"Bring On The Musicals - A Soiree Of Summer Songs"

4^th Wall Theatrics.

Bonington Theatre.

This production really made the perfect start to my weekend for a few reasons, and I'll tell you why.

First was that when I got to Bonington Theatre there were a few people of whom I have not seen for a while, and I love catching up with people before a show.

Secondly, I get to see quite a few showcase shows for younger theatre groups, which I love because I love "star spotting" among these young performers, but this evening was a showcase of people of varied ages. from those of who may have just left their teenage years, right up to the older performer, even older than I am! And there are not many of these kind of shows knocking about.

Thirdly, I knew every single piece that was performed tonight. It's not that often that there are pieces that I don't know in showcases, and when there are it's a lovely surprise to me and I treat it as an education for myself.

4^th Wall Theatrics are a new theatre group consisting of many well known faces from local stages and this showcase gave them the chance to, not only entertain, but to show off the new group and what they can do and what we can expect from them. If tonight is anything to go by, there's a lot of fun and talent to see and hear; but I knew that would be the case anyway because of their individual theatre history.

The agenda tonight consisted of songs from musicals, mainly concentrating on the more well-established musicals, another thing that isn't always recognised in compiling the show playlist, that said you can see that a great deal of thought has gone into the songs, the musicals and the running order of those songs and performances.

When I compiled the first playlist for my Wednesday evening radio show on Nottingham Hospitals Radio (8pm till 9) about the musicals and musical theatre, my first choice was "Be Our Guest" from Disney's "Beauty & The Beast" because it's the perfect introduction song. The same song was performed to open, and introduce the cast of 4^th Wall Theatrics, and straight away they had us.

I love a good harmony group and Dawn McGlashan, Pippa Ward and Emma Nicol took us back to the age of Glen Miller with "Chatanooga Choo Choo".

Then came the full on singalongs starting with the whole cast taking us on a "Summer Holiday" followed by Roy Smith and Barry Hobbs bringing us sunshine, Morecambe and Wise style. The sunshine didn't stop there though because Dawn joined forces with Christine Boothe with "The Sun Has Got It's Hat On".

One of my favourite niche musicals is one by a brilliant writer Jason Robert Brown, and called "The Last 5 Years", and there's a great, fun song in the soundtrack called "A Summer In Ohio" which Emily Hudson performed perfectly.

Some people may not know that the Katrina & The Waves song "Walking On Sunshine" was used as part of a jukebox musical, also called "Walking On Sunshine", so this choice ticked both boxes of being from a musical and being summery; this version fronted by Emme Gunn.

Next up came a medley of Disney songs from "Moana", "Aladdin" and "The Little Mermaid" sung by Emily, Isobel, Emme and Amy Rogers-Gee. I've not seen Amy sing solo on stage for a very long while as she has been so busy over the years working behind the scenes, so it was nice to be reminded what a lovely voice she has.

Act One ended with another medley, this time from the film "Mary Poppins", which featured the vocal talents of Emma, Sam Howard, Pippa and Paul Mappleforth. Paul is a new name to me but he makes a great first impression, and not only with his voice. Paul knows how to move and he always looks as if he is out for a night of fun on the dancefloor. That man can not keep still and all the way through looks to be having the time of his life on stage. You know how there's always one person at any party that is first on the dancefloor and last to leave, that is what I imagine Paul is like. He is an infectious fun bundle of energy and I can't wait to see him in future productions.

Act two opened with Paul, Roy and Barry crooning about the sad tale of Lola from "Copacabana", another chance to see Paul "snakehips" Mappleforth grooving to the disco beat.

The singalongs were well under way as Barry came back to belt out "New York, New York"; I imagine that there were quite a few legs that had to be restrained in the audience to stop them from high-kicking the seats in front during this one!

Sam took centre stage after this with a stomping version of Murray Head's "One Night In Bangkok" from the musical "Chess". Lloyd-Webber songs are never the easiest to sing but Sam made this quasi-rap musical theatre song simply slip off the tongue easily.

Dawn, Emily, Emme and Emma then took us back in time with a Motown and soul medley from the movie "Sister Act" from "My Guy" to "I Will Follow Him" in the film's "Lounge Medley", their voices blending Supremely!

Pippa then slowed the pace down and raised the temperatures with "Too Darn Hot" from "Kiss Me Kate", but "Some Like It Hot", especially the way Emma made this Monroe tune sizzle.

Emme and Pippa backed Sam with The Trammps 1976 hit "Disco Inferno", carrying the heat link on, and I finally after all these years heard the lyrics properly, thanks to the excellent quality of the sound system at Bonington Theatre as well as the clarity of Sam, Emme and Pippa's voices. "Disco Inferno" if you don't remember comes from the film "Saturday Night Fever".

Another massive blockbuster film from the seventies was of course "Grease", and linking into the heat and summer theme, 4^th Wall gave us "Summer Nights" and "We Go together".

All too soon the evening drew to a close with a move from "Grease" to Greece, the location of course for the musical "Mamma Mia" and the whole cast performed a medley of Abba songs, closing with Pippa, Amy and Emily taking leads on "Thank You For The Music".

It was like the best musical theatre disco ever; I just need the massive megamix which include all of these songs.

One person that I have not mentioned is the Master Of Ceremonies for the evening, Nik Hudson, who seamlessly blended comedy, wit and style to link the performers and the performances. And his jokes were fresh as well.

The cast for the show were Amy Rogers-Gee, who was also the Producer for the event, Barry Hobbs, Christine Boothe - so good to see you back on stage Christine, Dawn McGlashan, Emily Hudson, Emma Nicol, Emme Gunn, Isobel Munden, Paul Mapplethorpe, Pippa Ward, Roy Smith, Sam Howard, and of course Nik Hudson (thanks for the mention, Sir).

The Sound Design, which was very clean and crisp was by Bob Betts.

Lighting Design was by G Boichi-Giovarni.

A show that was all bangers and no fillers. Look out for future productions by 4^th Wall Theatrics, I know that I will.

 "The Prince" by Abigail Thorn.

Nottingham Lace Market Theatre.

Wonderfully timed to coincide with Pride this week in Nottingham, "The Prince" is a wonderfully modern twist on Shakespeare's characters and plays where transgender characters in his plays realise that they are trapped in their performance and try to escape. Jen and Sam, two trans women, are trapped in a multiverse of Shakespeare's complete works.

On their quest to discover the doorway back to reality they encounter Henry 'Hotspur' Percy, who they recognize as also being trans. Jen and Sam must decide; do they risk losing their way home to help someone who might be like them – someone who does not yet know who they truly are?

Abigail Thorn's story weaves its' way through "Henry IV Part One", "Hamlet" and several others of the Bard's works, providing fun for the audience whether they be Shakespeare scholars or verse virgins. With sword fighting, lesbianism, and disappointed parents, this play is the perfect end to the Lace Market Theatre's current season.

Hotspur, the warrior, is played by Esther Warren. Esther is no stranger to Shakespeare away from the Lace Market Theatre, and it's good to see Esther on stage. A powerful and commanding performance, and Esther knows how to project, probably due to her acting outside with the Nottingham Shakespeare Company.

Lady Kate is played by Maureen Nwabueze. She is shown as the wife of Hotspur with Lady Kate's character evolving to show the importance of women at this particular stage of Shakespeare's story telling. I really enjoyed the change from a loving wife who did everything that her husband bade her, to the strong woman who started to break with Shakespearian convention. The section where Kate learns the word "lesbian" is unexpectedly humorous. Maureen is a new name to me but is a fantastic, and hypnotic actor with a gentle stage presence; one I hope we'll see on stage locally more often.

Sam is played by Ami Veera, another new name and another fantastic find - where have all these new names in theatre been hiding? Sam, who in the real world is a care home worker, wiping noses and bums. She has been trapped in this Shakespearian multiverse for, what the audience can imagine being a while, but has  more of a hold on the situation than Jess, well to start with. With the help of a map, which is in a box, both Sam and Jess can navigate their way through to the portal in this crazy Shakespeare world of play, but when something goes wrong, they slip down the plays list, and further away from getting back to their real world.

Jess Hall plays Jen, who when she realises that she is trapped in the world of Shakespeare's "Henry IV" declares "I bloody hate Shakespeare". A wonderfully hilarious character and the pairing of Sam and Jen are beautifully matched and these two actors create a brilliantly fun chemistry. It's the physical connection between Jen and Hotspur that provides the virtual injection of the "real world" into them, and that is visually portrayed by some imaginative lighting effects, almost like a lightning bolt that goes through the body of the characters. Jess also gets a lot of the comedy lines plus some fun, comic, banter like modernisms, contrasting with the Shakespeare rhythms and blank verse.

Bernard Whelan, who I last saw at the start of the year in "Alys Always", doubles as Northumberland / King Henry IV. There's some nice contrasts between the straight Shakespeare delivery and some natural comic line deliveries.

Prince Hal is played by Nathan Hackett. The Prince is shown engaging in similar behaviors as in the original Shakespeare play – drinking, partying and neglecting his Princely duties – but in this play, his sexuality is a key aspect. The play also presents him as someone who is trying to live up to the expectations of his father and the court, while also grappling with his true identity. Nathan is another new name on the local acting stage but shows a flair for comedy, and some excellent combat and fight stagecraft, and those swords did not sound as if they were lightweight either. 

The Earl of Worcester is played by David Dunford, who I've had the pleasure of seeing him act in and direct some classic pieces of theatre at the Lace Market. As with Bernard, it's a nice change to see him play comedy, blended with the serious Shakespeare pieces and characters.

Sam Marshall plays Douglas, the Scottish rebel leader in Henry IV, Part 1. Sam is yet another new name to me and I don't know if Sam is Scottish, but that accent was excellent. Often a Scots accent can go over the top but Sam's has a really soft Edinburgh-esque lilt about it and is completely consistent throughout.

I will say that nothing has been taken over the top or pushed too far. The play highlights transgender people, camp and lesbianism, but none of these subjects have gone over the top and are all completely believable. The characters do not have to be OTT to bring the comedy out because the script itself is wonderfully funny and the mix of modern-day spiel and Shakespeare's iambic pentameter develop their own humour.

Directed by Laurie Owen and Micah Darmola. This pair have created a brilliant and fun piece of theatre, and their experience with directing comedy and Shakespeare melt together deliciously. They have bought together a wonderful cast, along with the Casting Advisors Chris Collins and Lesley Brown, and it's great to see that they have also not just used the tried and tested actors, but have introduced several fresh faces into the cast and to the Lace Market Theatre stage. 

Set Design is by Guy Evans with Set Design Consultant Alex Hopkin-Spratt. Simple set designs often work best at the Lace Market Theatre and this set works perfectly. There's a cavalcade of lined centre stage which cleverly is drawn open to reveal the images that are in the map box that Sam has, showing the directions that they have to travel to escape.

Lighting Design is by Nick Gale. I touched on the lighting effects earlier and this really comes into play with the transfer of energy from Jen to Hotspur, and from Hotspur to Lady Kate and the other characters. I won't give away what those effects are but it certainly keeps the audience on their toes! 

Sound Designer is Matthew Allcock and, as always, the sound effects are perfectly timed. The original music that is heard in the play is by Rory Williams.

Stage Managed skilfully by Sammy Whitworth who managed to keep the flow of the play smooth.

The props for this production are managed by Ali Lit and Benji Ingali, and there are quite a few to manage. From the glasses for the toasts, trays and plastic pop bottles to the swords, which as I've already stated look suitably weighty, and the smaller knives and weapons.

With this kind of production I already had an idea that the costumes would be apt and classy, and I was not disappointed, and then you find out that Max Bromley is the man behind sorting out the costumes, you can guarantee that they will be the best available.  Dylan Brown is also responsible for this area of the production along with Max. Just take a look at the photos for proof of that.

The fight choreography and weaponry is thanks to John Buckeridge. Nathan, Sam and Esther do not hold back with the stage combat and that in itself straight away causes electricity in the air for this play as you hear the heavy clashes of metal on metal.

Opening night on Monday was sold out, which is a lovely sight. I can also say that I have never heard such waves of laughter from a Lace Market Theatre audience as huge as the one on Monday night. 

You may have to take some time to start to understand parts of this play, due to the characters being unaware that they were imprisoned within the boundaries of the play and their characters. Jen depicts this perfectly at the start when she is convinced that she is actually Portia. But it's like having a jigsaw puzzle of baked beans. You are given all the pieces and slowly you start to spot where all the pieces fit and by the end you have the satisfaction of having everything where it should be and a complete picture.

It's a production like I have never seen before, It has some great characters, played by a cast of amazing actors, combining some of the best known lines from the Bard with some brilliantly funny modern day colloquialisms, all with a lovely closing showing that all's well that ends well. Shakespeare has never been so much fun.

"The Prince" is at the Nottingham Lace Market Theatre until Saturday 26 July. Don't miss it if you can help it.

Photography by Grace Eden Photography.

 "Legally Blonde" by Kristian Thomas Company Senior Youth Group.

Duchess Theatre, Long Eaton.

First off, let me say that any production that has the Kristian Thomas Company name attached to it is going to be a success in any case; and this show is no different. The level of professionalism and quality is akin to anything that you may see in a touring production at a fraction of the price. Now, on with the review......

"Legally Blonde The Musical" is the story of college sweetheart and homecoming queen Elle Woods, who doesn't take no for an answer. When her boyfriend, Warner Huntington III, dumps her for someone serious, Elle puts down the credit card, hits the books and heads for Harvard Law! Along the way, Elle proves that being true to yourself never goes out of style.

Elle is played by two actors throughout the run, Charlotte Diggle and Felicity Holman; on Tuesday night I saw Felicity, who has stepped out from the ensemble of KTco.'s "Six: The Musical" and into the pink spotlight. Great stage presence and a voice to match her presence. Felicity performed the quickest on stage costume change right near the start that I'd seen, which also gives kudos to her timing skills as well.

Emmett Forrest is played by Harrison West and Miles Potter, and on Tuesday it was Miles' turn. I've been a long time fan of Miles, having last seen him as Marius in "Les Miserables" about three years back. In that time, Miles' voice has got even better, and I thought that he was wonderful as Marius. One thing you notice about all of these actors at KTco is that they all have stage presence and, combined with a voice made for musical theatre, Miles is turning out to be a very strong and charismatic leading man.

Hairdresser, Beautician and Elle's new style and personal life confidante, and owner of "Hair Affair", Paulette Bonafonte is played by Lucy Shuttleworth. Again, Lucy has moved from the ensemble of last year's "Everybody's Talking About Jamie" to take on this major role. One of my favourite songs, and believe there are so many favourites in this musical, is "Ireland", which is the song that Paulette sings, and does so with a lovely sense of gentle Celtic humour. I also love that wig!

Paulette's ideal man is an Irishman and when she finds out that her new UPS delivery man is not only an absolute hunk, but is Irish as well..... Kyle B O'Boyle, the Delivery Man is played is played by Joe Stewart. I can't remember seeing Joe in other shows at the Duchess, but he seems to be the whole package in this role and shows great confidence on stage as the cool, sexy Kyle, and also as the mega trendy Grandmaster Chad with his rapping skills.

Elle's best friends are Serena, played by Macie Barrington, Margot, played by Evie Fawbert and Pilar, played by Olivia Bonham. This trio are great fun to watch, and their energy levels are hammering on the roof of the auditorium, wanting to light up the Long Eaton skies, and especially with their choreographic skills.

Warner is played by Jake Lightbown, who can now add this character to his expanding theatrical CV after "Jamie" and "Rent". There's a song that introduces Warner to us called "Serious" where he unceremoniously dumps Elle in a restaurant, advising her that he is looking for someone more "serious", more of a Jackie than a Marilyn. the song could be mistaken for a boyband member-ish song but Jake seems to transform it to the musical theatre song it should be, and while there's comedy retained, he brings a different feel to the song which makes Warner seem even more to be the shallow one.  Jake is another fantastic character actor, but that I know runs in the family.

Professor Callahan is played by another young actor that I have a lot of time for, Joshua Preston. He has perfected the sliminess of the character who rides roughshod over the interns' feelings and aspirations. Joshua is an extremely flexible actor and I have remarked often about the richness and maturity of his voice, which is yet again on show in this production. Callahan's song is "Blood In The Water" and, even sitting in the balcony, I heard every word that Joshua sang, due to his perfect enunciation and projection. His emphasis on certain words in the song really bring out the meaning and aim of his song.

Vivienne, Warner's "serious" girlfriend at Harvard is played by Eve Lumley. This character is a brilliant part for any actor to play as there's a lovely change that develops in Vivienne as the play progresses. Elle and Vivienne start off as bitchy rivals, but soon Vivienne becomes Elle's ally at a certain part of the musical, and when that part comes you almost feel like punching the air. Eve has a belter of a voice as well to match her big acting talents.

Brooke Wyndham, the Fitness Queen who has been imprisoned for the murder of her husband, is played by Grace Kolasa. Elle and the legal team have the job of trying to prove her innocence and to discover who really did the dirty deed. We are introduced to Brooke at the start of the second act in an energetic skipping work out which she manages without missing a skip, or a beat. Her breath control is quite amazing as she didn't show any signs of being out of breath as she sings and skips.

Enid Hoops, a feisty intern joining the law class, and plays an important role in discovering the murderer/ess of Brooke's lover, is played by Imogen Croasdale.

Aaron Schultz is played by Ben Hale. Only a minor role but loved the snobbishness of his rich lifestyle in the reasons why he should be let into Harvard.

Chutney Wyndham, Brooke's precocious, perm loving daughter is played by Nora Welham, who also appears a the Department Store manager. Love the accent with Chutney.

Alana Broderick plays the part of Whitney, one of Vivienne's friends.

 Rio Cundy plays Nikos, the man in the dock who works for Brooke as a pool man. A minor comic role where we have to decide if he is gay or European. The truth is out, quite literally when his best friend, or is that boyfriend Carlos, played by Finley Eden lets the cat out of the bag! Finley also doubles as William Amhurst, another of the new interns at Harvard.

Dewey, Paulette's ex is played by Miles Potter and Harrison West, who share thew role.

The Judge is played by Jess Peel and D.A. Joyce Riley in the Courtroom, is played by Gracie Foster.

Charlotte McDonald plays Elle's Mother as well as the Court Stenographer, and Tristian Bromley plays Elle's Father as well as the Prison Guard.

Courtney is played by Maisie Denney, the TV Reporter is played by Hannah Pattinson, Kiki The Colourist is played by Sophie Ross and the Bookish Client is played by Isobel Osbourne.

Elle's Delta Nu Gang/Greek Chorus, who appear to have the energy to light up the National Grid consist of Amy Shelmerdine, Evie Radmore, Izzy Gallagher, Laila Cook, Sophie Ross and it was great to see the inclusion of a male dancer in Rio Cundy. As far as I could remember I have not seen a male actor in the Greek Chorus and that inclusion made such a difference to the group. The choreography was high energy and had a kaleidoscopic feel due to the tightness of this group's musicality.

The ensemble are Alana Broderick, Ben Hale, Charlotte McDonald, Chloe Hale, Finley Eden, Gracie Foster, Hannah Pattinson, Isobel Osbourne, Jess Peel, Maisie Denney, Millie Denney, Nora Welham and Tristian Bromley.

Now we must not forget the two canine lovelies here. Cooper played Rufus, Paulette's dog, and AJ played Bruiser Woods. They say never work with children or animals but these dogs performed coolly and unaffected by the singing and dancing. And of course every time they came on stage the audience loved them to bits.

Directed by Katy MacLaughlin. I loved the staging of this production because of the sped and ease that the scenes were changed which made the pace of this show perfect. there really is nothing at all to fault in this show, I did try to spot anything, but just couldn't, so I just sat back and soaked up the entertainment. 

Choreographed by Kristian Cunningham. I've noted earlier about the energy that the Greek Chorus bring, but I also must mention the quality of the arm and hand shaping with much of the choreography, and it's these little things that move Kristian, as well as the dancers themselves up that extra notch. The lifts are executed with ease and confidence and even to the untrained eye, you can see the work that has gone into this area of the musical from all involved. Dance Captain was Macie Barrington.

Wigs and quick changes are thanks to Eva Sheppard and Kristian Cunningham. 

Set Design is by Phil at PyroMaster. Not the most extensive of sets but I loved the sections in the Department Store, the Courtroom, which then transformed into the Wyndham residence/bathroom. With the minimum of prop changes though, the set could be transformed suitably for the needs of the show.

Great use of props provided by Claire Collishaw, Grace Collishaw and Carol Lawson.

The soundtrack is brilliant with varied styles to keep everyone happy. Right from the opening “Omigod You Guys”, the funky “Serious”, the wonderful “Ireland”, the energetic “Whipped Into Shape”, the naughty but nice “There! Right There!” through to the title track, it’s big and bouncy all the way and led by Musical Director Sam Hedley and the Vocal Captain is Finley Eden.

Sound design is by Dave Dallard and operated by Jack Clark and Tom Hopcroft. Dave and Jack are the dream team where the sound is concerned, especially in this show. The sound was as big and vibrant as the lighting, and with just a couple of very, very minute missed cues, this sound operating team, along with Tom here, are as close as you'll get to perfection.

Lighting design is by Stephen Greatorex, and another massive and colourful success for Stephen, who is also the Technical Manager. At times it almost had a concert feel about it and drove a lot of the energy. I don't know how subtle some of the design was supposed to be but during the song "Ireland", apart from the green hues, there was also a flood of green, white and orange lighting to show the colours of the Ireland flag, which didn't go unnoticed by me. Spectacular, vibrant and exciting are three words that came to mind when I thought about the lighting design.

The Lighting Operators were Stephen along with Kiah Smith.

The Technical Team are Max Thorpe, Poppy Cock, Katy Mac and Carol Lawson.

Produced by Kristian Cunningham, assisted by Katie Lawson.

You will never be left empty or disappointed by any show that Kristian Thomas Company stage because they have only the best of the actors locally available, alongside the best production and technical teams, so you have the guarantee of excellence in every show. Also just looking around the audience, on the first show, I spotted many young local actors who have come to support the actors on stage, and that is so important to see that support and love.

"Legally Blonde" is at The Duchess Theatre, Long Eaton until Saturday 19 July. I can pinky promise that you'll love this production!