"The Drowsy Chaperone"

Central Musical Theatre Company.

Duchess Theatre, Long Eaton.

Here's a musical that I've known about for quite a few years, have loved the soundtrack, but I've not seen it performed around the area, so have never seen it before... until this evening! And first off I have one question. Why is this brilliantly fun musical within a comedy not performed more often?

The story is told by a musical theatre fan as he sits alone in his home. He finds the double album of the soundtrack of the 1928 musical and starts to play the record, which suddenly starts to come to life and play out on the stage. The unnamed "man in the chair" interject at intervals by stopping the record, which stops the action on stage, to relate what is going on at that stage of the musical, or to give us some background information about himself and his life. The musical ends up more like "Four Weddings And A Funeral", just without the funeral.

So what is the story of the fictional 1928 musical "The Drowsy Chaperone"?

When wealthy widow Mrs. Tottendale hosts the wedding of the year, she gets a lot more than a write-up in the society pages: Janet Van de Graaff, glittering starlet of Feldzieg’s Follies, is leaving the stage for the love of a good man, a turn of events which horrifies the angry and anxious Mr. Feldzieg, whose chief investor has sent two gangsters disguised as pastry chefs to make sure he stops the wedding. Hiring Aldolpho, a Latin lover more vain than virile, to seduce the bride, is unsuccessful, as Janet’s chaperone, a drunken diva, gets herself mistaken for the bride and seduced in Janet’s place. It is left to the eager best man, George, to quite by accident break up the happy pair, when he sends groom Robert Martin out to the garden, blindfolded, and in roller skates. Such are the antics of "The Drowsy Chaperone", a fictitious 1928 musical comedy. 

Chris Banks is The Man In The Chair  and starts the narration on stage, in his chair in complete darkness for about a couple of minutes. Now, I'm thinking, "what's wrong with the lights?", but this is all part of the story and is explained by The Man In The Chair. The character is played deliciously camp, and you start to think, "ok, musical theatre fan, all on his own, camp persona 2+2 = (in this case) 5", there's another story which is told later on in the musical! Throughout the musical The Man interacts by sweeping up, opening doors and moving the story on, almost as if he is part of the story that he is telling. Chris, I don't remember seeing on stage before, is brilliant and his timing is excellent and I love this character; I can actually see a lot of myself in this character.

Lady Tottendale, who is one lady that I have seen on stage in the past, is played by Lorna Kirkland. Another very funny character brought to life by Lorna. There are so many musical highlights from the score, but one of them is "Love Is Always Lovelier In The End" which is performed by Lady Tottendale and Underling, and is a lovely whimsical song.

John Wedgwood is The Underling - the Butler or Manservant, however you want to describe the character. A wonderfully dour-faced character performed by John, who reminds me so much of another famous actor whose name I just can't quite recall. The duet with Lorna on the aforementioned song is marvellous.

Robert, the Groom, is played by Chris Moss, who gets to show off several talents. Apart from his singing and acting abilities, Chris has a tap dance section with his Best Man, George, and he also has to perform on roller skates while blindfolded!

George, the Best Man, is played by Gabryl Oleshko. I have been watching Gabs on stage for nearly a decade now and have watched his talent grow with every show that I have seen him in. I love a good tap routine and in this, with Chris, it's like something out of an Astaire/Donald O'Connor musical. The song "Cold Feets" has an additional element of comedy when, out of breath, Underling brings them both a glass of iced water - or is that vodka? - and then Underling taps his way off stage. Gabryl has a certain look about him which fits in so well with the 1920s as well. His voice is as strong as ever and his comedy timing, which I've mentioned in some of my other reviews of him, is as sharp as ever.

Feldzeig is played by Adrian Redfern. There's a brilliant scene in the second act where Feldzeig breaks loose with the choreography, which contrasts with the disgruntled character at the start of the musical. 

Ellie Carter is Kitty the Incomprehensible and makes her debut with Central Musical theatre Company, and what a way to do it. Kitty is the image of the archetypal 1920's flapper with the squeaky, Betty Boop high voice and the not so high IQ and is incredibly entertaining. Another highlight for me from the score is "Toledo Surprise" which also involves Kitty. Ellie looks the part and sounds the part and is one of those actors who makes you believe in the role they are playing, enabling you to see past the actor. Brilliant characterisation and her costume and wig has to be one of my favourites in this musical.

Bridget Wyatt and Tim Hand are The Gangsters, disguised as the Pastry Chefs. Every character in this musical is an entity in themselves and this pair are like the comic double act you get in panto. they bounce off of each other perfectly with their back and forth comedy routine, especially with their section involving pastry puns. Great fun to watch operate.

Adolpho, the Italian stallion, is played by Tony Luke. Adolpho's image makes you smile and even though his song "I Am Adolpho" is filled with fun, you can tell what a great tenor voice Tony has. The balance between comedy carousing and tuneful tenor is spot on, and that accent made me smile every time Tony opened his mouth.

Janet Van de Graaff is played by Sarah Towle, and this is not the first time that Sarah has played this role, which may be why she looks so at home with this brilliant character. Many highlights with Janet but there's a section in the first act that left me reeling. Another favourite of mine from the soundtrack is a song called "Show Off" that Janet sings. Not only is this fantastic song performed brilliantly by Sarah but there are about four costume changes completed within the choreography and while never leaving the stage; the final change being absolutely sensational and drew gasps from the audience. 

Laura Bigland is The Drowsy Chaperone, a lush who loves a drink even when she is supposed to be chaperoning the bride to be and even providing advice of a dubious nature to Janet just prior to the marriage. There's also the scene of mistaken identity which is a brilliant slice of comedy. Laura's big song is the show stopping number "As We Stumble Along", quite literally stopping with the reprise version of this song due to something beyond the control of The Man In The Chair!!

Sarah Tiso is Trix the Aviatrix. This is only a cameo role who appears close to the end of the second act, but involves the biggest change in the stage set, which is done wonderfully. I won't spoil anything by saying too much but all of a sudden an aeroplane appears on stage which leads into the four weddings scene and flying down to Rio after proclaiming "I Do I Do In the Sky".

Richard Symes, who makes his Central Musical Theatre Company debut in this show, is The Superintendent, who appears near the closing of the show. More than that I shall not elaborate, but his appearance in the Man In the Chair's residence is quite electric!

The Ensemble consist of Kerry Britnell - another actor making their debut for the CMTC, Ella Hill, Chantel McLaren and Rachel Redfern. 

Directed by Abbi Burns, this show is fun, fun, fun all the way through. The pace is sharp and the casting is perfection in every role. This is the first time that I have seen this show and it really is like watching a professional touring production with the energy and enthusiasm that emanates from this cast.

Choreographed by Sharon Stringer. There's a lot of energy in the show and part of that is thanks to the choreography. The 1920's style choreography is incredibly stylish and the tap sequence was divine. The ensemble routines bring back the feel of the old Hollywood style Buzby Berkeley musicals, which I have always been a fan of.

Music Director is Jonty Banks. I have experienced Jonty's MD work in the past, and this is a completely different style, but this sound shows that Jonty's flexibility within various music genres is sharper than ever. The whole sound is of this particular period and creates the perfect feel of the era, and what a brilliant and fun score to play with. The band was conducted by David Blackwell.

Stage Managed by Chris Margett, who also designed the set. I love getting into the theatre so that I can have a really good nosey at the set, and this set is gorgeous and completely fills the whole stage from top to bottom and from wings to wings. The clever use of sections of the set to become something completely different is a great idea to lessen the movement on and off stage of larger sections of the stage set. The area central stage at the back of the set changes cleverly from a large fridge freezer to an entrance way for the actors to enter and exit through. The Stage Crew are Ellie Nicholas and Sarah Stone.

Props Managers are Elaine Lawrenson and Chris Margett.

Marion Fisher is the Wardrobe Mistress and there are some gorgeous costumes, especially Janet's array of changes as I've mentioned earlier. This show is full of classy and stylish outfits for both male and female characters.

Production Assistant is Lynn Towle.

Sound Designer is Dave Dallard. Crisp and clear throughout and I heard every word uttered on stage with a nice mix between the vocals and the band, who were tucked away on stage, but visible through the windows of the set.

Lighting is by Stephen Greatorex, complementing the sound perfectly and bringing together a lovely bright feel of this fun musical comedy.

There's also a BSL Interpreter, Natasha Redfern, on the Thursday and Friday performances.

I have mentioned several times throughout regarding the classiness of this show and that doesn't just go to what you can see and hear on stage. The Front of House staff are suitably decked out in suits and bow ties bringing ever more class to this stylish production.

Get your tickets for this show as soon as you can because it's a brilliant musical; the soundtrack that I have and have listened to several times really comes to life when you see the songs on stage. It's a family musical as well, as proven by a few children in the audience who looked and sounded to love this show as much as the grown ups.

"The Drowsy Chaperone" is at the Duchess Theatre in Long Eaton until Saturday 28 March.

 "Sycamore Gap" by Al Smith

Flying High Expressive Arts CIC

Bonington Theatre.

Performed by Flying High Young Company and Senior Youth Theatre groups.

Sunday evening saw a special performance of a new play called "Sycamore Gap" about the destruction of one of the most famous trees in history. This play is a new vision of what may have happened and who may have been responsible. This play will also be performed at Derby Theatre as part of NT Connections Festival running from 23 to 26 April. Every year, Connections commissions new plays for young people to perform. The programme brings together some of the UK’s most exciting writers with the theatre-makers of tomorrow.

"Sycamore Gap" is a whodunnit about the felling of the Robin Hood Tree at Sycamore Gap. Set on the day after the felling, the local police are "in school" conducting an investigation. The twelve members of the school’s eco-club are held in a classroom, being taken out and interviewed one by one, until the culprit cracks and confesses. While they wait for their turn, the pupils interrogate each other. Who could have done something so monstrous? What possible motivation could they have had? What impact will it have on their club and their community, now that the tree is gone? And will it be possible for any of them to move on?

Sam Pratt (Linden), Poppy Ogburn (Rowan), Sam Barber (Crab), Harrison Bird (Boxer), Liv Ali (Spindle), Lily Smith (Hazel), Ella Flewitt (Cherry), Ophelia Johnson (Willow), Ash Byrne (Birch), Amelia James (Holly), Ellie Pickering (Ash) and Tim Burns (Elder) are the twelve club members who are all under suspicion and as an ensemble piece they are all wonderful actors who make you feel as if you're a mere fly on the wall, spying on this teenage group of The Jackdaw Club. There are several standout performances for me, on a personal level, but that said the whole ensemble succeed in telling the story and discovering who was responsible for the tree felling and the reason for doing it perfectly and with lovely splashes of humour and character throughout.

Adding to this delightful dozen are The British Court Of Public Opinion represented by Esther Burton (Queen), Bella Impey (Farmer), Ruby Nehra (Builder0, Scarlett Machin (Journalist), Oscar Straw (Lawyer), Willow Evans (Politician) and Elspeth Bull (Loyal Subject), all interjecting with their personal opinions. I must say that the costumes for these characters are rather good and immediately separate their titles and positions from the twelve Jackdaw Club members.

The set is also something that needs mentioning as its' set on several levels to also raise the height level of the British Court Professionals, bringing their stature to physically laud over the other twelve. The lighting is all green with the base of the felled sycamore emitting a green glow and the floor resembling a grassy area as per the location of the original tree.

It's a fascinating twist on the factual findings of who did lop the tree down and their motives, and much more entertaining than the real story, and it really keeps you guessing as to who and how it was carried out.

Before this main feature though, we were also treated to two other short plays which were just as entertaining.

The first was titled "Macbeth X 5", written by Kirsty Housley, which was set in a school and nicely blending modern day education systems and detention with some of the major talking points in Shakespeare's "Macbeth" like ambition and what the ambitions of the kids in detention were. I particularly had to smile when one lad's ambition was to simply grow a beard; how simplistic a young person's aims can be.

The main players in "Macbeth X 5" were Ali - Anya Pengally (Ali), Nikita Cosslett (B) and Will Burley (Jay). A different trio will feature at the Derby Theatre performance. 

The second was called "Cloudbusting", written by Helen Blakeman, and carried important messages in its' narrative.

Sam fully believes that today will just be another ordinary day – but that’s before Mr Mackie tells Class 8M to write a poem about someone they care about. Unexpectedly, Sam volunteers to write about Daisy… Daisy was Sam’s friend – not that Sam wanted anyone to know that. While the cool girls in the class thought Daisy was "cute in a sad dog sort of way", the tough boys – Morgan and his crew – just saw Daisy as different. Daisy liked to dance. Daisy liked to look at the clouds and see the shapes they made. Daisy liked looking at the world in a different way to everybody else. But no matter how much Sam liked being with Daisy, he always denied their friendship. Then one day, the bullying goes a step too far… It’s not the ordinary day Sam thought it was going to be.

The main characters are Lauren Glover (Sam), Amelie Wyvill (Daisy), Dylan Whistance (Morgan), Lily Rose Mr Mackie), Martha Clowery (Alicia), Other girls – Maryann Townsend & Madiyah Hussain and Studious girls – Anna Winnett & Heidi Worrall.

Three fascinating and entertaining plays all with a twist on what you may have expected, well certainly from what I had expected from just knowing the titles of the three pieces. This also shows some extremely mature performances from the young actors involved.

 "Sweeney Todd - The Demon Baber Of Fleet Street"

Nottingham Arts Theatre Youth Group.

Nottingham Arts Theatre.

You've probably seen that commercial on TV with the woman who warned that she was about to gush; well I'm about to gush, just not in the same way, I just wanted to prepare you!

Sweeney Todd, real name Benjamin Barker, uses his new alias to resume work in his barber shop above Mrs. Lovett’s struggling pie shop after being wrongfully sentenced to life imprisonment by the corrupt Judge Turpin. After swearing vengeance against the Judge that tore his family apart, Todd and Lovett plot a unique plan that helps them both and leads them down a dangerous, thrilling path with deadly consequences.

I never tire of watching this musical, partly due to the wonderful Sondheim soundtrack, and partly because the productions have always been excellent. No difference with the excellent quality here in my attendance of the tale of Sweeney Todd, but there are a few differences to look out for!

I had heard and read that Wednesday night (opening night) was incredible. Thursday night was equally incredible, so you can guarantee that whichever night you attend, you're going to get an amazing experience.

The role of Sweeney is shared by Jonathan Jaycock (Wednesday/Friday/Saturday Matinee) and Joshua Preston (Thursday/Saturday Evening/Sunday). I have so often mentioned the quality of Joshua's voice, and in this role that deep baritone sounds better than ever. The complexity of Sondheim's lyrics hold no fear for Joshua but it's also Joshua's face and eyes that tell this story. there's an unhinged look about him and you just know that danger is afoot. Even with the humorous scenes, mainly with Mrs Lovett, you can feel that Todd was going to switch personality at any time. Joshua is one of those passionate actors, like so many involved in this production, and that passion is evident in this role.

Mrs Lovett is played by Emily-Hope Wilkins (Wednesday/Friday/Saturday Matinee) and Maddi Woodland (Thursday/Saturday Evening/Sunday). Maddi has such ease in singing wonderfully with, and without an accent, as well as delivering much of the comedy dialogue with natural ability.

Anthony Hope, the young sailor who saved Todd, befriended him and then fell in love with Johanna, is played by Noah Bator (Wednesday/Friday/Saturday Matinee) and Lenny Brady (Thursday/Saturday Evening/Sunday). I could say the same thing vocally about everyone in this show, but Lenny has a wonderfully controlled set of vocals, especially in the song "Johanna". Lenny is fast becoming an all rounder in the world of local theatre, but it's always good to see him on stage and playing a character that you can't help but root for.

Johanna, Sweeney Todd's daughter, is played by Grace Jones-Eccles (Wednesday/Friday/Saturday Matinee) and Mia Rathbone (Thursday/Saturday Evening/Sunday). I have seen Mia on a couple of occasions and every time she blows me away with her voice. You can hear that Mia has a natural flair for the operatic, as also shown when she played Cosette in "Les Miserables: School Edition". Her voice is clear, controlled and powerful, and the duets that she has with Lenny are complex and timed wonderfully, and this pair sound so good together.

Amelia Scurfield (Wednesday/Friday/Saturday Matinee) and Amelie Adams (Thursday/Saturday Evening/Sunday) share the role of the Beggar Woman. This character is one of those wonderfully quirky characters who,m if you have never seen the show before and don't know the story, holds a surprise near the end of the show. What can I say? Another great voice.

Tobias Ragg, the young lad who works for Pirelli, who, after Pirelli "disappears", is informally adopted by Mrs Lovett to help with the pie making, is shared by William Curtis (Wednesday/Friday/Saturday Matinee) and Lizzie Kennedy (Thursday/Saturday Evening/Sunday). It's no secret that I have been a fan of Lizzie's for a few years now and have had the pleasure of reviewing her several times over the years and seeing her grow, not only in height, but also in confidence and stagecraft. This role is such a playful role, which suits Lizzie's personality so well. One of my favourite songs from the score has always been "Not While I'm Around", a fiercely protective duet with Mrs Lovett, and this version could not have been any more heartfelt, simple but tender.

Pirelli, the "Italian" barber, is played by Jamie Adlam. Jamie is another actor who I have every admiration for because of the passion that he has for theatre. Every role that he has taken on that I've seen shows just what a marvellous character he is. This role has been perfectly cast with Jamie in the role due to Jamie's sense of humour which shines through as Pirelli's character. the accent is brilliant and Jamie's vocals have never sounded better, with or without the Italian accent, plus his vocal range also seems to have expanded.

Judge Turpin is played by Tom Telford. His history in musical theatre shines through in this production; the vocals are powerful and the nastiness of Turpin, and the anger that explodes in the second act make you sit up and take notice of this slimeball of a baddie.

Beadle Bamford, Turpin's right hand man, is played by Oliver Sheard. This is another actor that I have plenty of time for. I love the posh accent Oliver gives to Bamford making the character appear more important than his station. In the second act there's also a section where he sings at Mrs Lovett while investigating a report of foul smells coming from the shop at night. The mix of the posh voice and the folk singing made me smile, and this is one of the sections that I couldn't remember seeing in other productions - there are several different bits in this production scattered throughout the show that I don't think I've seen in other shows. A great piece of comedy acting which emerged from a nasty and slimy character at the start. I know from Oli's past roles that he likes to shake it up with his parts and this year he's set to play an outlaw as well as a pig in his next two shows.

Dr. Fogg, a major antagonist who owns the asylum where Johanna has been sent to keep her away from Anthony and Todd, is played by Harvey Scott.

The Lantern Bearers are another new addition to this musical and appear when Sweeney's mind starts ticking over. They're like the inner workings of Todd's mind and as Todd dispatches his victims, the Lantern Bearers also appear and escort the victims away from the stage. It's almost like those dark shadows who come to collect the evil souls in the film "Ghost". The Lantern Bearers, who look decidedly mysterious, almost like the Droogs, the teenage black eyed gang in "A Clockwork Orange" are played by Ben Canning, Evie Midgley, Caitlin Young, Alisia Carolea, Florence Everitt, Hermione Cumbers, Craig Youngman - who has the most amazingly deep singing voice - and Liam Brown. 

The ensemble consist of Robert Murphy, Zain Abed, Evie Jones, Andrei Morris, Neve Boyles, Lexie-May Hart, Annabelle Black, Connie Webster, Connie Tegerdine , Kate Whittaker, Kayla Burgess, James Cragg, Edward Young, Leo Capaldi, Zach Silcock, Lizzy Rhodes, Eliza Szejda and George Ward. The sound made by The Ensemble, as well as The Lantern Bearers is so powerful; it's like a tidal wave of vocals crashing over the stage and into the audience, such was the power. Both groups featured different soloists who really stood out.

Directed and Choreographed by Abby Wells who has really created a very stylised and different production, adding roles like the Lantern Bearers and The Vultures, which added a certain clarity to the roles that may have just been labelled as "Ensemble" roles. Just when I thought that I had seen everything there is to see in such a great show like "Sweeney", Abby adds additional touches of magic within the show, a couple of them I have highlighted throughout, but I don't want to give any more spoilers for what may be as new to you as it was for me. The pace was excellent and every character made you focus on them; even the ensemble characters gave off different vibes, there's so much to see and take in that you may need to attend more than one show in this run. There was nothing at all that I did not love about this show.

Musical Director and Conductor of this thirteen strong orchestra is Jonah Williams. Sondheim's score is notoriously complex and Jonah has done a fantastic job with everyone in the cast and with the orchestrating of this musical. Vocally there are several part harmonies, duets that twist and turn and wrap around the singers, key changes, so many different ways of singing the two names "Sweeney" and "Todd" in various parts of the songs; this is not just another score, it's one of the most intricate musical scores and when it's mastered as Jonah and the cast have mastered it, then you get a performance that is as amazing as this. Vocal captain is Ben Canning.

Several times I had to remind myself that this is a Youth Group, not a professional troupe of adults, and anyone who looks down on "amateur" productions need to see this one and they would soon change their opinion on what they think the word "amateur" means. For the record "amateur" means "for the love of", and it is very obvious that everyone on, and behind the stage, love what they are doing.

Set Designer is  by Nik Hudson who has given the whole look more of a steampunk image. As soon as you step into the auditorium, this mass of blood red scenery hits you. The mechanical elements at the back of the set gives an industrial feel about it. There are two levels with Sweeney's Barber Shop being above the pie shop with a metal staircase leading up to it.  The Deck Hire is from Roydon Charlesworth at Stage To Hire. The two barber chairs are frightening enough to look at, knowing what was going to be taking place in them. The enormous oven where the pies are baked open up to reveal a deep red and glowing interior. This is one set design that should be a winner of a set design award anywhere.

Sound Design and Operation is by George Wilson. maybe only a couple of late mic cues, but when there's such a lot of people, as far as I could see, practically all of them with mic packs, making sure that those faders are up, and not forgetting just how quick the score twists and turns with different characters involved, I think that George did an excellent job in this area. The sound was crystal clear, well balanced and at the perfect level. What more could I ask for?

Lighting Designer and Operator is Oliver Read. If you create a show as good as this, it's only apt that the people in charge of sound and light are also the best. Need I say more?

In charge of Wardrobe are Jessica Royce, Paige Walker and Connie Hatchett. the costumes are also quite different to other productions, also help bring that Steampunk feel to the show. Pirelli's costume was wonderfully colourful to reflect the personality of the character.

Stage managed by Nik Hudson. With a show that has this size cast, this role is made all the more difficult to ensure that timings are kept to and to have all the right props etc on stage. This area ran as smooth as everything else with this show, but then again, Nik is a smooth operator in this area. Deputy Stage Manager is another member who is vital to the smooth running of the stage, Nigel Newton. The Stage Crew consist of Roman Moroziuk, Emme Gunn, Ian Rice, Ben Bradley, Jack Kent and Cathy Bodman.

Production Manager is Jessica Royce assisted by Eloise Rees.

This week I have been spoilt by three out of three incredible pieces of theatre, and all very different, but with a theme that runs through the trio of productions; killers. By supporting local theatre you get the advantage of seeing the future West End stars of tomorrow on stage today, and there are so many on stage at the Arts Theatre that could make that dramatic transition. Just ask Grace Hodgett-Young and Matty Collins, both actors who are now professional actors whose roots are in the Nottingham Arts Theatre. This is partly due to the amazing tutelage we have in Nottingham local theatres.

"Sweeney Todd" is at the Nottingham Arts Theatre until Sunday 22 March.

 "Punch" by James Graham.

Nottingham Playhouse.

This play made its' stage debut a couple of years ago in Nottingham, and at the Playhouse. It then went on a nationwide tour, down to the West End and then to America.

"Punch" is one of those plays that come along quite rarely. It's based on the book "Right From Wrong" by Jacob Dunne, which in turn is based on a true event concerning the author of the book. It's also centred at the heart of Nottingham and the true events that happened here, a few years ago.

Anyone who has been brought up in Nottingham, like myself, will know all the street names and pubs mentioned in the play and immediately feel part of the story.

The play tells the true story of how a bereaved mother, Joan Scourfield, helped her son's attacker turn his life around. James Hodgkinson died after a stranger threw a single punch while he was visiting Nottingham to watch a Test match in 2011. His killer, 19-year-old Jacob Dunne, from The Meadows, was jailed for manslaughter.

After a "restorative justice" meeting with Mr Hodgkinson's parents, his mother accepted Dunne's actions had been a "stupid mistake". The couple then encouraged Mr Dunne to go to university, where he achieved a first in criminology.

Put yourself in the shoes of James' mother, Joan; would you be able to be as forgiving as she was to Jacob? In this case, although Ms Scourfield lost her son, she also helped to save Jacob. As you can expect, this play is as emotive as it is powerful.

All, apart from Jack James Ryan who plays Jacob, play various characters as well as their main roles. Coronation Street fans will instantly recognise Jack as another Jacob; Jacob Hay, but this role is a million miles away from the cobbles. David Shields, who played Jacob last, set the bar very high for this character, but Jack has matched Shield's performance. The accent was a more "yardie" Nottingham accent but only to start with because as Jacob went through the restorative justice programme, college and the character maturing, that "street" accent softened to a slightly softer Nottingham accent, showing the maturity gained by the character, which I couldn't quite remember from the original production. 

Jack is on stage most of the time, and at times, with a quick change of the lighting we see comparisons between the young Jacob and the more mature Jacob. Jack's energy levels are off the scale as he darts around the set, painting pictures in your mind of the layout of the Meadows area and the pub crawls. You can see how the "accident" actually affected Jacob, especially with the meetings with his victim's parents, and also with the way that he tentatively turned his life around.

Some theatre snobs often, and I've heard them, berate "soap" stars when taking on a "proper" theatrical stage role, but I have seen so many "soap" stars on the stage and they really show their acting skills. Soaps are as rigorous with their schedules as a theatrical production, and you think that you know the person you see in the corner of your living room, but when you see them on stage, especially in such a hard hitting and emotional role as Jacob, you see a completely different side to the actor, and Jack James Ryan holds nothing back with his portrayal of Jacob Dunne.

Finty Williams plays the part of James' Mother, Joan, as well as Nan. The scene where Joan and her husband finally sit down face to face with Jacob is quite awkward to watch, and the recall of her being in the hospital at her son's final minutes is truly heartbreaking. The forgiving of the "accident" from this strong mother and the empathetic attitude shown to Jacob's mother will also bring a lump to your throat. If you're wondering where you may have heard Finty's name before, she is the daughter of Dame Judi dench and the late Michael Williams, showing that the talent apple never falls far from the tree.

Laura Tebbutt plays Jacob's Mother and Wendy. There are so many scenes here involving Laura that really tug at your heartstrings, and I don't wish to sound flippant at that statement, but you do allow yourself to feel what the characters are feeling, and the scene when Jacob comes back to the new home to his mother is enough to start you off again. 

Matthew Flynn plays Tony, David and Derek. Like the other actors, playing several roles gives an actor chance to play a wide range of emotions and that is so true here. From the drunken, vest wearing Father to Raf, who does not give the best advice to his son, to James' Father. You could not get two Fathers further apart in character and the latter character's emotions flood from the stage. The scene near the end where he offers his hand to Jacob to shake will also get you right in the heart. 

Elan Butler is Raf, Jacob's quite literally partner in crime; a proper Meadows lad, and Sam, Jacob's younger brother. There is a scene when Jacob is talking to his younger brother which reveals different parts of both characters that we did not see before; another emotional scene between the pair comes with a personal confession from Sam to Jacob.

Grace Hodgett-Young is Jacob's girlfriend Clare and Nicola,  the woman assigned as his Restorative Justice person. When you see that Jacob has turned his life around, and is now in a relationship with Clare, and a Father himself to a baby boy, you get a lovely warm feeling from this couple. There's proper Nottingham humour in the scenes with Grace and Jack when they first meet in the pub, which is balanced by Grace's other main role as Nicola as she goes through the procedures of "RJ" with him in a calm and professional manner, always looking out for both parties.

I've known and reviewed Grace locally for the last fifteen or so years, and she still manages to surprise me with her acting skills; this time around though with one of her lesser character's potty mouth. This local lass has done extremely good!

Directed by Adam Penford. This could be possibly the most impactful piece of theatre you've seen, especially as it's a true story. Adam's new choice of cast could not have been better and the blend of laughter, and there's plenty of that in "Punch", with the emotional scenes are as well balanced as a BLT sandwich. Just a beautiful piece of theatre that I noticed has had a few fresh tweaks which has only increased my enjoyment of this gorgeous piece of theatre.

The set is based around a pedestrian subway in The Meadows, where Jacob grew up and designed by Anna Fleischle. If you're old enough to remember Maid Marian Way's subways leading to a concrete circle, then that is what the main section is reminiscent of. It also rises on both sides, bridging over the subway setting.

Lighting design is by Robbie Butler. This plays a big part of the play, giving dramatic effect to the dramatic storyline, taking you from the bright settings of the pub/clubs of town, to the shady subway streets and back alleys of The Meadows area. The lighting cues are cut to perfection. 

Sound design is by Alexandra Faye Braithwaite, who also composed the original music for the play. The whole soundscape of this piece of theatre is a real talking point, especially with the movement sections in the first half where it brings the disbelief of the accident to the fore. The combination of the sound and light design help to highlight the emotions that run high throughout.

Movement Director for "Punch" is Leanne Pinder, and if you saw this show when it was here last, you'll know just how much movement plays a part in this story.

Anita Gilbert is the Voice and Dialect Coach. Us locals don't really notice that we have an accent, but ours is one of the hardest accents to get right for anyone who is not from the area, so I have been told by actors who do not hail from Nottingham. There was a section in one of Jacob's opening speech where the last words of  a couple of the sentences were drawn out, which to me sounded quite Manchester-ish, in the way that the Gallagher Brothers speak.

I try and steer away from terms like "journey" or "rollercoaster" but whatever term you want to use, this play has "it". The change in a person from A to B in their life can sometimes be, literally, life changing, but through understanding and forgiveness, you can change a person's life and future. I don't know if I'd ever be as strong a person as Joan if I were in the same situation, but that just shows the sort of strong person Joan is. Losing a loved one would make a person bitter and angry, which I am sure Joan was at one stage of her grieving process, but her strength and forgiveness has created a person who has turned out to be a true Saviour to many other people who may have found themselves in Jacob's shoes.

This is a play that has the ability to change lives, as its' story has done in the past, and should be seen by as many people, young and old, as possible to get across that message of right and wrong, forgiveness and redemption.

I loved the play when I first saw it, and this time around it was even more impactful, making me love it even more.

"Punch" is at the Nottingham Playhouse until Saturday 4 April and has a 12+ guidance due to some ripe language, but this play is one not to miss out on. 

 "Hamlet" by William Shakespeare.

Royal Shakespeare Company.

Nottingham theatre Royal.

God, I love Shakespeare, especially when it's done as good as this production has been done.

Reading the play, or the book, doesn't always deliver the comedy element of "Hamlet", and with this play having so many dark moments in it, you need the occasional shot of comedy; and you certainly get the balance of comedy to darkness ratio in this latest production from the Royal Shakespeare Company.

This particular play has so many phrases that are used in everyday modern life that it almost doesn't seem as old - or should that be classic - as it actually is. Phrases like "to be or not to be", "neither a borrower nor a lender be", "method to the madness" and "the lady doth protest too much" are all from this play, and of course there's that "alas, poor Yorick" speech as well.

Most people will know the story, the play, the film of "Hamlet", but this is the first time that I have seen the full blown version of this play on stage; so what's it all about? Here's a very quick summary without any spoilers.....

The ghost of the King of Denmark tells his son Hamlet to avenge his murder by killing the new king, Hamlet's uncle. Hamlet feigns madness, contemplates life and death, and seeks revenge. His uncle, fearing for his life, also devises plots to kill Hamlet. The play ends with a duel. I don't think I've given too much away there, in the same way as if I am seeing a new piece of theatre, I don't like to know the ins and outs or how the story ends. Therefore, to thine own self, be true!

Hamlet is played by Ralph Davis. Ralph has an incredible stage presence and has the ability to turn Hamlet from a grieving son to a comedic but crazy maniac, gurning and reverting back to an almost childlike son, creating so much of the comedy element in the play. When he is in grieving mode you can feel that he is in the depths of despair, and when he is feigning madness, you cannot help but smile at the silliness in his face and actions.

What you get from a Royal Shakespeare Company production is a cast who are at the top of their game. It's akin to seeing a Matthew Bourne choreographed ballet, or a Northern Opera show because you know that you're going to get the best of the best. They wouldn't be on the stage if they were less than the best, and you know that they are all experts in their field.

That said, here's the rest of the incredible cast....

Colin Ryan (Horatio - Hamlet's friend), Raymond Coulthard (Claudius - the new King of Denmark), Poppy Miller (Gertrude - Queen Of Denmark), Ian Hughes (The Ghost of The King/Player King), Richard Cant (Polonius - Chief Counsellor to the King), Benjamin Westerby (Laertes - Polonius's son), Georgia-May Myers (Ophelia - Polonius's daughter - who has a show stealing scene in the second act), Jamie Sayers (Rosencrantz - an old school friend of Hamlet's), Julia Kass (Guildenstern - another old school friend of Hamlet's), Maximus Evans (Marcellus - an officer), Dijibril Ramsey (Barnardo - a sailor), Leo Shak (Francisco - a sailor), CJ Johnson (Player Queen), Mark Oosterveen (The Priest), Rob Alexander-Evans (Captain), Maximus Evans (Orderly) and  the ensemble were Jonathan Savage and Kat Collings.

Directed by Rupert Goold, Sophie Drake being the Revival Director. The play has been set in 1912, the same year as the Titanic, and there were nods to that story with the music and choreography as well as the costumes, and of course, this version of the play has been set on a ship, making it easy to dispose of the bodies by dumping the dead over the side of the ship. The whole feel of the play is so different to how I had imagined it may be, from having read the play as well as the book version of "Hamlet".

Es Devlin's set design is brilliant moving from being on the deck of the ship to cabins, and when used with the video design, by Akhila Krishnan, made you feel as if you too were aboard some kind of ocean liner. The whole of the back of the stage was wall to wall, floor to ceiling video of a surging, inky black sea. By the second half of the play I found myself slightly swaying side to side with the rhythm of the waves. Good job I don't suffer from seasickness! The video design also takes you below deck showing the massive machinery that drives the ship on when Hamlet is chased into the bowels of the vessel. It's one of the most effective set/ video design for a Shakespearian play I have seen in the theatre. It certainly gives the "wow" factor.

Costume Designer is Evie Gurney and you can see the work that has gone into this area by taking a look at the photos attached.

Jack Knowles lighting design sets your mind visually alert with the murderous scenes swathed in deep red tones, using subtler tones as well as darker shades for various sections of the story.

Sound Designer and Composer is Adam Cork. There are a couple of choreographed sections to original music; even a section that could have been lifted out of the musical version of "Titanic" with singing as well as dancing. The music used is recorded but the quality of the music used made me think that maybe the musicians were somewhere backstage due to the clarity. The original music director is Lindsey Miller.

Music Director is Dan de Cruz.

Hannes Langolf is the Movement Director and there are echoes of Frantic Assembly in the movement elements of this show, at times giving the audience almost dreamlike scenes.

Kev McCurdy is the Fight Director. This also provides an exciting element with some energetic and vicious sword fencing choreography. These scenes certainly do not hold back with the actors involved certainly delivering a realistic set of fights.

Dramaturg is all thanks to Rebecca Latham.

Shakespeare is one of those writers who has managed to write stories that have transcended time, which is why so many people flock to watch his plays over and over again. Keeping plays that may be over 400 years old fresh is all down to the subject matter and the vision of top Directors. There's a certain element of topicality as well in this play with the theme of madness and power and keeping an eye on those who wield the power, which could not be more relevant today than with the war situation in the world. The theme of revenge affects everybody at some time in their lives, so we can all relate to the main storyline. Shakespeare wrote about normal people, created plays and presented those plays to the man in the street, so what was affecting people in his day, still affects people in 2026. He certainly is a man for all time, and will continue to be so.

I can see why this particular play is the most performed Shakespeare tragedy play, yes, even beating Macbeth into second place, and is often quoted as being his greatest work. It certainly has all the elements for an exciting evening in the theatre; especially when wrapped up as perfectly as this production has been.

If you still haven't been to the theatre to see a Shakespeare play because you may think you won't understand the way that he writes, or you think you won't "get it", then make this your first because the staging and presentation is absolutely stunning, incredible and non stop entertainment.

"Hamlet" is at the Nottingham Theatre Royal until Saturday 21 March.