"Cheshire Cats" by The Watson Players.

Shakespeare House, Derby.

"Cheshire Cats" are a group of charity walkers, Hilary, Siobhan, Vicky, Yvonne and Maggie who are fund raising in the Moonwalk Marathon; walking thirteen miles across London in record time in their decorated bras and trainers. There is a sixth member of the group though who does not quite fit the required physical criteria for this fund raising mission!

Written by Gail Young, she combines all the fun of a group of girls on a night out with the sensitivity and emotion that is involved in these kind of charity walks for breast cancer. This was Gail's first full length play, written in 2005, and first performed in 2006 at the Edinburgh Fringe.

Hilary is the bombastic team leader of the Cheshire Cats, played by Liz Woolley. She is on a mission to walk the race is record time, for a very good personal reason, but forgets that the others are not as physically fit, or as motivated as she is, which causes a few mini disagreements within the group. Hilary's heart though is very much in the right place and we get to see a softer side of the character later on. Love the accent as well as some very quick thinking and ad-libbing in the first act. Who knows if this will be kept in throughout the run? Only one way to find out!

Siobhan is the diplomatic and caring friend of Hilary's and played by Angela Swift. Siobhan is always there to back up Hilary and her aims for the group, but there's another lovely moment in the second act where the roles are reversed between the best friends.

Maggie is a younger mum who replaces one of the walkers at the last minute. Maggie, who always has a plaster on hand for a blister and has put herself forward to lose a few pounds, weight wise, is played by Ciara Beighton. Maggie is a real fun character who nearly doesn't make the run due to her anxiety problem, but thankfully she does and becomes a real team player.

Yvonne is a stressed out, over-worked mum, and friend of Hilary's and played by Angela Barradell. When Yvonne discovers that the newest member of the Cheshire Cats is not a girl, he's a man, she really causes a scene, something that she regrets near the end of the play.

Karen Jones plays Vicky, an artistic and glamorous, middle aged divorcee. She has just found love, or is that lust, prior to the charity walk with a toyboy, and is immediately labelled the "cougar" in the pack of cats. A wonderfully fun character that Karen looks to be really enjoying.

Andrew, played by Jake Perry, is the young, fit toyboy who joins the walkers to raise money and has also found love, thinly disguised as lust, but there's another reason why he is keen to take part in the moonlight walk. Fun to watch and proves just what brilliant chemistry this cast have with the other cast members.

The aerobics instructor is played by Wayne Perry, who also doubles as a charming drunk as well as the photographer, is great fun as he warms the ladies, as well as the audience, up with exercise routines before the walk, creating a real party atmosphere. His role as the drunk who meets Maggie and Yvonne during the walk, is also another lovely character role which extracted an enthusiastic response from the packed out audience.                 .

Madge and Ron are a pair of cockney marshals and are played by Lyn Wynn and Ed Watkins respectively, and provide even more humour as they keep the walkers' spirits up at the nine-mile mark.

James Ash plays a Policeman controlling the traffic at the final stretch of the walk, and Karen Sharratt plays a Train Attendant as well as one of the Marshalls with James.

The cast deliver the script, which includes some lengthy monologue style pieces, not unlike some of Jon Godber's plays, with the natural feel intended by the writer, making the play such an easy watch. By doing this, when certain parts in the play are reached, it makes these sections very poignant.

Directed by Gina Repton, assisted by Karen Jones. This production is like the recipe for your favourite cake. It has to have all the right ingredients in, and in just the right amounts. Gina and Karen have made sure that there's plenty of comedy, blended with just the right amount of pathos - given the subject matter of the charity, this has to be well balanced. There are sections where each Cheshire Cat has a time in the spotlight, quite literally, and we get to know more about them in an almost soliloquy style of delivery, almost in the way John Godber wrote sections of "Shakers" and "Bouncers". 

The scene where the Cats are gathering together before the run in a "packed" hall is well acted, making you believe the lack of space, and even incorporating a couple of audience members in the front row. The belief of organised chaos, especially with the enthusiastic aerobics instructor, comes across really well. The end scenes are emotionally packed, but our spirits are lifted with the final section, allowing us all to have hope even in the darkest scenario. A well paced piece of theatre.

Sound is by John Woolley, and there are plenty of sound effects for John to cue up, as well as a nice train and countryside soundscape.

Lighting design and operation is by Lee Hartshorn, and as you'd expect there are plenty of pinks and purple tones in the lighting design.

The costumes are created by The Crafty Ladies and co ordinated by Patricia Church. Jake's costume that Andrew wears for the walk is something very special!

Props, and there are many of them in this play is by Lyn and Chris Wynn and James Ash. 

I've deliberately not picked any of the cast out for special mention because this is truly an ensemble piece and that is how the cast should be seen as an ensemble who worked together to deliver a comic play that will also tug at your heart strings. You can see that the cast are great friends offstage as well as in the play though due to the chemistry they all have. They'll all have you feline like the cat that got the cream after seeing this lovely piece of theatre.

The Watson Players are also fund raising for Treetops Hospice during the run of the play.

Another successful show for this already award winning theatre group. 

"Cheshire Cats" is at Shakespeare House, Kedleston Road in Derby until Saturday 21 June. "Meeeeooowww"

 "Kiss Me Quickstep" by Amanda Whittington.

Derby Theatre.

Last night I was in Belper watching "Gym n Tonic" written by John Godber. Tonight is the turn of a playwright who has been dubbed the "Midlands' John Godber", Amanda Whittington. Both playwrights manage to create characters that are human and speak like we do. They have human emotions and phrase things in the way that we would, and that is why I love the plays both John and Amanda write.

"Kiss Me Quickstep" is Amanda Whittington's sequin-studded play which looks at the real lives behind the fixed smiles and fake tan of the world of ballroom dance. We meet the couples and slowly we discover bits about their home life, their troubles, their past, personal history and what their journey has been up to the point of the dance competition, and why winning is so important to the seven characters we are introduced to.

Justin and Jodie have finally made it to the national ballroom-dancing championships in Blackpool - via the motorway hard shoulder. Luka's come all the way from Russia. Nancy's been training for this since she was three, with more than a little "help" from her father, Mick. Lee and Samantha arrive on a wave of success.

But what if your dance-floor dreams are turning into a nightmare? How do you stop dancing to other people's tunes? What can you do if your partner's secret could cost you the crown? And, even when the whole world's at your feet, it only takes one false step…

Ashley Gilmour is Justin, Jodie's partner on and off the dancefloor. Ashley has spent the last of his money, apart from £26.00, on actually getting them there after their car gave up the ghost on the hard shoulder. Justin is almost ready to give it all up to get a proper job to pay the debts, but Jodie has big dreams and would love that big dress to compete with the other dancers; so what can Justin do to juggle the finances and keep his partner happy? 

Jodie is played by Hollie Jane Stevens - who is also the Dance Captain. Jodie has dreams and is ready to fight for those dreams. She would love to be able to stay in The Imperial Hotel in a big flash bed while in Blackpool, but Justin may be able to scrape together some money for the pair to stay in a seedy Blackpool bed and breakfast. 

Jabex Sykes plays Luka who has travelled from Russia to partner Nancy in the Blackpool dance competitions. We discover what life was like for him back in Russia and how winning this competition would make a difference to him. He is a perfectionist and always feels the need to practice to better their performance, without Nancy's overbearing dancefloor stage father videoing every second of their practice and offering advice on where Luke - he never manages to even get his daughter's partner's name right - should be improving.

Nancy is played by Clair Gleave. It becomes apparent that while Nancy is serious about the competition, she also wants to rebel against her father and his rod of iron that he rules her with. We get an obsessive picture of Nancy's life with her father when Mick invites Justin and Jodie a bed for the night in his six bedroom home, and the conversation Justin and Jodie have the morning after!

Matthew Jeans plays Lee, one half of the partnership who are so good that they automatically qualify for the second section of the competition. Lee is very serious about winning and his reputation within the dance world, and would love to be a winner, whatever the cost and with whoever. We discover that he practically gave up any life outside the world of the dancefloor, willing to forego romance and family for dance and to be numero uno. 

Samantha, Lee's dance partner, is played by Isabel Snaas. To begin with, this pair look to be the perfect, professional pairing, but we all know that nothing is really that perfect, and there are cracks just beneath the surface, which soon show! There's a lovely analogy that Sam puts up about tropical fish and dancers which is a lovely vision, but the fragility and serenity of these gorgeous looking fish can also be broken when other fish start to nip at the tails of the most beautiful ones. You see where the simile between fish and the world of professional dancing is going? There's also quite a disturbing nightmare scene that Samantha is involved with, and we find out why this occurs within the play and what it means.

Mick, Nancy's dad is played by Jason Furnival. This is the male version of the typical stage mother; always pushing Nancy for stardom, but it seems that none of her partners have ever matched up to Mick's expectations. Mick has theories as to why Luka is really here, partnering Nancy, and because of these theories, tries to rig the contest, roping in another of the dancers, but he finds out that all the money he has does not sway the other dancer to do his bidding. Again, we get an inkling as to why Mick has become this kind of person later in the play.

The compere is played by a name that you should recognise, Alan Dedicoat, who is the voice of "Strictly Come Dancing". His voice is all that you get, but that is in keeping with what you see on "Strictly" anyway.

Leo Wan provides the Voiceover, providing the commentary of the running of the competition, the winning pairs throughout the competition as well as the dance style listings. It moves the play on perfectly.

Needless to say, due to the subject matter of the play, the choreography is excellent, and all six dancers are likewise very proficient in every dance that they perform. Choreographed by Joanna Goodwin, assisted by Matt Gillett, anyone who, like myself, love "Strictly Come Dancing" will love this choreography, and love seeing these dancers perform.

Directed by Lilac Yosiphon, it's almost like the play hasn't been directed by anyone because the script is delivered the way you'd expect to hear from anyone down your street. As I said at the start, Amanda writes for East Midlands people, the way they speak and the way they act, and the direction keeps that common people feel, which is why this whole play is so warmly received by the Thursday night audience. The dancing I've covered but the acting, partnerships and chemistry between the seven characters is something that has to come from the actors under the direction of someone who knows what they want from this script, and also what the audience wants to see and feel. And that box has been well and truly ticked by this Director.

Costumes and Set Design is by Eleanor Field. Maria Terry is the Assistant Designer. All the glamour and sparkle you'd expect from ballroom and Latin costumes are included. The male costumes are almost as revealing as those for the women, and still every bit as glamorous. As they twirl and sashay across the stage you can see that vision of tropical fish with their colourful, flowing fins.

The set is dominated by the dancefloor, bookended with rows of chairs but with an upper dressing room set, which clearly shows the pecking order of the couples as this is occupied by Lee and Samantha. Flats (scenery) are lowered into place when required to indicate the other's separate dressing rooms. A really nice touch is the row of cocktail tables right in front of the stage, occupied by ticket buying members of the public, and top off the glamour, three enormous chandeliers which look like the one used in "The Phantom Of The Opera", which are lowered at times for reasons that I will not spoil!

Sound Design and Composer is Lee Affen. It's just like being (I imagine) in the Strictly Ballroom with the snatches of these wonderful songs that accompany the gorgeous dance routines; my favourite being the big Quickstep to the sound of "Big Noise From Winnetka". Derby Theatre has one of the best sound designs for a theatre of this size and yet again, the sound was brilliant.

Lighting Design is by David Coull. Well, you can imagine the fun that David must have had designing the lighting for this show. From the brilliance of the big dance numbers to the more intimate lighting for the slower ballroom pieces, and then the "disturbing nightmarish" section. Great sound design and great lighting go hand in hand, especially in this show.

Another thing that I really like about Amanda Whittington is that there's sometimes a little twist in the storylines and here there's a very subtle twist, unless I am reading into it wrong. There's a scene where Nancy pays a visit to Luka in the middle of the night and a certain reaction is explained away. That reaction is then (possibly) explained away right near the end! Again I will not spoil that bit for you; maybe I am reading it wrong, who knows? 

If you love "Strictly" and the behind the scenes back biting and bitchiness that sometimes spill out into the National papers of competitions such as this, you will LOVE this play. It is down to earth, it is funny, it is sad and it will make you want to dance down into the car park humming "da da da da da da da, da da da da da, da da" (Strictly TV Theme).

It's a 10 from me!

"Kiss Me Quickstep" is at Derby Theatre until Saturday 21 June.

 "Gym n Tonic" by John Godber

Belper Players.

Strutts Community Centre, Belper, Derbyshire.

John Godber always manages to create and write characters who are human, who speak and act like humans. They're the sort of people who you will recognise within your own world.

Don and Shirley Weston have come to the very posh, expensive Scardale Hall Health Hydro to relax, pamper themselves and just possibly rescue their ailing marriage. Don's experiences with exercise and therapy are far from positive and the rifts in the marriage widen as his mid-life crisis becomes more and more evident, and moments of reconciliation do little to improve the situation. Shirley is determined to take advantage of all the facilities and have the time of her life; Don is constantly thinking how much the stay is costing and struggles to relax, despite the luxurious surroundings.

Don Weston is played by Mik Horvath. Anyone who has either seen Mik before, or knows him, will know that one of his secret weapons on stage is his ability to create comedy with his facial expressions and ability to make you smile without saying a word. In addition to this  talent, he supplements it with a talent to deliver a script with great natural ability, almost as if it isn't a script. We all know someone like Don, which is what makes this role and character so joyous to watch, and you can empathise with Don, especially with his quest to better his life and health, and also with the more serious scenes Mik is involved with.

Shirley Weston is played by Sarah Henderson. You can feel just how beaten down Shirley is, but she has not lost hope in rekindling that spark that Don and herself had when they first met. And it's that hope for that spark that makes you get behind her quest to keep that lovelight burning. There's a lovely connection with all the other characters, bar one, but there's a really nice affinity with Gertrude, especially in the second act. 

Chloe, who gets to give Don his massages, is played by Meg Russell. It's the two massage scenes which deliver so much of the concentrated comedy to the play. What I also loved about these massage scenes was the aroma of the oils used by Chloe, which also convinced me that Meg knows what she is doing when it comes to the art of massage.

Ken Blake, the construction company owner and self made man, is played by Nick Mothershaw. Ken is another one of those characters that we all know, or have known in the past. Ken is a man with a massive ego; he is successful in business, great at sports and thinks that he is God's Gift to the female of the species. It's his wanderlust that actually leads to Don standing up to him after something that Shirley let slip during a conversation. It's a good actor that make an audience feel any kind of emotion towards their character, and Nick, along with a couple of other cast members, managed to get some great responses from Tuesday night's audience. I was surprised that there wasn't a slime trail from Ken, or is that Ben, whenever he went off stage.

Gertrude Tate, the scatty and slightly eccentric multi-millionairess, is played by Jane Robertson. Jane presented this wonderful character almost, and this is just my opinion, like a mix of Peggy Mount and Miriam Margolyes, due to the lack of any sort of filter. The sort of character that you love to be around, as long as you weren't on the receiving end. Money obviously means nothing to Gertrude, and she has a lovely moment when she manages to really put Ken/Ben in his place. Wonderful characterisation from Jane, who also doubles up her roles by playing Maggie, Don's mum, in a brilliant, almost dream like psychedelic scene to end the first act, along with the other cast members.

Shaun is a guest at the spa  is played by Matthew Taylor. If there's a character even more unlikeable than Ken it has to be Shaun. This character really comes into his own in the second act with a scene with Shirley. A scene that really extracted emotions from the audience. An actor will always say that playing a character that is not so nice is great - ask any panto villain - because the character, and their speech is meatier, and that is the case here. The nastiness comes right out of the blue, which is why it shocked many of the audience. Matthew is another actor who really succeeded in getting a great audience reaction for his role, showing what a good character actor he is. Matthew also plays the role of Sam, Don and Shirley's teenage son.

Zoe, a fitness instructor employee, is played by Kat Foxx-Booth. What I liked about this role was how Kat brought to the fore the fact that these fitness employees put on a mask when they are teaching, and then at times let that mask slip, in the right company, showing the human side of the character. A very energetic performance, and I love Kat's hair.

Directed by Louisa Jenkins. Lou has brought out every ounce of comedy from Godber's script along with the cast. It's perfectly paced and I adored the Northern Soul soundtrack used for the scene changes and Zoe's dance and aerobic sessions.

Set design for this production is split into three sections; a seating/relaxed area, an outdoor section and the central section which incorporated the massage parlour, aerobic/dance space/squash court among them. All three sections aptly dressed, but unfortunately the programme does not seem to mention who was responsible for this part of the production.

Sound is by Pete Watson and Nikky Rowe, perfectly combining sound effects as well as the Northern Soul soundtrack.

Lighting is by Tom Hammond and Nick Mothershaw. Did anyone else notice that with the squash scene lighting effect looked just like the head of a squash racquet? Whether this was accident or intended, it was cleverly done as I only noticed that effect in that scene.

Costumes and props, and there were quite a few props included in this play, are thanks to Patricia Church and Nikky Rowe.

Ably stage managed by Alex Libby.

You are guaranteed a wonderfully comedic evening with anything that has John Godber's name attached to it, and this is no different. The play was written about twenty five years ago, but as with several of John's plays, there are often several re-writes, this included, which only strengthens an already hilarious story.

I've not seen this play performed before, which is a real shame because the characters and the storyline is classic Godber, so make sure that you grab yourself a ticket so that you can tick this off of your Godber list - as I can now do - and also to watch a fantastic cast perform some brilliant comedy lines. Where else will you hear life being described as a "turd sandwich" and then you die?

"Gym n Tonic" by The Belper Players is on until Saturday 14 June.