HARVEY on tour

“When seeking an ideal topic for a play one would not immediately think of a man who befriends an invisible 6 foot tall rabbit, but that is the unlikely tale that Harvey tells. The production however was an instant hit when it opened on Broadway in 1944 and was made into a film on 1950. . . . Seasoned actor James Dreyfus is compelling as Elwood. His timing is precise; he brings a charm and tenderness to the character who chooses to be pleasant as opposed to being smart. His characterisation asks questions of the other characters and of the audience – which points to a job well done. . . “

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Tom Stoppard’s ARCADIA on tour

“. . . The customary Stoppardian leaps of imagination are transmuted here into leaps between epochs and the play’s USP is the way it skips nimbly between the early nineteenth and latter twentieth centuries, drawing our attention, by way of a number of devices including speculations about rice pudding and jam, to the uni-direction of time or ‘entropy’. . . This stylish English Touring Theatre production offers everything a Stoppard fan might look for, fizzing as it does with intellectual challenge and might even gain a few converts along the way.”

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THE CALL OF CTHULHA at the Old Joint Stock, Birmingham

“. . .Devised, adapted and performed by Michael Sabbatton, we are introduced to Francis Wayland Thurston, who is in possession of a box that has haunted him for years. We are told the tale of Cthulu and how many before him have been destroyed by the curse that the box brings its owner. . . The descent into madness by forbidden knowledge is excellently captured by Sabberton; it makes for gripping and at times quite harrowing viewing. . . “

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CHRISTIE IN LOVE at the Wardrobe Theatre, Bristol

“. . . Christie In Love is one of Howard Brenton’s earliest plays, and Substance & Shadow deliver this dark, claustrophobic three-hander with great skill . . . passionate hatred is conveyed with terrifying intensity . . . Christie In Love does not make for comfortable viewing, not least because it perhaps suggests that Christie’s horrible perversions were but an extreme expression of a more general malaise, but Substance & Shadow’s production is uniformly well acted, gripping throughout and certainly thought-provoking.

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THE LITVINENKO PROJECT at the Oxford Hub

“. . . This play could hardly be timelier. With the public inquiry in every news bulletin, it is hardly surprising to find that this show has sold out very quickly. Entering the upstairs room of Oxford’s Turl Street Kitchen, an audience of about 30 people takes seats in sofas and armchairs around the room. Low tables in front of us hold china cups and teapots. We sip Gunpowder Green tea and as the room falls silent, the play begins. . . A stunning, engaging, and unusual piece that well deserves more attention!”

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SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER at Malvern Theatres

” . . . Every single person in the cast is truly amazing, without exception, as they showcase their wealth of talent across all of the performing disciplines. CiCi Howells has to be mentioned for her powerhouse vocals, as the Club Singer, that were hauntingly woven through the protagonists journey of self realisation . . . This is musical theatre at its best! Make sure you see this production. It runs at Malvern Theatres until Saturday before continuing on the UK tour.

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