Author: Simon Bishop

THE PRODUCERS at the Bristol Hippodrome

“. . . This production is peppered with some titanic performances, notably Cory English’s full-on portrayal of the deeply amoral producer Max Bialystock and David Bedella’s splendidly vain Roger de Bris. Phill Jupitus’s very solid pigeon-fancying old ‘Jerry’ Franz Liebkind got some belly laughs as did Louie Spence’s ultimately camp Carmen Ghia, while the very leggy Tiffany Graves’ Ulla impressed with high kicks and splits . . . Cory English literally physically threw himself into this performance as Max. If he had any gaskets left to blow at the end of the night I’d be surprised and impressed. . . “

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OUTSIDE MULLINGAR at the Ustinov Theatre, Bath

“This compassionate and delightful romantic comedy from the Pulitzer Prize, Tony and Oscar-winning author of Doubt will win many hearts. The great appeal in John Patrick Shanley’s play lies in one woman’s fight to overcome spectres of isolation and barrenness by staring down what stands in her path, and in its final message of tender reconciliation . . . Set in rural Ireland, Outside Mullingar is, at heart, an essay on the redeeming qualities of love and forgiveness . . . “

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THE SCHOOL FOR SCANDAL at the Tobacco Factory, Bristol

” . . . I’d challenge anyone to find a better rendering of Sheridan’s wonderfully witty exposé of deceit and defamation than this one. Every player owned his or her part – and all produced sharp and always tremendously funny performances. The Tobacco Factory space works so well for pieces like this – whispers can be heard, a raised eyebrow noticed and a glum face can fill the room. . . This is the SATTF in top form, don’t miss it.”

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WNO’s THE MAGIC FLUTE at Bristol Hippodrome

Welsh National Opera’s production of Mozart’s THE MAGIC FLUTE has been given a surrealistic dressing. It begins with Tamino being pursued by a giant Dali-esque lobster. And his travails to win the right to love the Queen of the Night’s daughter Pamina are played out in a Magritte-like tableau of doors set into walls painted to look like sky. The stage is raised to allow some extraordinary scenes later when the Sorastro ‘brotherhood’ is visible only by dint of their heads protruding up through the elevated boards wearing bright orange Magritte-inspired bowler hats.

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WHISKEY CHARLIE at the Café Kino, Bristol

“Whiskey Charlie is the debut work of playwright Chris White. If this piece is anything to go by we should be on the lookout for more from this emerging talent. With director Jess Clough-MacRae, the pair forms HippoCrypt Theatre Co. . . The cosy basement of vegan restaurant Café Kino on the buzzy strip that is Stokes Croft in Bristol is a perfect place to test run new works, the space comparing very favourably with Bristol’s other two small theatres, the Alma and the Wardrobe . . .”

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