"Little Shop Of Horrors" by Williams Creatives.

Sue Townsend Theatre, Leicester.

Almost everyone will know the story of the mild mannered, meek shop assistant, Seymour, who buys a strange tropical plant and places it in his boss's flower shop window to attract custom in order to save the shop from closing down by its' owner Mr Mushnik. This would put him and his other, more glamorous assistant, Audrey, out of a job. The plant needs a special diet in order for it to flourish, and when it does, it makes Seymour a local and nationwide celebrity. And we all know the cost of that! If you weren't aware of the storyline, where have you been living? Inside a plant!!!

Seymour is played by Harry Mason, who makes his theatrical debut in this role. Harry really brings that geekiness wonderfully to the show, and also brings a really good singing voice with the character. He also looks like he's only just old enough to be eligible for a paper round. Thank goodness his photo in the programme shows that he is old enough to grow facial hair. Seriously though, this is an excellent stage debut and I know that he will be playing stage characters younger than his actual age, Lovely characterisation and a team player as I noticed the support that he gave another actor who momentarily forgot his lines.

Mr Mushnik is played by Matt Brown, who brings the broadest of Jewish accents to his role. You could feel the tension and frustration that Mushnik felt at the start of the musical when he really thought that he was going to have to close the shop due to having no customers all day. Love the duet that Mushnik and Seymour have in "Mushnik and Son" which shows the chemistry and choreography between the pair.

Audrey is played by Emily Haywood. I have seen some Audreys that have provided a voice that sounds like it's on helium, but Emily provides a lower vocal timbre while still retaining that twang and naivety. What a lovely singing voice though as demonstrated in two of my favourite songs from the score "Suddenly Seymour", which sees a perfect blending of voices with Harry, and "Somewhere That's Green".

Orin Scrivillo, the dentist with a sadistic streak is played by Bill Mallon. I love this character, mainly because of the absurdity of the character, and I also don't really like dentists either. There is no top that the character can go over, especially with the maniacal laughter while high on "The Gas". Stupendously sadistic and deliciously devilish all at the same time. His songs "The Dentist" and "The Gas" were both performed with relish from Bill.

Audrey II is voiced by Joshua Taylor-Williams, who is also the Production manager for "Little Shop". Joshua's voice is unmistakeable and perfect for the soul-filled voice of Audrey II. When you physically don't appear on stage, all the character has to come out from the voice, which it does with such sassiness.

Callum Taylor-Williams and Cathy Robinson operated Audrey II. I loved the fact that Audrey II's upper lip curled into a sneer, showing just what he thought of Seymour's decisions, especially near the end.

Sienna Barnes plays Crystal, Tash Bailey is Ronette and Vikki Taylor is Chiffon, the three sixties style chanteurs. A lovely sound that supplies much of the soul in the soundtrack for the show, and boy do they look good as well!

The ensemble are made up of Zuha Abbas, Kira Yates, Ruben Bruen, Willow Haynes, Sarah Brown, Isla Singleton, Abbie Stocker, Jade Hassall and Alex Tomlinson, some of whom double up on roles, fleshing out the amount of characters in the story. Not sure which of the ladies played the Dentist's patient just before Seymour came in, but that was one hell of a blood curdling scream!

Directed by Victoria Porter, who makes her Williams Creatives Directorial debut with this one. The show has been trimmed down with the running time being just less than an hour each act, making this show even pacier than any you may have seen before, but with just as much fun.

Emm Pearson is the show's Musical Director. I noticed a couple of slight arrangements with the music, especially in "Suddenly Seymour", and when you've heard the soundtrack as many times as I have, it's nice to hear slight differences and arrangements in the score; it really makes you prick up your ears, as Leicestershire's Joe Orton would have said.

Jacob Bale's Choreography was fun to watch and, as with the arrangements of some of the score, was sprinkled with some fresh ideas, many of them enhancing that 1960's feel of the story. Isla Singleton was the Dance Captain.

Set Design was provided by Scene Tec, which of course included Audrey II who looked amazing as it grew from a small seedling in a pot to the giant man-eating plant we see in the second act. 

Costumes by Andrea Bruen and Alison Kelb were instantly recognisable for the characters. From the bland tank top and brown trousers for Seymour through the trashy class for Audrey all the way through to a chain smoking nun and Orin Scrivello's leather ware and Dentist smock. Some pretty impressive wigs on show as well!

Sound is by Tom Brooks. I, and this is only on a personal level, would have liked the backing musical tracks with just a tad more volume, but apart from that, there are no complaints from me regarding the quality and clarity of the tracks or the volume set on the actor's mics.

Lighting Operator was James Ansell, and a vibrant and colourful design we were treated to. I would have liked a little less stage haze as that seemed to clog the lighting just a bit, making the stage feel as if a mist was swirling.

Stage Managed by Sharon Brown with the Backstage Hands being Ellie Barratt and Maya Voce. 

There were a couple of scene changes that took a little longer than maybe should have in the blackouts, but I am sure that these can be tightened up over the next couple of days. 

Another fun show from Williams Creatives, performed by a cast who were having a ball on stage, getting you in the mood for Halloween.

"Little Shop Of Horrors" is at Sue Townsend Theatre in Leicester until Saturday 25 October, and don't forget....don't feed the plants!

Photography by Poyner & Mee.

 "Annie The Musical" by Greasepaint Productions.

Loughborough Town Hall.

"Annie" is the story of the little orphan who was dumped on the steps of an orphanage in 1922. Fast forward to 1933 and Annie has had enough of orphan life and decides to run away from the horrendous Miss Hannigan, who is in charge of the place. This escape fails and she is brought back by the police, but that is when her fortunes change and she is invited to stay with the billionaire Oliver Warbucks. Warbucks wants to adopt Annie but Annie wants to find her real parents. With the help of Oliver Warbucks, the truth is revealed about her past, and where her future lies.

The role of Annie is shared by two young ladies, Jagoda Drozdz and Lottie Foster. Tonight (Wednesday) it was the turn of Lottie who is also on Friday night and Saturday matinee. Jagoda can be seen on Thursday night and Saturday evening. Lottie has a lovely confident stage presence and can really belt out "Tomorrow" and in complete contrast beings a lovely tenderness to the song "Maybe". She has a lovely use of facial expression, adapting to the scene and situation, which indicates a real understanding of the character's position throughout the musical. A really solid, confident performance, and I am sure that Jagoda is on equal standing where the voice and acting ability is concerned.

The orphan girls are a real bundle of fun and energy and, for just a moment, I did feel a bit sorry for Miss Hannigan having to deal with this combined ball of energy. That energy is transferred into the singing, dancing and attitude. The numbers "It's A Hard Knock Life" and their version of "Never Fully Dressed Without A Smile" are a real joy to see and hear.

Annie Unwin (Duffy - the oldest girl in the orphanage), Latifah Mabavu (Pepper - the toughest girl in the orphanage), Eliza Fardell Willson (Tessie is the cry baby orphan), Betsy-Rose James (July - the quietest orphan), Ell-J Thurman (Kate - the next to littlest orphan) and Poppy Brewin (Molly - the smallest of the orphan girls) plus Aaliyah Mabavu, Eden Hawkins, Heidi Woodward, Maisie Wardell and Tabitha John are the Orphanage girls in Team Hannigan.

Oliver Warbucks, the powerful, self-assured billionaire who always has his mind on business, is played by Cameron Stephenson. A complete contrast in roles from when I last saw Cameron a few years ago as Reecey in "Our House". In just a few years Cameron's voice seems to have matured and got stronger than ever and it was joyful to hear that maturity, especially with the songs that Daddy Warbucks performs being of a more mature nature. The balance between the serious billionaire business man and the fun side that has been brought out by Annie are so wonderfully measured, you can almost see the man melting on stage.

Heather Ramone is Grace Farrell, the loyal private secretary to Oliver Warbucks. Heather has one of those voices that I love to hear on stage and in musicals, and she oozes class as Grace.

Alix Ashurst plays Miss Hannigan, the orphanage matron. Her distaste for her job and the children is obvious in every move she makes and every line she delivers. I've had the pleasure of seeing Alix in several roles over the years; from Gilbert & Sullivan's "Patience" to Mel Brooks' "The Producers", and here is another strong character-driven woman for Alix to bring to the stage. Playing Hannigan just this side of drunkard, until she gets a sniff of the greenbacks, which sobers this character up in a heartbeat. As Hannigan Alix brings together everything that she excels in, singing, dancing, comedy and character acting, and all in an amazing wig!

Liam Patrick is Rooster, Miss Hannigan's despicable brother. Rooster is flashy and self-assured. His “moves” are as smooth as a gambler’s: sly, and deceiving. I think the first time that I saw Liam on stage was a decade ago in "Hairspray", and he has not changed a bit. The dancing is as smooth and his vocals have got even stronger than when I last saw him on stage in "Guys n Dolls" seven years ago. Character roles are something that Liam also excels at and this performance proves just that.

Nicole Ray is Liliy St Regis, Rooster’s airhead girlfriend. She is always distracted, although she manages to pick up on any conversation involving money. I loved the accent and characterisation, her dance skills are eye watering, especially with those splits and high kicks. Topping everything off for Nicole is that effortlessly powerful voice.

Keith Reynolds is Bert Healey, the ultimate radio personality. He helps Annie by broadcasting about the search for her birth parents.

The Boylan Sisters (Connie, Ronnie and Bonnie) are Gemma Landers,  Jodie Pearman and Sarah Pell. This is the trio of singers who provide the harmony on Bert Healey's radio show.

Toby Ashurst is Drake, the very British Butler. This isn't a major role, but Toby's charisma in this role made you take notice of this Butler, and has some lovely comical lines which makes this Butler stand out among Warbucks's staff. Some nifty footwork with Toby as well, only once breaking the staid Butler stance with a clicking of his heels, which I noticed brought more than a smile to tonight's audience.

Daddy Warbuck's House Staff are Jodie Pearman (Mrs Greer, the Head Housekeeper), Judith Coles (Mrs Pugh - the cook/chef), Sophie Carter (Annette, a French Maid) and Nikki Coles (Cecile, also a French Maid). 

Nelly Collins plays The Star To Be, a young, aspiring Broadway actress takes centre stage during the big dance number "NYC" with some attention-grabbing choreography and vocals.

Richard Coles plays President Roosevelt, who is on hand to help Warbucks and Annie discover the truth about her parentage.

Charlie Cound appears first as Bundles, the laundry man at the Orphanage and the object of Miss Hannigan's womanly desires. Charlie also appears later on as the Man With Papers and also as Perkins.

Charlotte Coles is the Apple Seller, who can't sell an apple in The Big Apple.

Jenny Norville plays Sophie, Madi Burton is the cinema Usherette, Abi Crossley is Fred McCracken/Wacky and Jonathan Penton plays another blinder of a cameo part as Icke, one of the President's men who is ordered to sing "Tomorrow", which he starts off reluctantly and then quickly gets a feel for performance and comes out of his Presidential Suite shell.

And who can forget Bailey who steals the hearts of all the audience members as Sandy, the dog who finds Annie, or does she find Sandy? Bailey's good behaviour and obvious acting skills are partly down to his handler, Alice Powell.

The ensemble are Taylor Bennett, Paul Hopkin and Mel Sharp.

There are two teams performing on alternate performances and on Wednesday night it was Team Hannigan, performing on Friday & Saturday Matinee. The alternative team is Team Warbucks on Thursday & Saturday Night. 

Directed by Emma Healey who has given us such a fun show that rolls along nicely. The young actors have obviously reacted so well to Emma's style of Direction because they bring some brilliant characterisation to their roles, also paving the way to successful theatre in Leicestershire carrying on. I've seen professional productions of "Annie" whose young cast could be put on a par with this cast, and that kind of drive within acting comes partly from the young actor themselves but also from a director who puts the time in with their cast. 

Choreographed by Jeanette Patrick-Cooper, and let me first go back to the younger element of the cast. The energy and skill that the young people exhibit in sections like "Hard Knock Life" and "Fully Dressed" gives you real confidence in their stage future and the energy they have. Watching them cartwheel and flip and flop forwards and backwards shows a gymnastic feel to the choreography. "Easy Street" is another one of my favourite choreographed scenes and is delivered with Broadway panache by Alix, Liam and Nicole, and then there's the big ensemble numbers like "NYC" and "I Don't Need Anything But You" really bring the stage to life. Plus, you know how much I love a tap sequence, well there's even one in here; love it!

Musical Director is Dan Robinson. I have stated previously just how good the acoustics at Loughborough Town Hall are and from the very first note from the orchestra, the auditorium came alive with the sound of crystal clear music, delivered by this fifteen piece orchestra. There were a couple of times that the volume of the orchestra was in danger of overpowering the cast, but then the volume receded, but I'm not going to gripe about that.

There are some wonderful songs in this musical. Apart from the iconic "Tomorrow" and "It's A Hard Knock Life", there's also the dreamy "Maybe", "Easy Street", "NYC" and "Little Girls" to look forward to, all played with style and delivered note perfect by all.

Costumes for the show have been sourced and/or designed and made by Molly Limpets, Gillian Leeson and Rachael Gunn, adding a veneer of class to the show. The wigs on show are courtesy of Wigs Up North and the children's hair and make up are the work of Nicky Goodwin.

The set is a professional one provided by Proscenium Ltd., and looked amazing, especially the ones for Daddy Warbucks palatial mansion, the radio studio and the NYC street scene.

Lynsey Bloomfield's stage management kept everything flowing with a smooth pace, with assistance by the volunteer stage crew.

Sound, and I've already said what a lovely sound the venue has acoustically, is thanks to Ryan Heath.

Lighting Designer is James Cladingboel, displaying the difference of the orphanage atmosphere with the darker, dreary lighting with the bright and colourful residence of Warbucks place.

This musical is such a fun show to watch; the score is well known and features several well known pieces, the characters are well defined and you'll leave the theatre with a little skip in your step and a warm fuzzy feeling in your tummy, and maybe even a Christmassy feeling!

"Annie The Musical" is at Loughborough Town Hall until Saturday 25 October.

 "Young Frankenstein: The New Mel Brooks Musical"

LEOS Musical Theatre Company.

May Hall, Trent College, Long Eaton.

I remember seeing the 1974 film of the same name that this musical is based on, and loved the madness of Mel Brooks, who created the brilliant comedy musical "The Producers", so I couldn't wait to see the stage production of this wacky musical.

Mel Brooks’ madcap comedy collides with Mary Shelley’s classic monster tale as Victor Frankenstein, the mad scientist of legend, has died and left everything to his grandson, Frederick (pronounced "Fronk en steen"), who wants nothing to do with the family’s notorious legacy. To settle his inheritance, he travels to his grandfather’s castle in Transylvania, meeting the grandson of Victor’s loyal henchman, Igor (pronounced "Eye gor!); the beautiful lab assistant, Inga (pronounced "Inga"); and the mysterious Frau Blücher. 

Before long, Frederick is sucked into his grandfather’s experiments and succeeds in creating human life. But by the time they realize that the Monster’s been accidentally given an abnormal brain, the Monster has already escaped, set to terrorize the countryside like the Frankensteinian monsters before him. Will Frederick repeat the mistakes of his grandfather? Or will he succeed where the others have not and turn his Monster into a dapper, intelligent man about town? Only one way to find out!!

Jake Gelernter plays Frederick Frankenstein and makes his debut for LEOS. Jake is a song and dance man at heart, and therefore this part is absolutely perfect for him, especially as the role also includes a lot of humour. This musical, I don't think, has been performed in the area for absolutely ages, therefore Jake can stamp his own personality on the role as there is no-one to make any comparisons with, but what a performance this man gives us, unlike any other role that he has played in the past, unless you count Dr Willy Van Whackoff!

Igor is played by Rhodri Denton and for some reason he gave me Kenny Everett vibes with this role. Brilliantly zany and a memorable stage entrance, and I love the transferable hump in the running joke in the show. One of the musical highlights for me is the duet with Jake in the song "Together For The First Time".

Mariko Jones is Inga, Frederick's extremely glamorous assistant. One thing, among many, that I love about Mariko is that she takes acting seriously, but doesn't allow herself to take herself too seriously, and it's that trait that makes this role and Mariko so perfect.

Frau Blucher, who ran the castle for the previous Frankenstein, is played by Louise McGowan. What a voice Louise has, especially in the song "He Vas My Boyfriend", where we get to see a very physical and funny performance from Louise. I hope that the violin recovered from its' trauma! There's another running joke that involves a sound effect at the mention of her name.

Kheenan Jones plays The Monster, not for the first time, but this time a very different version of this role. Kheenan is another actor who I have seen many times over the years and can play straight roles as well as play brilliant comic roles like this one. One of my highlights was in the "Puttin' On The Ritz" scene, which is a big song and dance number that grows from just a quartet. Kheenan also has one of the dirtiest laughs, as heard in another comic scene, this time with Aimee.

Aimee Chilton is Elizabeth Benning, Frederick Frankenstein's fiancee, who is high maintenance, as seen at the start of the show when she is seeing her fiance off as he leaves for Transylvania. Everything about this character, Elizabeth that is, is high. The notes Aimee hits, the heels that Elizabeth wears and the expectations she has of Frederick. A brilliant character actor with a big voice to match.

Dan Scott plays Inspector Kemp and I can see where the inspiration for the Gendarme in "Allo Allo" may have come from with the costume and the make up. Very funny character and Dan looks, well as much as you can tell through the make up, to be having an absolute ball as Inspector Kemp. The audience certainly had a ball with this character.

Victor Frankenstein is played by Andy Cattanach and appears in ghostly form - or does he? He appears to Frederick in a dream - or is it a dream? And advises him to "Join The Family Business". Wonderfully energetic performance from Andy.

The Blind Hermit is played by Charlotte Gelernter, and it must be great for Jake and Charlotte to be performing together. This cameo role really stands out for me as she befriends The Monster and attempts to provide hot noodle soup and wine and cigars to him. What can possibly go wrong with a blind character and a Monster who has a limited mental age, but is afraid of fire and flame. What could go wrong? The lighter not wanting to work correctly? Another fantastic comedy performance from a fabulous actor.

Shantanu Bhumbra plays Dracula late in the show with a brilliantly typical Transylvanian accent and looking the part in long black cape, make up and fangs. Shan spent most of the time prior to this though as part of the ensemble.

The ensemble is made up of Adam Worton, Amy Clover, Amy Hunter-Parker, Becky Morley, Daisy Donoghue, Eleanor Harvey, Ewan Waddell, Harvey Latter, Jack Woolley, Jordan Neary, Joshua Reed, Josie Coleman, Laura Lawless, Lauren Riley, Lilli White, Lisa Stone, Matt McAuley, Megan Fennell, Milly Clover, Naomi Allen, Natalie Webster, Nicola Adcock, Nikola Smith, Rachel Spence, Sarah McAuley, Sian Hooton, Stuart Bull, Sultan Chaudhury, Tracey Hooton, Victoria Palmer and Zoe Davey. 

Directed by Emma Kelvey. Nowhere seemed to be out of bounds for the actors to enter and exit, which is an exciting feel for any audience member. Having never seen this musical previously, I had no experience of how this musical was staged, and I loved the way that Emma staged this show. I can only imagine the fun that Emma has had actually putting this show together, as well as collating various body parts and organs!

Choreographed by Rachel Merrill, assisted by Lauren Riley. It's no secret that I love the big show dances, and there are a few of those in this production. I also love a big tap routine, and there's one of those in here as well. Just looking at this cast's ability to carry out these routines shows the work that has been put into the choreography, and especially in the tidiness of the follow throughs with the performer's hands and feet; a very smooth look for any dancer and gave that added layer of style and class to these routines.

Musical Director is Charlotte Daniel, assisted by Robert McAuley, who was also the Conductor. This score is not a small one, with 24 pieces, including just a few reprises, played by a great sounding nine piece band. The vocal parts are not easy ones, but when the work has been put in, as it shows here, the results are brilliant. Just listening and watching Jake deliver the tongue-twisting "(There Is Nothing Like) The Brain" is as satisfying to hear as Brian Conley performing "The Museum Song" from "Barnum" or any Gilbert & Sullivan patter song. The timing is immaculate. 

The big ensemble numbers have real power and I must mention "Transylvania Mania" which is a brilliant closing to the first act with it's BIG dance and vocal number led by Rhodri with the ensemble. "Please Don't Touch Me" is wonderfully executed by Aimee and the ensemble, and the combination with the choreography for that number is marvellous. I've already mentioned "Puttin' On The Ritz" as being another of my favourite pieces which combine some wonderful vocals, classy choreography and that added comedic element provided by Kheenan.

Costumes by the Queen of Costumes, Mina Holton. How she manages to source some of the brilliantly outrageous costumes that she provides theatre groups with, I have no idea, but every show that Mina's name is associated with can be guaranteed on having some of the best costumes available on stage.

Talking of the stage, and the set design, another name that you'll see on a regular basis in the area is Roydon Charlesworth, who always manages to create and provide some great, as well as interesting sets; this set is no different.

Stage managed by another legend of local theatre, the award winning Katie Bird and the stage crew consisting of Mina Holtom, Christine Daykin, Sophie Slater-Evans and Anakin Thain, blending in nicely adorned in white lab coats.

Some great props used in this show and Production and Props Support is by Gavin Owen.

Sound is by Matt Haslam, and there was a time at May Hall when the sound was not consistently as good as it is today. A lovely crisp sound which has great volume. the sound effects used in the show are timed perfectly and sound good with the music balance and the vocals from the cast. Well balanced which always, for me at least, means that I have no need to concentrate on the sound quality and can therefore enjoy other areas of the production side of a show.

Lighting design and operation is by David Price. David's name is another name that, when you visit as many theatres as I do, you notice certain names credited over and over again, and there's a reason for this. Theatre groups will always want to work with the best production people available and names like Roydon and Mina's guarantee top class results for many groups. David Price is another of those names that I see time and time again, and that is proven in this show. The lighting design for "Young Frankenstein" is wonderfully evocative and conjures up many visions of the old 1930's style horror flicks, which is what Mel Brooks' parody was aimed at. David brings that feel and look to the show.

There are a lot of people involved in this production. It's a big show with a big cast with many people who have worked tirelessly behind the scenes to create this horrifically humorous musical, and I would have loved to have seen a few more seats filled on opening night because this group deserve a bigger, and just as appreciative audience for the rest of the run.

There's also BSL Interpreter Emma Dawber  at the weekend as well as the opportunity for a Touch Tour with Ellie Ball for the visually impaired. Two ways that Long Eaton Operatic Society are making local theatre more accessible for everyone. There's also a QR Code than can be scanned to access the audio programme that is in place.

"The New Mel Brooks Musical: Young Frankenstein" is at May Hall, Trent College in Long Eaton until Saturday 25 October. What a frighteningly good way to start the run up to Halloween 2025.

 "It's Never Too Late" by Ron Aldridge.

Bonington Players.

Bonington Theatre, Arnold.

What happens when your husband leaves for a younger woman? How do you kick-start your life when you’ve never had to work?
How do you cope with the realisation that time is not on your side?

Susan Shaw at 58 finds herself in exactly this position. She’s run the home, brought-up her daughter, and had a very busy life involved with charities, village-hall committees etc. So what does she do now? Cry all day?

The play opens near the end of a meeting of the committee when she is told over the phone that her husband, Richard, wants a divorce. Fellow committee members offer all kinds of advice;  think of yourself for once, resurrect an old flame, get a job, get fit, get a toy-boy?

Susan decides to take action, and this very funny, and at times quite tender play follows Susan as she attempts a new start in life in the belief that "it’s never too late", and finds herself presented with a most surprising choice to make.

Sheila Millington plays the lead character, Susan Shaw. I mentioned that as the curtains go back there's an almighty argument happening on the phone, and straight away we see Sheila in power mode, even taking that anger and energy to another level with one of the glasses she is slamming down on the table. From that moment we see a gradual U Turn in Susan's appearance and attitude. 

Zoe Lander plays Linda Bridges, a keep fit guru who helps Susan build her confidence, advising her that what she needs to take a "toyboy" to get the juices flowing again, especially as Susan's husband has cheated with a young woman called Lisa. Every time Lisa's name is mentioned there's a spitting moment (think Bob Carolgees and Spit The Dog from the TV show "Tiswas" - look him up on Google or YouTube). Susan's floor must've been quite sodden by the end of the evening! There's some great script for Linda and I loved the line about a "mistress being a person between a "Mister" and a "mattress", highlighting the really clever and funny script.

Eddie Januszczyk plays Linda's husband, Peter Bridges, who always manages to put his foot in it with his filter free brain. Eddie is an excellent comedy actor and when he has a script as funny as this to play with, the results are just wonderful.

Wayne Hill plays Henry, a married man who has been holding a torch for Susan for a while now, and seeing an opportunity to relieve himself of his torch, throws his hat into the ring to replace Susan's husband - but does Susan want a replacement so quickly. There's a lovely confrontational scene between Henry and Richard in the second act.

Billy Bamberger is a new member of Bonington Players and makes his debut for them playing Thomas, a shy, geeky character who is part of the committee. Susan's character is not the only one to dramatically change as we see Thomas, with a little advice from Linda, emerge from his shell and take on Richard in quite an explosive argumentative scene which is broken up by Susan. I've known about Billy for a few years, but strangely enough, this is the first time that I have seen him acting. Billy has a lovely feel for comedy and I love the way that his character grew throughout the show.

Des Fitzpatrick is another newcomer joining Bonington Players in the role of Susan's husband, Richard. Des is another welcome addition to Bonington Players and the local stage, having moved up country he continues his love for acting with this brilliant debut. Even though Richard's presence is felt from the first scene, we don't physically see Richard until the second act. I've alluded to a couple of dramatic and explosive scenes involving Richard, and what I really applauded in Des's acting is that you actually believed the anger coming from Richard in Des's physical performance. Sometimes an actor may hold back in anger scenes, but not this one and it seemed as if this comedy was to take a darker turn - but not for long!

Directed and Designed by Jeff Casterton the pace was kept up throughout and the balance between serious and comedy was well observed and executed by all actors. While some comedy plays can dissolve into farce, the comedy here looked over the farce edge but retreated to the believable side of humorous theatre. Even to the very last gag, coming in the last piece of script, and from the very first scene, this comedy is rammed with laughs.

The set is another hit for me and looked as if the room where all the action takes place had been air lifted from someone's living room straight into the theatre itself, and reflected the status and lifestyle of the well established Shaws. Nine people are credited in the construction of the set, and I can believe it with the quality of this design. The lavish set dressing is by Linda Whitehurst.

The costumes reflect perfectly the characters we see on stage; for example, Henry's quite dull looking outfit reflects the banal but steady lifestyle he seems to have with plenty of browns and beiges. Thomas's sensible but boring outfit fits the geeky image perfectly with the addition of a boring tie for Thomas to wear in his "dressed up" party outfit. The keep fit outfits for Linda and Susan also reflect the two characters, but the standout costume is Susan's party outfit, which Susan keeps adjusting - if you know what I mean! The costumes have been sourced by Gail Tomlinson.

Stage managed by Robin Davis, assisted by Nigel Kenton and Luke Richardson.

The Light and Sound Design is by David Goatham; operated by Nick Hill for the sound and Peter Hodgkinson on lighting. 

"It's Never Too Late" is at the Bonington Theatre in Arnold until Saturday 18 October, so it's not too late to see this wonderfully funny piece of comedy theatre.

 " Monty Python's Spamalot - The Musical" by Eric Idle and John Du Prez.

Melton Musical Theatre Company.

Melton Theatre.

It's been seven years since I last saw this musical and Melton Musical Theatre Company reminded me tonight of just why I love the bonkers comedy of Monty Python. For those who may not have heard of this musical, seen the musical or may be too young to know anything about Monty Python - there were several young children in tonight who absolutely loved this style of comedy - this is what it's all about....

Based on the 1975 film "Monty Python and the Holy Grail", the musical follows King Arthur as he travels with the Knights of the Round Table in search of the Holy Grail, which they eventually find in the strangest place! On their way they encounter some strange people and a crazy rabbit!

Winner of the 2005 Tony Award for Best New Musical, “Spamalot” was written by Eric Idle and John DuPrez and features "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life", “Not Dead Yet”, “I’m All Alone”, "The Song That Goes Like This", "His Name Is Lancelot" and "The Diva's Lament".

Having seen “Spamalot” several times now, I knew the comedy and the Python style, but a show like this is constantly updating with topical humour, so no two productions are ever going to be the same. Whether you’re a Monty Python fan or not, you can’t deny that the writing is very funny, even after all these years and has stood the test of time. Silly comedy hardly ever ages and is mostly very cleverly written.

King Arthur is played by Paul Mills, who I've had the pleasure of seeing in various roles over the years. As Arthur he is possibly the most laid back I have ever seen him on stage.

Lady Of The Lake is played by Katherine Vernon and from her first appearance on this stage, Katherine became the Diva, and reminded me just a little of Celine Dion, especially in some of the costumes Katherine gets to wear. There are a few "4th wall breaking" incidents which are brilliant and draw the audience in.

Patsy is played by Jason Wrightam who looked right at home with this character, a perfect piece of casting, who gets to sing the BIG song from this musical "Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life" which develops into a full blown ensemble number. If you buy a programme, you'll also get the lyrics for this song for you to sing along to in the finale! (The think of everything, don't they?).

Sir Lancelot is played by Andrew Hull, and is quite a "revealing" role. Lancelot gets to rescue a "damsel" in distress and becomes the feature of one of the campest songs in a musical with "His Name Is Lancelot", and it looks like comic roles suit Andrew well.

Sir Galahad is played by Ryan Green. I almost didn't recognise Ryan as the be-wigged Galahad and his character voice 

Galahad's Mother is played by Carole Bailey who laps up the silliness involved in this part.

Sir Robin is played by Sam Carter. Here's another brave knight who has his own song sung about his "bravery". This musical really highlights comedy, as you'd probably guessed, and this cast hit the mark every time. Whether the songs are not quite PC, as in "You Won't Succeed On Broadway" or "Brave Sir Robin", Sam delivers the comedy.

Sir Bedevere is played by Josh Gallagher, and along with all of the other knights in Arthur's army make up an extremely comical band of men, who also bring a very harmonious sound when carousing together.

Prince Herbert is played by Jak Beasley. At first sight Jak is very similar to one of my heroes, Kenny Everett, and as Prince Herbert is as comically camp as the great man. Massive fun. Jak also plays a Swallow Knight as well - and if I tried hard enough there's another Prince Herbert joke in there somewhere!

Pete Etherington is The Historian who opens the acts in this musical, and also plays one of Herbert's guards, who along with Mark Hopkinson perform a wonderfully confused comedy sketch. Mark is also on of the Mayors of Finland in the opening number with John Stewart, who also doubles as Brother Maynard.

Charlie Harris plays The Black Knight, who has a bit of a run in with King Arthur and Excalibur, plus Kevin, who I did notice was really getting into all of the choreography and singing; he was having a real ball in this show.

Elliott Paulson is Herbert's Father, who doesn't quite understand his son, nor see why the arranged marriage for Herbert isn't quite Herbert's cup of tea! Elliott is also a Chanting Monk.

Cara Pett plays Frenchie and the extremely tall Head Knight of Ni.

Amy Beale is Not Dead Fred, the character who denies being deceased plus Concorde who also almost finds themselves practically dead!

Nick Watts is Tim The Enchanter, who introduces us to one of the evilest bunnies in history, as well as a being a Chanting Monk and a Popcorn Guy.

There's a big ensemble so here goes with the ensemble performers and their roles....

Kiri Humphreys (Frenchie, the Killer Rabbit and a Knight of Ni), Kate Felts (Dead Dancer and a Minstrel), Stacey Priestley (Dead Dancer and a Minstrel), Keran Turakhia (French Taunter and a Chanting Monk), Karen Peters (Frenchie), Charlotte Broomfield (Swallow Knight), Leanne Thornton (Knight of Ni, Frenchie and Sir Bors), Zoe Pole (Dead Dancer and a Peasant), Joanne Coombe (Dead Dancer and a Peasant) and Emma Weston (Dead Dancer and a Peasant).

The Principal Dancers are Vikki Taylor, Victoria Adams, Tash Bailey, Megan Lowe, JoJo Helstrip and Jasmine Purll. This team show a wide variety of dance styles including tap, cheer-leading and jazz style, and watch out for some pretty nifty costume changes as well.

One thing that has been introduced into this production by the MD, Lisa Mills, is a choir, dubbed The Spam Singers. This is to swell out the sound as well as to try and include as many members of the Company as possible; let's face it who wouldn't want to be involved in this show? The Spam Singers are Hadyn Green, Becky Woodcock, Lauren Cressey, Margaret Dorn, Sandra Stewart, Judy Marshall and Georgie Bladon.

Directed by Jennifer Butlin. This is one hell of a way to debut as a Director for Melton Musical Theatre Company for Jen, and from what I could see, this would have been a labour of love for her. I don't know if it was because I had not seen this show for a few years or Jen has sprinkled some of her theatrical glitter over the musical, but there were several parts that I either couldn't remember or had been added by Jen. Either way, this is a very fast paced and bonkers piece of non-stop fun.

Musical Director for this show is Lisa Mills, who I couldn't wait to give a hug to before the show as I'd not seen her in absolutely ages. Melton Theatre has beautiful acoustics which also means that you could hear every instrument played and the vocalists on stage were as clear as a bell. Brilliant arrangements and production of the songs all go to enhance the pleasure of this musical.

Choreographed by Dawn Partridge (act one) and Katherine Vernon (act two) with Movement in both acts by Jennifer Butlin. Big cast and big choreography. From the zany "Not Dead Yet" number to the big "Bright Side Of Life" ensemble piece and the tap and cheer-leading pieces, choreographically, this show is brilliant fun to take in.

When you think of all of the character roles, plus ensemble, plus dancers etc, and the amount of costume changes, the number of individual costumes soon mount up. Thanks go to St. Paul's Church near Preston, Mina and Martin Holtom, Charlotte Broomfield, Lisa Mills as well as the sewing skills of Georgie, Joy, Jane, Becky and Judy for some amazing costumes in this show.

Someone else who has obviously worked immensely hard is the Stage Manager, Trevor Adams, making everything run smoothly with Stu Bartrum and the Stage Crew

Set Design is by Scenic Projects, and has everything that you want from the scenery and set for a musical of this quality, including a great big hand pointing out where the Holy Grail was secreted at the end.  The sets are like an additional cast member.

Lighting is by Richard Chamberlain and Sound is by Neil "Wes" Wesley.

For anyone who has never been to see a show at Melton Theatre, I urge you to see something there because, as I mentioned earlier, the acoustics are wonderful and every seat has a great view of the stage. There are so many different shows coming to this theatre, along with some big names, as well as a place for local theatre groups like this one. 

Unfortunately, this venue may not be around this time next year as a venue for the arts, so please lend your support, whether it's from inside Melton, or outside the area. You can find out more about this cause and sign a petition to save the venue by going to Melton Musical Theatre Company Facebook page. #SaveMeltonTheatre.

To close with, I have a fact for you that I hadn't been aware of until Thursday night. One of the Monty Python team has connections with Melton. The late Graham Chapman was a student of Melton Mowbray Grammar School and there are two plaques in Melton commemorating the star. A blue one in the town centre and a green one at his former home on Burton Street, which was unveiled by another Monty Python legend, Michael Palin.

"Spamalot" is at Melton Theatre until Saturday 18 October so grab yer coconuts and gallop on down for a wonderfully fun night, and don’t say “Ni” or the rabbit may get ya!