 2025
This October, the Gate Theatre, Dublin and Belgrade Theatre, Coventry will present the world premiere ofPoor by Katriona O’Sullivan, adapted by Sonya Kelly from O’Sullivan’s bestselling memoir, and directed by Gate Theatre Artistic Director Róisín McBrinn.
Poor, a Gate Theatre commission, will open on 2 October with previews from 26 September as part of this year’s Dublin Theatre Festival. The production will then transfer to the Belgrade Theatre in May 2026.
Poorcharts Katriona O’Sullivan’s extraordinary journey as she emerges from her childhood in Coventry and Birmingham marked by poverty, addiction and homelessness. Moving to Dublin as a teenager, Poor follows O’Sullivan as she overcomes seemingly insurmountable obstacles to earn a PhD from Trinity College Dublin and inspire a generation through her writing, teaching and speaking. This unforgettable story is vividly and movingly portrayed through her close relationships with family and friends, and thrums with the music that has resonated through her life.
Full cast and creative team to be announced.
This Gate Theatre and Belgrade Theatre world premiere will be a beacon of hope, resilience and community, and will be a catalyst for discussion and change around the most critical social issues of our time.
The Gate Theatre’s Artistic Director Róisín McBrinn said “At the Gate, we are committed to creating meaningful international partnerships and we are delighted that the Belgrade in Coventry have come on board to co-produce POOR. The Belgrade is an important cultural beacon in the English midlands and an organisation that shares our values and dedication to the transformative power of theatre. Coventry was, of course, Katriona O’Sullivan’s first home so it is a perfect fit for this story. Amazingly, The Belgrade is where Katriona had her first theatrical experience when she was brought to see a panto there as a young girl. We look forward to a fruitful collaboration.”
Belgrade Theatre’s Artistic Director Corey Campbell and Chief Executive Laura Elliot said“We’re incredibly proud to be co-producing Poor – Katriona O’Sullivan’s powerful and unflinching story, adapted for the stage by the brilliant Sonya Kelly – with our partners at the Gate Theatre, Dublin. Katriona grew up in Hillfields, just around the corner from where we work, and her journey is one of resilience, brilliance, and hope. This project speaks directly to our mission to tell the stories of local legends – voices that inspire, challenge, and reflect the lived experience of our communities. This also marks our first co-production with the Gate, and it’s a vital part of our commitment to making work that highlights the unique and enduring history between Coventry and Ireland.”
The producers of the West End Premiere of Burlesque the Musical, the highly anticipated new musical based on Steven Antin’s film starring Christina Aguilera and Cher, which begins performances at the Savoy Theatre on 10 July, announced the complete cast todayand released a specially commissioned photograph of the company taken by the celebrated artist Haris Nukem.
London based Nukem, who has been described as ‘one of the most imaginative and evocative photographers to emerge in recent years’ has worked closely with the producers and company to produce a remarkable image of the full company of Burlesque The Musical
Joining the already announced cast of Orfeh (Tess), Todrick Hall (Sean), Jess Folley (Ali Rose), Asha Parker Wallace (Nikki), Paul Jacob French (Jackson) and George Maguire (Vince) are: Michael Afemare (Ensemble), Callum Bell (Swing), Courtenay Brady (Ensemble), Paje Campbell (Ensemble), Sophie Cracknell (Daphne), Hope Dawe (Alternate Ali Rose), Jake Dupree (Trey/Chardonnay), Marlee Fergusson (Ensemble), Angus Good (Swing), Charlotte Jaconelli (Queenie), Elly Jay (Swing), Idriss Kargbo (Alternate Sean), Billie Kay (Sophia and Second Tess), Deja Linton (Ensemble), Hollie-Ann Lowe (Spring), Callum Macdonald (Cover for Vince and Trey), Alessia McDermott (Summer and Second Nikki), Jess Qualter (Ensemble), Liam Roodhouse (Ensemble), Janine Somcio (Ensemble), India Thornton (Swing) and Daniel Wijingaarden (Ensemble).
As well as returning to the production to play Sean, Todrick Hall, one of the most high profile and prolific storytellers in the world, is lead composer of the production as well as director and choregographer.
Broadway legend, Orfeh, a Tony and Grammy Award nominee, most recently starred as Kit De Luca in Pretty Woman the Musical on Broadway. Her other Broadway credits include: Paulette in Legally Blonde, Saturday Night Fever, Fascinating Rhythm and Footloose. Her TV work credits include Sex and the City and Law and Order.
Musical sensation Jess Folley, who returns to the production to play Ali Rose, has written new music for the show alongside Todrick Hall. Jess won the first series of the national ITV show The Voice Kids UK and in 2019 her band were crowned winners of X Factor– The Band. She has since dedicated all her time to developing herself as an artist and songwriter, having had the opportunity to work with some of the most respected songwriters and producers in the industry.
The Olivier Award-winning George Maguire returns to the show to play Vince and Asha Parker Wallace makes her professional and West End debut as Nikki. Paul Jacob French, whose musical credits include An Officer and a Gentleman, Annie, The Wizard of Oz and Grease will play Jackson.
Burlesque The Musical is a scintillating journey of self-discovery that absolutely sizzles with songs by Christina Aguilera and Sia, and new music by Todrick Hall and Jess Folley.
The full creative team joining the already announced Todrick Hall (Director and Choreographer), Steven Antin (Book Writer/Producer), Christina Aguilera, Sia, Todrick Hall & Jess Folley (Music and Lyrics)and Kate Wetherhead (Additional material – Book), Tom Curran (Orchestrator and Arranger), Nate Bertone (Set Designer), Marco Marco (Costume Designer), Roberto Surace (Additional Costume Designs), Rory Beaton (Lighting Designer), Nina Dunn (Video Designer) Ben Harrison (Sound Designer), Jessica Plews (Wigs and Hair Designer), Dominic Skinner (Make-up Designer), Toby Higgins (Musical Supervisor), Harry Blumenau (Casting Director), Patrick Malony (Production Manager), Aaron Renfree (Associate Director/Resident Director & Choreographer), Jenni Thomasson(Associate Choreographer), Natalie Jackson (Costume Supervisor), Zoe Gale (Associate Wigs and Hair Supervisor), Nicola Crawford (Associate Lighting Designer), Chris Poon (Musical Director), Caitlin Morgan (Associate Musical Director), Josh Griffiths (Assistant Musical Director), Andy Barnwell (Orchestral Manager) and David O’Mahoney (Script Supervisor).
The backstage team on Burlesque the Musical are: Maria Baker (Company Manager), Adam Cox (Deputy Company Manager), Peter Barnett (Stage Manager), Samantha Kerrison (Deputy Stage Manager), Leea Smith (Assistant Stage Manager), Libby Glass (Assistant Stage Manager) Bronte MacInnes (Assistant Stage Manager) Declan Smith (Assistant Stage Manager), Ben Turnbull (Assistant Stage Manager), Hope Killen (Assistant Stage Manager), Amelia Locky (Head of Wardrobe), Fiona Middlehurst (Head of Wigs, Hair and Makeup), Maxine Tiara (Deputy of Wigs, Hair and Makeup), Caitlin Ralph (Wigs, Hair and Makeup Assistant), Harrison Smith (Head of Lighting and Video), Josh Ollerton (Deputy Head of Lighting and Video), Kieran Watson (Head of Automation), Tom Vasey (Deputy Head of Automation), Callum Donaldson (Head of Sound), Isobel Macintosh (Deputy Head of Sound) and Josh Roger (Sound 3).
Welcome to Burlesque the Musical, the glamorous, gritty and outrageously fun new musical based on the much-loved hit movie that reminds us…Life Isn’t Fair…It’s Fabulous!
Discover a club like no other…a place beneath the city lights where the sequins sparkle, seduction shimmers, and a life can change in the flick of a feather boa.
When Ali heads to New York in search of her mother, she finds herself drawn into a dazzling underground world where the beat of the music and the heat of the dance moves will change her life forever. Ali will unwittingly find her extraordinary voice and a most unlikely family of misfits, dreamers, and schemers.
Burlesque The Musical is produced by Adam Paulden & Jason Haigh-Ellery, Sue Gilad & Larry Rogowsky, Steven Antin, Clint Culpepper and Executive Produced by Christina Aguilera.
The West End run follows the show’s record-breaking previews in Manchester and Glasgow where audiences agreed it’s the most exciting movie musical to come to the stage in decades.
Rocky Horror is back! Out on tour again, Rocky Horror has become a phenomenon, with a huge following and people who know the show word for word. If the costumes on stage weren’t enough the ones in the audience are sure to have you feeling fabulous!
Rocky Horror is so fantastically bizarre it’s hard to describe, with a feeling of wondering what on Earth is happening but thoroughly enjoying every moment. The brain child of Richard O’ Brien The Rock Horror Picture Show has been delighting audiences for over 50 years and never fails to disappoint.
The story begins with Brad (Connor Carson) and Janet (Lauren Chia) getting stuck in a storm with a flat tyre, they walk back to a castle looking to borrow a phone. Here they are let in to the bizarre world of Sweet Transvestite, Frank N Furter (Jason Donovan). They soon realise it’s not going to be as easy as using the phone and getting help, Frank N Furter quickly chooses to give them a tour of the lab where he is growing himself a new play thing, a muscle man name Rocky (Morgan Jackson). This show is completely bonkers with the audience just as baffled as Brad and Janet as to what’s going on.
Jason Donovan, known for his role in Neighbours, and run as Joseph in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat among a whole host of other credits, is perfect in the role of Frank N Furter. Reacting to the audience with the smallest gestures having a big impact.
Nathan Catton is fantastic as the Narrator, bouncing of the audience and responding with quick wit from beginning to end, he’s sure to have you laughing out loud.
The rest of the cast is fantastic, with everyone fitting in to the madness to the show and looking like they’re having a thoroughly enjoyable time. The music is sure to have you singing to yourself on the way with a host of iconic songs including Sweet Transvestite, Science Fiction/Double Feature and Damn it Janet.
Rocky Horror is almost indescribable 2 hours of madness, fun, frivolity and hilarity. If you’ve never seen it it’s one to tick of the bucket list but definitely not family friendly with a rating of 15+. The whole audience was on their feet at the end with a rare opportunity in theatre to get up and dance during the show for the iconic Time Warp this show is a real party and one not to be missed.
Sarah Shelton’s darkly funny and powerful family drama Blessings
at Riverside Studios from 30 September to 26 October 2025
Following its acclaimed debut as a shortened piece at last year’s Riverside Bitesize Festival, Sarah Shelton’s Blessings – an emotionally charged exploration of family dysfunction – returns to Riverside Studios for the premiere run of the full play from 30 September to 26 October 2025.
Bold, brilliant and blisteringly honest, Blessings is a must-see new work exploring faith, family, control and the lies we tell to keep everything from falling apart.
Behind the polished front door of the Deacon household, tradition is crumbling, secrets are festering, and change is coming – whether they like it or not. In a small English town in the 1960s, formidable matriarch Dorie Deacon is determined to keep her Catholic family respectable while Frank, her husband, maintains a silence that suggests he sees more than he’s ever let on. But as her children return home to celebrate their traditional family Easter, their carefully constructed image begins to crack. From smug eldest son Martin to razor-sharp Penny, rebellious Frances to watchful youngest daughter Sally, the Deacons are anything but united. And with a new boyfriend on the scene, a family priest who knows more than he’s saying, and plenty of unspoken truths lying under the surface, the household is a pressure cooker ready to blow. As secrets inch toward the surface and confessions are avoided, tension mounts toward a devastating and unforgettable climax. Is truth always the best policy? And what would you do for love?
Writer and director Sarah Shelton said: “At its core, Blessings explores the messy, beautiful, and sometimes painful dynamics of family – something deeply personal and universally understood. I’m thrilled to be bringing it back to Riverside Studios after the incredibly warm reception to that first showing at Bitesize which marked the beginning of the play’s journey. Riverside audiences really embraced Blessings in its shortened version, so it’s a total joy to return to the venue where it all began. Our cast will include outstanding seasoned performers who will be sharing the spotlight with gifted newcomers who are just beginning their careers. With a top-class creative team too, we’re poised to share this timeless story with a wider audience and I can’t wait to do so.”
Blessings is presented by Artful Entertainment. Cast and creatives are to be announced shortly.
Yolanda Mercy writes, co-directs and solo-performs this absorbing, revealing and highly emotive dive into what it takes to succeed not just as a writer of stage and screen, but a female writer and a female writer of colour.
The burden of responsibility weighs heavy on protagonist Ade, whose debut play Day Girl, about her experiences as a scholarship kid at an elite school, wins her acclaim and commissions but also pigeon holes her. She’s the role model now and doesn’t want ‘people like her’ to think their dreams are unattainable.
Yolanda is a compelling storyteller and confidently bounces off the audience to bring us into Ade’s world, inviting our sisterly support as well as our indignation at the micro-aggressions and casual racism and classicism doled out by society. Even more impactful is the heartbreaking way she subtly denigrates herself too. Don’t do yourself down, Ade!
Yolanda is also a wonderful mimic, effortlessly embodying the quirks of her hilarious supporting cast. From the posho tv producers trying to be hip but coming across as painfully clueless, to her situationship hook up, who seems happy to point out how easy she has it as a ‘socialite’ while failing to mention a few vital details about his own life, to her blunt yet caring Nigerian mother and her influencer friends from ends.
This is very much a show about finding your place in a world that seems intent on rejecting you and moulding you into a version of yourself you no longer recognise. Even if you’re a 40-something audience member like myself, allowing the Gen Y and Z references to go over my head and googling “slay” after the show, there’s still plenty of humour to be found and above all, a well-crafted narrative that with a few tweaks could be sensational.
Yolanda is surely a rising star with a magnificent career ahead of her. A powerful, funny and moving tale of perceived failure and recovery in an unforgiving world.
After years of creating gloriously unhinged theatre together, Linus Karp and Joseph Martin – the real-life couple behind ‘Gwyneth Goes Skiing, Diana: The Untold and Untrue Story’ and’ The Fit Prince (Who Gets Switched On The Square In The Frosty Castle The Night Before [Insert Public Holiday Here])’ – are heading down the aisle – or rather, onto the Pleasance Grand stage – to get married live during the Edinburgh Fringe.
Yes, it’s really happening. On stage. With an audience of festivalgoers to witness a real legal wedding – live in the middle of the Edinburgh Fringe. In what is believed to be a Fringe first, Karp and Martin will say their vows in front of hundreds, joined by special guests, live performances, and a full dose of queer theatrical joy.
The couple – who co-founded Awkward Productions and have been together for ten years – believe this will be the first legal wedding with a paying audience in the festival’s 78-year history, and likely the first LGBTQ+ wedding to be staged as part of the official programme.
The ceremony takes place on the morning of Saturday 16 August – just hours before that afternoon’s performance of their brand-new show:
A camp, chaotic romcom set in the fictional kingdom of Swedonia, ‘The Fit Prince (Who Gets Switched On The Square In The Frosty Castle The Night Before [Insert Public Holiday Here])’ is a queer parody of the holiday movie genre – with Karp and Martin playing a prince in need of a spouse and the reluctant New York baker drafted in to make his wedding cake. It’s the first time the couple have played romantic leads opposite each other on stage – and now they’ll be getting married for real in the middle of the run.
Expect songs, readings, guest appearances and full queer spectacle – all packed into a gloriously Fergalicious Saturday morning hour.
Diana: The Untold and Untrue Story is also returning to this year’s Edinburgh Fringe for a short run (20–24 August), in which Linus plays Diana,, in which Linus plays Diana and Joseph voices Charles. They get married and divorced on stage – a sequence they’ve performed over 150 times. With The Fit Prince running daily, Diana back for a limited run, and a real-life wedding on 16 August, they’ll be tying the knot across stage and life in just about every way possible.
In a joint statement, Linus and Joseph said: “I do.”
Darlington Hippodrome – until Saturday 31st May 2025
Reviewed by Adam Craddock
5*****
It was an absolute pleasure on Thursday night to be invited along to the press night of Tilted Wig Productions’ performance of “Spitfire Girls”, written by and starring Katherine Senior. “Spitfire Girls” follows sisters Bett and Dotty through the middle years of World War Two as they join the ATA (Air Transport Auxiliary), from starting as rookie pilots to running Spitfires and Hurricanes across the country. While I don’t want to reveal too much about the plot I can wholeheartedly say that this is a piece of theatre masterfully written and performed by an impressive cast. The story has some real weight to it and it is not taken lightly by the fantastic group of 5 on stage.
Katherine Senior is fabulous as Bett. She has a real naturalism to her performance with the stakes of their day to day work all too real to her.Senior has an obvious connection to the material but this felt like it was the first time she experienced these emotions and wasn’t at all formulaic. Samuel Tracey was great as Tom/Jimmy, particularly in the role of the former. Tracey was brilliantly charming yet with a hint of chauvinism that I think really lent itself to the character. Jack Holland was good as Dad/Frank. As Frank he was very relatable as a chap we all new from down the local, more bothered about getting an ale than looking after his kids. As Dad he was strong, although I did feel a slight disconnect with some of his scenes in the first act compared to the rest of the cast, slightly breaking the immersion for a second when I had been on the edge of my seat the rest of the time. Kirsty Cox was great as C.O./Joy, with a real air of authority about her as the C.O., contrasting brilliantly with her jovial Scottish girl Joy. However, the real standout performance for me was Laura Matthews as Dotty. Matthews delivered a real tour de force performance, with her character being brilliantly enthusiastic and relatable. Matthews brought be close to tears on two occasions, and while I won’t spoil any plot points I will say the material was masterfully handled. Bravo!
The set design for the production was perfect, simplistic yet imaginative, with the raised platform almost making it feel like an isolated dream. The lighting and sound design were both spot on and the direction was superb. I particularly enjoyed the choreographed movement of Bett and Dotty getting in their aircraft for the first time and taking off, this was an extremely effective device.
Overall I would highly recommend that you see “Spitfire Girls” before it takes off to its next venue. This is a real and relatable production not to be missed.
The Roald Dahl Story Company today announces the full cast for the wickedly funny family musical based on Roald Dahl’s THE ENORMOUS CROCODILE.
Taya Ming will play The Enormous Crocodile, with Nia Stephen as Trunky the Elephant, Ryan Crellin-Simpson as Humpy Rumpy the Hippopotamus, Alison Arnopp as Roly Poly Bird, Siobhan Athwal as Muggle Wump the Monkey and Eleanor Ambekar as Swing.
Following hit seasons at Leeds Playhouse in 2023 and Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre in 2024, THE ENORMOUS CROCODILE THE MUSICAL will open at Windsor Theatre Royal on 8 August 2025 before returning to Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre from 15 August – 7 September 2025.
THE ENORMOUS CROCODILE THE MUSICAL will also play a Christmas season at Lowry, Salford from Tuesday 9 December 2025 until Sunday 4 January 2026. Casting for Lowry’s season is to be announced at a later date.
‘For my lunch today I would like… a nice juicy little child!’
The Enormous Crocodile is weaving his way through the jungle in search of delicious little fingers and squidgy podgy knees… Only the other jungle creatures can foil his secret plans and clever tricks, but they’re going to have to find a large amount of courage to stop this greedy brute.
This mischievous musical based on Roald Dahl’s snappy book has toe-tapping tunes by Ahmed Abdullahi Gallab, a rib-tickling book and lyrics by Suhayla El-Bushra, and additional music and lyrics by Tom Brady. Developed and directed by Emily Lim, it features a menagerie of puppets by co-director and puppetry designer Toby Olié, with set and costume design by Fly Davis and puppetry co-designed and supervised by Daisy Beattie.
CAST BIOGRAPHIES:
Taya Ming graduated in 2021. Her theatre credits include Much Ado About Nothing at the RSC, Slumlord and Innocent Means Not Guilty, both at Theatre Peckham, Robin Hood: The Legend. Rewritten at Regents Park Open Air Theatre, Aromatherapy at Talawa Theatre Company, Merchant Of Venice at OVO theatre, the UK tour of Coming To England and Wild Mix at Chapter Theatre Arts.
Nia Stephen trained at The Urdang Academy where she was awarded the Andrew Lloyd Webber Scholarship.Her theatre credits include the UK tour of &Juliet and Cinderella for Imagine Theatre. Her film credits include Google’s ‘Hands Raised’ Film from Uncommon Creative Studio.
Ryan Crellin-Simpson is an actor and singer who recently graduated from Rose Bruford College. The Enormous Crocodile will be Ryan’s second show after graduating, having completed a 2024 run of The Elephant in the Room by Peter Hamilton at Waterloo East Theatre.
Alison Arnopp is an Irish performer and writer. Her theatre credits include The Magician’s Elephant and The Tempest, both at the RSC, Wise Children’s Malory Towers, the 50th anniversary tour of Hair, Les Liaisons Dangereuse at the Donmar Warehouse, and Xnthony’s Oliver Cromwell Is Really Very Sorry, which earned her a ‘Best Performer’ nomination at Dublin Fringe.
Siobhan Athwal is a critically acclaimed actress and WhatsOnStage award-nominee, originating roles in BBC’s EastEnders and Doctors, Channel 5’s The Good Ship Murder and ITV’s Emmerdale. Her theatre credits include roles at the National Theatre, Curve Theatre, Leicester, Shakespeare’s Globe, The Royal Opera House, Piccadilly Theatre, York Theatre Royal, Stratford East and Hachette Audio.
Eleanor Ambekar graduated in 2024 with an MA in Musical Theatre from Guildford School of Acting. Whilst training, her credits included the role of Amélie in Amélie the Musical. The Enormous Crocodile will be her professional debut.
The Enormous Crocodile musical was developed by Emily Lim, Ahmed Abdullahi Gallab, Suhayla El-Bushra, Tom Brady and The Roald Dahl Story Company, and originally co-produced with Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre and Leeds Playhouse.
