ROUNDELAY at the Everyman, Cheltenham

ROUNDELAY at the Everyman, Cheltenham

by

“. . . One of the plays, THE JUDGE, I really enjoyed, two of them, THE AGENT and THE STAR, were perfectly entertaining and one, THE POLITICIAN, was a bit of a daft comedy of errors. THE NOVELIST we didn’t get to see. On the whole, the acting was good but the outstanding performance, despite a silly wig, came from Russell Dixon as Tom, the retired judge. His mischievously lecherous old man who had hired a call-girl to impersonate his long-dead wife was great fun and a delight to watch . . . If you are a loyal Ayckbourn fan then Roundelay will not disappoint . . . ”

Read More
MACBETH at the Playhouse, Oxford

MACBETH at the Playhouse, Oxford

by

Filter is a theatre company that has built its name on the inventive use of sound, and in this aspect they do not disappoint in their new adaptation of Macbeth . . . The nimble creativity of the production is captured from the off; after a nice “double, double, toil and trouble” joke that sets the scene for a self-proclaimed ‘playful’ Macbeth, we meet the witches, operating a strange collection of electronic musical apparatus. . . Sound and fury? Absolutely. But when it came to what it all signified? Well, I’ll have to leave you to finish that line. . .”

Read More
WICKED at the Bristol Hippodrome

WICKED at the Bristol Hippodrome

by

“. . . The two female leads circle and play off each other throughout, unknowingly becoming crucial influences on each other while an unlikely friendship brews between them. . . The staging of the action was wonderfully realised with a mesmerising set that morphed from twirling cog wheels to portcullis bars; time pieces gave way to an extraordinary mechanised Wizard; changing skyscapes dissolved to the green green shininess of Oz . . .”

Read More
THE HONEY MAN at the Door, Birmingham Rep

THE HONEY MAN at the Door, Birmingham Rep

by

“. . . Tyrone Huggins is a joy to watch, his command of stage and audience is of the highest quality. He has a bubbling energy, rhythm and openness to his performance that makes him incredibly watchable: his “bee dance” is particularly amusing. He is also the writer of the play and you can see he has a personal connection with the work as he gets underneath the text to make his message clear. . . Learning “isn’t the same as knowing” says the Honey Man wisely, and this play packs a moral punch: or should that be “sting”. Charming in places, a reflective piece – sweet, just like honey.”

Read More
RED RIDING HOOD at the Tobacco Factory, Bristol

RED RIDING HOOD at the Tobacco Factory, Bristol

by

This version by the Norwich Puppet Theatre is designed for little folk of four and up so the moral part of the story concerns innocence and deception with some fun being had on how the wolf is outsmarted by the chattering washerwomen who live in Little Red’s village. The carved wooden rod puppets are non-naturalistic with a hint of expressionism, the kind of exaggeration one finds in many children’s books. The puppeteers, wearing black, are in full view and do a good job in characterizing the puppets in their voices.

Read More
DETECTIVE O & THE COLD CASE CAPER at the Bristol Old Vic Studio

DETECTIVE O & THE COLD CASE CAPER at the Bristol Old Vic Studio

by

” . . . To a great sound track by local musician Kid Carpet, Cori found ‘clues’ amongst the audience and with the children’s participation started to find links to the missing mini-girl . . . The show is fun and quite gentle – no loud bangs for instance, and relies solely on Cori’s unquestionable talent for instilling life into inanimate objects and her confident and friendly manner. As an alternative to the annual panto, this is a good entrée to the world of theatre for the very young.

Read More

Pin It on Pinterest