"Top Hat" - A Chichester Festival Theatre Production.

Nottingham Theatre Royal.

This is an absolute classic piece of musical theatre. It reminds me of Sunday afternoons on the settee with my parents as a kid.

Set in the same year as the film was made, 1935 and is the story of Jerry Travers, an American dancer, played in the film by Fred Astaire. Travers travels to London to star in a show produced by Horace Hardwick, Travers meets and attempts to impress the glamorous Dale Tremont to win her affection. Dale mistakes Jerry for her friend's husband, Horace, but after some comical interaction with Madge Hardwick, Jerry and dress designer Alberto Beddini, whom she agreed to marry, it all comes good in the end and she weds Jerry and they all live happily ever after.

Phillip Attmore, who reminds me of Gary Wilmott, if I squint, plays Jerry Travers. Phillip is more than a capable equivalent for Wilmott in all areas; dancing, acting, singing, charm and that big smile, and straight away he radiates that Hollywood leading man qualities, to which you immediately warm to. Additional tap choreography is also by Phillip.

Amara Okereke is Dale Tremont. Amara has that voice that dances on your ears and has that beautiful Hollywood glamour that takes you right back to those warm and comfy Sunday afternoons in front of BBC2 that make you feel safe. Beautiful to look at and gorgeous to listen to. Amara and Phillip recreate the glamorous choreography of Astaire and Rogers, with Amara performing some pretty impressive high kicks which highlighted those wonderful long legs of hers.

James Hume brings much of the comedy to the musical and plays Horace Hardwick. Love the confusion that surrounds Horace and the mistaken identity between Horace and Jerry. And yet another strong vocalist, although we had to wait for a while to hear his dulcets.

Sally Ann Triplett plays Madge Hardwick and brings even more glamour, and even more excellent vocals to this show. I did have to smile in one scene when Madge states that she could not hear the person on the other end of the telephone; I did notice that the receiver was not attached to the phone itself, so that may be why. Don't worry, normal service telephony wise will be resumed for the Wednesday performance. well, they do say that every performance is slightly different to any other performance you'll see of the same show!

There are some great comedy lines in the script and are woven throughout the show. There's a brilliant comedy performance from James Clyde, who plays Bates, Hardwick's man servant, who took on several different guises throughout the musical and also provides some wonderful sayings from his various family members.

Alex Gibson-Giorgio is Alberto Beddini, the dress designer and creator. Brilliantly over the top accent for this fiery Italian character, and a really comical performance by Alex.

Bethan Downing is the Assistant Dance Captain and George Lyons is Dance Captain.

The large and very hard working and talented ensemble consist of Lindsay Atherton, Rhiannon Bacchus, Jeremy Batt, Freddie Clements, Pedro Donoso, Autumn Draper, Tilly Ducker, Stuart Hickey, Laura Hills, Connor Hughes, David McIntosh, Jordan Oliver, Emily Ann Potter, Molly Rees Howe, Kirsty Sparks, Joe Press, George Lyons, Maddie Harper and Toyan Thomas-Browne.

Directed and choreographed by Kathleen Marshall along with Associate Director and Choreographer Carol Lee Meadows and Associate Director Cameron Wenn. Who could fault the quality and style of this choreography? Definitely not I. The energy put into all of those marvellous tap numbers, high kicks and smooth, flowing dances just leave you breathless and open mouthed. 

The set, as expected, is as glamorous as the costumes and the revolving central section made changing scenes an easy operation. Designed by Peter McKintosh.

Associate Musical Director is Luke Holman and conducted by Stephen Ridley, and right from that wonderful overture you're transported back in time to those glorious days of Hollywood. Irving Berlin’s classic score includes some of Hollywood’s greatest songs, the immortal "Cheek to Cheek", "Let’s Face the Music and Dance", "Top Hat White Tie and Tails" and "Puttin’ on the Ritz".

The costumes are second to none, and I don't really need to say how much I loved these; just look at the pictures, they say it all. The Costume Designers are Yvonne Milnes and Peter McKintosh. If only my wardrobe was a quarter as glamorous as this. They ooze style and sophistication.

Talking of which, the Hair, Wig and Make Up Designer Mark Marson (for Campbell Young Associates) adds even more glamour and sophistication to the production.

I'm always saying that we don't see enough classic musicals performed in and around the area, but when they do come along they are so worth it. It's magical in every sense of the word.

"Top Hat" the Musical is at the Nottingham theatre Royal until Saturday 11 October.

 "Revlon Girl" by Neil Anthony Docking.

Nottingham Lace Market Theatre.

Set eight months after the Aberfan Disaster of 1966, in which 144 people were killed (116 of them children), "The Revlon Girl" tells the real-life story of a group of bereaved mothers who met every week above a local hotel to talk, cry and even laugh without feeling guilty. At one of their previous meetings, the women looked at each other and admitted how much they felt they’d let themselves go. Afraid that people will think them frivolous, they’ve secretly arranged for a representative from Revlon to come and give them a talk on beauty tips.

The play takes place in a function room above the Aberfan Hotel. June 1967.

There's a lovely balance between comedy and the whole seriousness of the situation and the story, and to tell the truth, it was funnier than I had expected, given the subject matter of the play. That said, when the serious stuff hit, it really did hit home straight away, and quite made you feel guilty about laughing at the previous scene, especially with one particular scene involving Sian when she talks about her husband.

This tight knit cast have obviously worked so well together that this one act, no interval, piece of theatre is a powerful ensemble piece where no one character usurps the others for the spotlight; every character has a personal story to relate about how the disaster affects them, and they get their time to spill.

Charlotte Carter plays Sian who tries to keep the peace and is desperate for another child. Her husband will not even entertain this suggestion due to his embarrassment after Sian caught him crying over the loss of their son. She is counting on the Revlon representative to help her make herself attractive to her husband again.

Marilyn, traumatised and struggling with the reality that her children were taken in the disaster, carries her daughters' drawing around with her in her handbag, hoping and waiting for them to come home from school. She has not visited the graves as this would drive home the reality that they were gone. Marilyn is played by Natalie Webster

Rona is played by Mollie Kneeshaw. Rona swears a lot, is blunt and tells it as she sees it, expressing the frustration felt by many of the bereaved mothers who believe they lost their children because of  the deception and lies of the coal board who had been warned about the dangers. What makes her even more upset is the pitiful compensation given to the bereaved families. Rona is a wonderful character because she is so honest, and you know that the pain is still so raw.

Lucie Conroy plays Jean, the wife of a Vicar. Jean was pregnant and copes with the disaster by believing that God had a reason for taking the children. She lost her son in the tragedy but also has a daughter who was fortunately at home, sick on the day of the disaster, and resents her daughter for being the one still living, and for not being more grateful that she is still there when her son was taken.

Charlotte, the Revlon Girl, is played by Chloe Davie. Charlotte feels uneasy about being there, and had originally volunteered because she thought she could make a difference to the lives of the mothers The women are still traumatised and they often take their frustrations out on Charlotte, who finds herself revealing her real reason for volunteering. 

After some frank exchanges they all came to the conclusion that looking after yourself and putting on your makeup can be an important part of recovery and can make you feel better and easier to face the world.

The voice you hear off stage is for the character Jackie, who is heard but never seen and is played by Linda Hoyland.

Directed by Sharon Philips. With the play being performed in the upstairs studio theatre, the intimacy brings out everything that the writer wants to say, and everything that the Director wanted to show about these women. Sometimes, on the bigger stage, emotions can be diluted due to the distance from stage to auditorium, but every raw nerve, fear and emotion are just feet away from your eyes. As far as I can remember, Sharon is a new name to me, so I know nothing of her skills in the theatre, but as a first view of her directorial talents, this is incredibly good, and creates a "fly on the wall" feel.

Lighting Design is by Esther Warren. There is no need to create a flashy light design for a situation like this, so the design reflects the basicness of the story and the stark lighting reflects the starkness of the story. I loved the timing of the lightning at a certain point in the story which added another laugh and broke the seriousness and the speech for that piece of the play. Effects for just when an effect makes the biggest impact is what I love to see, and Esther's design is spot on for this piece of theatre.

The special effects are thanks to Guy Evans and Linda Hoyland.

Sound Design and music is by Matthew Allcock. One of my favourite things to do is to get in the theatre early to take in the atmosphere and the music, and the music is what creates part of the atmosphere for this play as the music is all traditional Welsh music, and I love that the songs and artists used for the music backdrop are all listed in the programme. Even though I'm not Welsh, you get a real feeling of pride listening to the stirring selection of music.

Sound does play a large part in this play, right from the start and the sound bites and effects open the story with the sounds of the children happily playing followed by the horrific sound of the collapse of the colliery spoil tip which enveloped the school and killed 116 children and 28 adults. This sound effect is played out in complete darkness.

Stage Managed by Linda Hoyland, assisted by Fiona Bumman. There are a couple of scenes that require an off stage reaction and the management of these scenes just add more to the drama that you see on stage. 

Props have been sourced and managed by Linda Hoyland and Sharon Philips. Basic props are required but every prop used is perfect for the situation and set.

Costumes are courtesy of Sharon Philips and there's a lovely comparison between Revlon and the women of the village in the costumes they are dressed in.

Obviously with the story being set in Wales, accents are most important, and I love accents, especially the Welsh accent - it's such a sing-song style. Angela Hogarth has been drafted in as the accent coach to make sure that the accent is accurate and that all of the actors have the same regional dialect.

The show runs until Saturday 11 October but I heard tonight that the whole week is sold out, and after seeing this play, I can see why the tickets have sold so well. You may need to check for any returns if you planning on popping down.

Photography is by Kathryn Edwards.

 "Lose The Path, Find Your Way" by Cracking Slate.

Nottingham Playhouse

Neville Studios.

There's something really nice about children's theatre that aims to get children to think for themselves as well as educating them in such a way that, to them, feels more like playing and enjoying themselves than being educated. This piece of theatre does exactly that.

Sam (Adi Roy Bhattacharya) is lost in a forest after losing his football and is searching for the right path when he stumbles across Akir (Lily Bailes) and Malaya (Rose Charmaine Camacho), who offer to show him the way back. But as the shadowy shape shifting, spiny backed creature chasing them closes in, Sam will have to make a choice, escape the forest and go home or save his friends and risk being trapped forever. It's at this stage that the script ends and the actors don’t know what to do next. It is then the job of the audience to come up with the next parts of the story and help Sam escape the shape shifter and find their way home and to safety.

Created and produced by Josh Lewis, himself a local actor and writer, who set up Cracking Slate in London, which specialises in touring participatory theatrical experiences for young people. They put adventure, play and creativity at the heart of everything they do. They want to empower young people to become the directors of their own story, supporting them to dive into their imagination and work together to express themselves and their own ideas. 

The show is aimed at 9 - 11 year olds and their families but there's no real age limit, as this evening proved because the adults became just as involved in the show as the young ones. 

It's a credit to the skills of all three actors in their storytelling and their confidence boosts that make the children in the audience readily volunteer vocally as well as physically.

The puppetry is wonderful to see and you can see the quality of these puppets; from the intricate smaller mannequin style puppets to the large puppets that quite rightly send shivers down the spine, especially the wolf like creature with the blazing eyes. These puppets were made by Yunshu Jiang, Izzy Jiang and Edd Berrdidge.

The set design by Mikayla Teodoro gave the feel of a fantasy forest, especially with the movable pieces which created the shape shifting forest design, and which in the end scene all fitted together to make the escape scene section of mountains and rivers, painted by Tessa Bentley to give an animated effect, visually, and the larger mobile wooden pieces of scenery credited to Josh Hill.

Directed by Emily Catherine Haldane, and like Josh, has a grasp on what makes a brilliant and enchanting piece of theatre for young children, therefore keeping everything tight and fast moving, making sure that the attention is held throughout, giving the children something to concentrate on and take part in all the way through.

Music also plays a big part, especially in theatre for the young, and the execution of the music and the sound bites worked very well, especially the sounds from the shape shifters, which also worked well as a timing mechanism, for those who spotted that. Music Supervisor Innes Yellowlees helped to keep the timing just right with the sound cues.

There's an element of choreography in this theatre piece which, in the flyer/programme sheet is listed as Movement Direction. This area is thanks to Ching Chen (Jing), which also gives that feel of movement and fluidity throughout the show.

The whole show is smoothly stage managed by Rebekah Wild, keeping the show flowing at a fair old pace.

When it comes down to it, all of the above names are like cogs in a well run piece of machinery, but when you see the faces of the kids who were in the audience, you could see the enjoyment that they received from this show. What they may not have realised though were the subtle messages that they have also ingested by way of this lovely, clever and fun piece of theatre that they will probably use from today onwards and when growing up.

"Lose The Path, Find Your Way" is a one off performance at the Nottingham Playhouse, but the show is touring several one off performances of this show, so please visit the website or Facebook page for Cracking Slate for details of where you can catch this show, as well as other future productions that you may want to catch at some time in the future.

 "Jekyll & Hyde" by H Leonard Caddy.

Ravenshead Theatre Group.

Ravenshead Village Hall.

In Caddy's retelling of Robert Louis Stevenson's famous story, Dr Jekyll is introduced just as he is on the brink of discovering the key to man's inner reality. One evening he experiments on himself and finds that his formula works. Unfortunately, his "real" self turns out to be the monster, Edward Hyde.

Jekyll continues his researches, spending more and more time as Hyde until this horrifying character takes over. When Hyde brutally murders one of the young maids, he realizes his experiment has gone too far, and he takes the only possible course of action left to him......

I've seen several adaptations of this story, but this was different again, and possibly one of the best plays that I've seen at Ravenshead Village Hall, and I've seen some crackers!

Dr Henry Jekyll/ Mr Edward Hyde are played by Eddie Gray. There's a very clever visual transformation from one to the other character and the longer Jekyll is taking his potions, the more erratic his behaviour and temper become with those around him.  The voice also changes from quite well spoken with Jekyll to broad Derbyshire with Hyde. Jekyll's violence spills over in a way that actually had me shocked. I was not the only one as I heard the audible reactions to his violence throughout the audience. This is Eddie's first leading role with Ravenshead Theatre Group; I've a feeling after this performance that it won't be long before he steps into another lead.

Celestine, Jekyll's betrothed, is played by Catherine Petrova. I've seen Catherine in several roles of late, including playing Elvira in one of my favourite plays, "Blithe Spirit". They say opposites attract, and that is the case here with Jekyll and Celestine. This shows in Jekyll's facial responses to many of Celestine's suggestions, and adds a lovely touch of comedy to this gothic horror.

Charlotte is played by Aayla Boughton, who has moved up from the Ravenshead Youth Group to make her debut in this show. Charlotte is an orphan that has been taken in by Jekyll as the junior housemaid, but also seems to be part of one of Jekyll's scientific experiments into brain masses. Jekyll straight away makes a comparison between Charlotte and Celestine's educational and cerebral capacities and the connection between breeding and class. 

Charlotte's character is also  different to any other production as she is the one who experiences seeing the initial change from Jekyll to Hyde. Her character change is also very visual, and is akin to the transformation of Eliza Doolittle in "My Fair Lady", but the ending could not be more different.

Poole, played by Adam Nayar, is Jekyll's loyal butler who becomes concerned about his master's personality changes and seeks Utterson's help. Poole comes across as a bit of a bully, especially in the way that he treats Charlotte, but that shows the difference between the classes and job position. When it comes to Jekyll though, he shows a caring and protective side of Poole's character. Adam, I've seen in several productions for Ravenshead, and all very different, and this shows what a flexible actor he is.

Gabriel Utterson, Jekyll's best friend and lawyer, is played by Duncan Dearman. Unlike some productions, Utterson here provides some lighter moments with his comments, and when it comes down to it, he is the one that starts to unravel the Jekyll and Hyde mystery. Again, another very versatile actor, who shows even more versatility in his next role in Ravenshead's 2026 pantomime.

Dr Hastie Lanyon, Jekyll's friend whose medical knowledge proves crucial evidence to the case, is played by James Disney. Previously James has played lesser roles, but here is a nice meaty role, which also provided a surprise to me near the end of the production - more than that I will not give any spoilers! There's a nice natural feel about James' acting, as if he doesn't need to try to hard to get the feel of the role and the character just right.

Hilda is played by a newcomer to Ravenshead Theatre Group, Karen Swallow. Hilda is the senior housemaid at the Jekyll residence who takes Charlotte under her wing, and is responsible in no small way for advancing Charlotte's confidence and character change while in service. Karen is another one making her Ravenshead debut, but you can tell that she has a history of stage work behind her because of the confidence she shows as this character.

Penny, who has fallen for Edward Hyde in a big way, is played by Helen Berry. Penny only enters the story part way through, but with the costume and instant story telling, you very quickly bring yourself up to speed, thanks to Helen's ability to bring the character to life. A brilliantly feisty character with what we envisage as having an interesting past.

If you can get your seat early enough, you'll discover that you don't have to wait for the curtains to open before the story starts onstage with Dennis Baggarley, who plays a mysterious elderly man who now and again brings colour to something on stage that is under the spotlight. Plus we first spot Freya O'Connell in her role as a young girl. Freya also turns up on stage later in the show.

Directed by Rob Hurst, assisted by Daniel Andrews and Phillippa Adamson. This trio really ramp up the suspense in the show and create that unease, especially in the two sections that made me sit up, which I won't divulge because I don't want to spoil but has that shock element that I wasn't expecting from this story. Another success from Rob and Co.

Set design is also by Rob Hurst, and when the curtains are pulled back, you get the full view of this wonderful set design. The majority of the set is taken up by the parlour with a smaller section showing Jekyll's lab with two doors that adjoin both rooms. I was fascinated with these doors and I don't know why I was transfixed on them, As Jekyll went through one door, the second door would open and as soon as Jekyll walked through the second door, the first silently closed. I looked as hard as I could to see the person doing the opening and closing but they must have been really well hidden from view.  A wonderful set, constructed by Ken Cumberpatch, with so many props, sourced by Anne-Marie Hurst. A lot of investigative work has obviously gone into making this set look as if it has been transported from the year 1851 by time machine.

The costumes are also thanks to Rob Hurst and, as with every field in this production, really create the required visual pop. Take a look at the photos to see what I mean.

Sound is by Daniel Andrews and Rob Hurst. This is another reason I love getting to a theatre early for; to hear what music is played before the show and during the interval, which ties everything on stage together. Loved the selections from Mike Oldfield and Jean-Michel Jarre, which created the instrumental atmosphere, plus a few pieces that sounded like they had been lifted from a programme like "Peaky Blinders". Really atmospheric feel that got you in the mood for the main attraction.

Lighting is by Iain Walton, and this is another area that automatically centres your attention on specific action at a specific part of the set. This is especially prominent with a red wash of light at certain times in the play.

Stage managed by Ann-Marie Butler with her Stage Crew, Andy Cook and Philippa Adamson, they swiftly changed the scenes resulting in minimal time for the curtains being closed.

"Jekyll & Hyde" is at Ravenshead Village Hall until Saturday 4 October. As I said earlier in the review, this is possibly one of the best shows that I've seen at Ravenshead Village Hall, so make sure that you don't Hyde away this weekend, go out and get your Gothic fix, even before Halloween!

 "Inspector Morse House Of Ghosts"

Nottingham Theatre Royal.

This is the first ever stage version of this iconic TV character, and it's long overdue because the television series is watched still by millions of Morse and John Thaw fans, so it's only natural to transfer Morse from the TV screen to the stage.

The mystery unfolds when a young actress, playing Ophelia in a performance of Shakespeare's Hamlet, suddenly dies on stage. Detective Chief Inspector Morse, who just happens to be in the audience and watching, takes charge of the situation and embarks on his investigation. What begins as a suspicious death inquiry takes a darker turn when Morse, together with DS Lewis, uncovers a connection to sinister events in his own past, twenty-five years earlier, in 1962.

Tom Chambers stars as Morse, who seems to be obsessed with Schubert's music, which is strange as TV Morse's favourite composer was Richard Wagner.  I personally didn't spot too much of the TV Morse in Tom Chambers' portrayal; he seemed to be not sullen enough and I'm sure that John Thaw's character would not have used the word "rutting" to describe  the act of making love. Anyway, this isn't TV Morse it's theatre Morse and this is Tom Chambers, not John Thaw.

That said, an actor only does what a Director says, and a Director can only direct from the script by the writer.

Lewis, Morse's trusty sidekick, is played by Tachia Newell.

Teresa Banham is Ellen, Morse's partner, well at least for the night out at the theatre to see "Hamlet". It's almost like a University reunion as the Director Lawrence Baxter is also from the same Uni, but a year above Morse. Morse still has a thing for her, that's obvious, and there's a nice "will they, won't they" atmosphere between Morse and Ellen.

James Gladdon is Freddy, the Geordie hunk, who does a runner from the production after a call to his agent, but is that a well timed exit of has he something to hide?

Spin Glancy is Justin, this play within a play's Hamlet, who we see first on stage in his role as the Prince of Denmark. As soon as his Ophelia collapses on stage, coughing up blood, he completely loses it and goes into complete meltdown in his dressing room. Obviously the white powder he shoves up his nose isn't helping, but it's also obvious that there's something else troubling young Justin!

Robert Mountford doubles up as Lawrence Baxter, the Director of the play within the play, and Monsignor Paul Kincaid. Kincaid back in Uni seems to be a bit of a lad with the Uni ladies, but his choice of job as a man of the cloth is completely at odds for this lusty lothario, we discover a quarter of a century on.

Olivia Onyehara plays Harriet, Baxter's American wife. They have been trying for a baby and just as she gets the result that they have both (we assume) wanted, something happens to Lawrence..... you may guess what!

Charlotte Randall is Verity, the Uni lush, and things haven't changed much in the last 25 years, which is good news for Morse because, after a few drinks, she is ready to spill all the gossip from backstage and the habits of the actors.

Eliza Teale plays Rebecca, the actor who plays the role of Ophelia, who we have confirmed dies in the first scene, which leaves Eliza to become available for ensemble parts, along with Josh Katembela.

Directed by Anthony Banks, he ensured that the pace of the play matched what we'd have seen on a TV episode, and what I did like was the way that the scenes  were changed, which made the visuals episodic. keeping the pace right up there.

Written by Alma Cullen, who also worked on several of the television episodes. 

On a personal level, I'm not sure if it's the way the story was written or the Direction but it all seemed to unravel, as in what happened to Rebecca, very fast, in comparison to the actual story telling of the play. It just seemed to me as if an important lynch-pin was omitted and all of a sudden we were given what had happened, how Rebecca's demise occurred, the motive, and method, practically all in one sentence, and then it was the final bows and exit music.

It's always a big ask for any theatrical production to live up to a successful television show and character like Morse. Some I have seen have been successful, and then there are some like this one that just fell short of what I had expected. That said, if Morse's name had not been attached to the play, and was performed as a stand alone murder mystery, it may have worked better, for me anyway. It wouldn't have been the first time that the names had been changed to protect a successful franchise like Inspector Morse.

By the way, I didn't guess who did the dirty, or the reason(s).

"Inspector Morse House Of Ghosts" is at the Nottingham Theatre Royal until Saturday 4 October.

 "One Night Only"  A 40th Anniversary Celebration.

The Young Performers.

Duchess Theatre, Long Eaton.

Back in 1985 Barbara Moran and Tricia Freer who founded the Young Performers as a resident youth drama group at the Duchess Theatre. 40 years on the group are going stronger than ever and this celebratory concert shows that. Not only do we get to see many of the current group members, but we see the leaders, Young performers Alumni and even a few that we're not used to seeing on stage, but are well known faces in and around the theatre!!

The evening is compered by Richard Dawson, himself a former member of the group, Actor, Writer, Singer, Director, Erewash Sound Radio presenter and all round nice guy who is always "down with the kids". A smooth operator who makes the role of Master of Ceremonies look easy (thanks for the fiver Richard and I hope that I remembered everything that you told me to say!). What I also noted was Richard also managed to match his outfit for the evening with the colour of his glasses' frames. It's the little things that make the difference and I notice.

The evening started off with three witches around a cauldron reciting Shakespeare - you know which play I mean - but then I noticed a twist which fed in perfectly to the first big ensemble number where we got to see the cast for the first time with the ensemble number "One Night Only" from the musical "Dreamgirls".

The first solo act of the night came from Young performers Alumni, Harvey Leo, who performed an original composition.

There were ensemble numbers like ELO's "Mr Blue Sky", Doobie Brothers "Long Train Running", Lady Gaga's "Abracadabra", Katrina & the Waves' "Walking On Sunshine", mixed in with musical theatre songs like "One" from A Chorus Line, High School Musical's "We're All In This Together", "Seasons Of Love" from Rent, "When I Grow Up" from Matilda and also two emotional packed pieces to close both acts, "You Will Be Found" from Dear Evan Hansen and "This Is Me" from The Greatest Showman.

We had a gorgeous three way version of "Requiem" also from Dear Evan Hansen, a beautiful duet of "For Good" from Wicked, a brilliantly choreographed tap section (I tried tap dancing once, but fell in the sink) to Jessie J's "Bang Bang", as well as a few surprises of the non musical variety.

There was a four way rendition of Rudyard Kipling's poem "If", a large group number who performed a piece called "One Voice" and a comedy piece called "Big Deck" which raised more than a few laughs, as well as eyebrows, which was written by Jeff Foxworthy from Blue Collar TV, and was nothing to do with any of those two little Geordie fellows!

Ellie Simmonds, another Alumni member of Young Performers also sang a beautiful version of Carole King's "Will You Love Me Tomorrow".

And these were just a few of the performances we were treated to on the night from the following Young Performers....

Alex Povey, Alexa Lewis, Alexa Simpson, AJ Chamberlain, Amelia Forecast, Carly Gaunt, Clarissa Armitage, Daniel Swan, Daisy O'Connor, Dillan Brookes, Ella Charlesworth (your voice gets better and better), Elijah Green (always a pleasure to see this young man involved), Emily-Mae Taylor, Emily Wilkins, Emmie Simmons, Evie Perks, Evie Yates, Fin Tomlinson (another favourite performer of mine), Heidi Parsons, Imogen Scott, Izzy Pickering (so lovely to see you back on stage again),Jamie Higgins, Keely Rickerby, Lola Kitchen, Lottie Ellis, Lewis McDowall, Lexie-Mae Hart, Lucy Coulson-Jones, Livvy Read, Megan Shackleton, Mia Allen, Milly Hopkins, Millie Newbold, Mille Weston, Molly Price, Neve Johnson, Olivia Monk, Remy Read, Paige Bone, Sophie Longcroft, Violet Graney, Will Mellor, Avaani Babra, Ellie Simmonds (who battled with a sore throat but delivered gorgeous vocals none the less), Erin Hill, Fiona McDowall, Kevin McDowall, Lottie Ludlow, Harvey Leo, Richard Dawson, Roydon Charlesworth (we need to see more work on stage as opposed to stage work after tonight), Sarah Charlesworth (who sang, danced and performed and looked like she enjoyed everything she was given to do on stage), Tricia Freer and Victoria Byrne.

What a cast!

I know that everyone on stage enjoyed showing their talents, but there were a few times where I wish that they had shown just how much they were enjoying performing because there were a few serious faces, especially with the ensemble pieces. There were, however, many big smiles and bundles of energy on stage from the majority of the performers. I wish that I had half of that energy and 100% of their guts to get up on stage and do what everyone above did on Sunday night.

The Creative Team were Vicky Byrne, Lottie Ludlow, Patricia Freer, Sarah Charlesworth, Roydon Charlesworth, Fiona McDowall and Andy Cook.

The Junior Leaders were Ella Charlesworth, Lewis McDowall, Millie Weston and Olivia Michaud.

Richard Dawson also highlighted the work that is put in developing a young team of technical folk who are trained to operate the lighting, sound and other areas of producing a show. These tonight were Olivia Michaud, Lewis Cuthbert, Eva O'Riordan, Gizel Chaparova and Maddie Taft, and by the standard of light and sound operation, they're doing a grand job, thanks to their grand techie tutors.

A very successful night, quite rightly showing off the talents of these Young Performers past and present. Here's to the next 40 years.

 "The Late Mrs Early" by Norman Robbins.

Burton Joyce Players.

Burton Joyce & Bulcote Village Hall.

This is another play that I'd not heard of or seen before. Terry Early's announcement that he and Susan intend to marry rouses the fury of his overbearing mother Alice. Alice's sudden demise, following her handling of a faulty electric kettle, and telling him that he can get engaged to Susan over her dead body, promises a peaceful solution. But Alice as a vengeful ghost is even more formidable than as a living wife and mother.

Set in Castleford, Derbyshire in 1972 in the living room of the terraced council house of the Early family.

Terry Early is played by Lennon Marr, an actor, like several in this production, who is a new name to me. An ex Carlton Le Willows student and this is his first adult role, in which he shows a natural confidence, something that I am sure will stand him in good stead for any future acting roles. Male actors are in great demand in every drama group, and to find one with a natural feel for being on stage will mean that he will be welcomed into any theatre group.

Susan Rickworth, Terry's intended one, is played by Isabelle Williams, like Lennon a new name to me, and also like Lennon a very natural performer.

Mabel Sutton is the neighbour no one wants but actually needs, and is played by Kathy Matthews, one of the regulars in the Burton Joyce Players. This role is a beauty, and I am sure that everybody who has seen this play this week will know someone exactly like Mabel. A real character driven role, the sort that Kathy delivers so perfectly and so wittily.

Sam Early is just a normal Northern bloke; the sort that likes to relax after work with a pint or two with his neighbour and read the daily papers. Sam is heavily under the thumb and possible has to borrow a pair of trousers to wear from his wife, when she allows him to wear them. As Alice says, there's only one boss in their household, and we all know who that is! Alistair Dobb is Sam Early who thinks that all his whippets have come home when his terror of a wife keels over in the kitchen, but that is only just the start of his nightmares. Alistair is a lovely character actor and this Northern character is a real treat to see.

Alice Early is played by Avril McCormack, an actor I've enjoyed watching on several occasions. Playing Alice, both alive and dead, is great fun to watch, and I loved all of the Northern sayings written into the script by Robbins, all of which bring the character alive - or not as the case may be!

Joe Gittings, the other neighbour, is played by Richard Hesk. Every good Northern bloke needs his mate and drinking partner and that is Joe's role. So under the thumb is Sam that he has to arrange a couple of pints with Joe like a secret military operation, and when he discovers that Mabel has snuck into their kitchen and overheard what the plan was, and is threatening to tell Alice their plans, he stoops as low as to bribe her, which of course she accepts. Loved the drunken scene with Richard and Alistair when they come back from the pub, celebrating the passing of Alice.

Reuben Rickworth, Susan's father, is played by Greg Nicholas and Lucy Rickworth, Susan's mother, is played by Rebecca Kent. Two lovely roles that provide some brilliant comedy moments, especially in the latter part of the play when Sam is trying to get Terry and Susan's engagement back on even keel.

It's so nice to see so much fresh talent on stage as well.

Directed by Patrick McDonough. I've had the pleasure of seeing several plays that Patrick has directed and he manages to get the pace and comedy elements all in the right place, as he does with this little gem of a comedy. Great casting decisions as well. Patrick is assisted by Deborah Craddock, who is also no stranger to directing a successful play or seven.

The set design, as you can see in the photos attached has a lovely 1970's floral wallpaper design, fireplace, comfy looking sofa and a family table and trio of chairs at the table. There are two doors facing the audience, one leading to the kitchen and back door entrance (all hidden of course), and the other leads to the upstairs and the front entrance. A window allows the outside lighting to shine in.

Sound is by Chris Mercer and Deborah Craddock and well executed, as is the lighting design by David Matthews and Steve Armstrong. The sound of the archetypal brass band used for the scene changes was a lovely touch as well.

There are two scenes per act which showed the deftness of the stage management team headed up by Molly Fitches, assisted by Lilly Musson.

Lovely use of props, sourced by Patrick McDonough, and so pleased to see actual drinks poured from teapots. The era the play is set in has obviously been well observed with the style of the props for ornaments and dressings.

It's been a busy week and Saturday night, which was the final performance of this play, was the only time that I could get, but I'm pleased that I was able to see this spooktacularly funny play.