"Mr Wonderful" by James Robson.

Bonington Players.

Bonington Theatre, Arnold.

I can't believe that I have not seen this play before, there it is, so here goes....

Norma Green works in a factory and cares for her bedridden mother Phoebe who is on the verges of Alzheimer's. Norma is trying to find her Mr Wonderful. Norma reluctantly agrees with her mother’s suggestion to place an ad in a lonely hearts column and after several attempts she meets Geoff, who seems reputable, and to whom Norma takes a liking to, so they leave for a weekend away. 

Phoebe is not so keen on Geoff, but her morals are not dedicated to those of Norma finding happiness, but more for the fear of being left alone. 

Phoebe has been left Geoff's mobile; she manages to access his messages, discovering his true nature. An unhappy occurrence for Norma allows her to take her revenge.

Norma is warm hearted, old fashioned and loves to be in love and be loved, and is played by Lindsey Hemingway. I don't usually like to make comparisons but there are echoes of Victoria Wood in the way that Lindsey plays this character, or it may just be the accent; either way, here's a character that you can really warm to, and when she does seek revenge, you feel so good for her.

Her Mother, Phoebe Green, who every so often believes that she is The Queen Mother, and is an expert in the art of emotional blackmail, is played by Val Worth. You get the feeling that Phoebe was a bit of a gal in her day, but now saves all of her emotions for her own Mr Wonderful! I love the malapropisms that this character has to deliver, making the script even more wordy, but so clever.

When she lets rip at Norma, especially at the close of the first act, it does come as a shock, a little like when you are young and you slip in the swimming pool and get the whole barrage of water in your face and in your mouth and ears. And I imagine, for Norma, is just as frightening to be on the receiving end of this tidal wave of verbal battering.

I've never seen Val before but what a wonderful woman she is, and what an actor she is. I was told that Val is in her eighties, but is as lively as a woman half her age, and the fact that every night she has to fall off of the bed, which must be about three foot from the ground, this woman is fierce. I also imagine that Val gets pretty hot with her costume, in bed, and under those theatre lights in the heat of the theatre.

Geoff Lazenby, aka Norma's "Mr Wonderful", but not THE Mr Wonderful, is played by Christian King. Geoff is a retired teacher with very good manners, but is he the answer to a lovelorn maiden's prayers? You start to think otherwise when he becomes nervous about leaving his "gizmo" i.e. his mobile phone ( well this is the late 1990s when mobiles were not as popular as today). 

Eric Box from Bolton is played by Wayne Hill. Eric is passionate; well about the screws that he sells, but seemingly not about much else! The look on Norma's face tells you everything about the conversation these two are having on their first blind date, a one sided conversation that is! 

Lop Wink, a health freak who loves nothing betters than to rip up and down the Pennines in his multi geared bike, is played by Alex Brimelow. It was slightly worrying to discover Lop's night time biking habits even more. I am also sure that Lop had his own supporting role by the cut of that Lycra!

Other characters portrayed are a waiter in the Southport Hotel, played by Jeff Casterton and a sleazy drunk in the pub, played by Eddie Januszczyk, who is also Stage Manager.

Directed by Jeff Casterton, I was absolutely glued to this play because I did not quite know where the story was going to end up, and the swiftness of those turnaround moments took me by surprise. There were no "telegraph" moments in this production.

Sound operation is by Nick Hill was executed smoothly, and I commented to Director Jeff in the interval how much I was enjoying the music soundbites that were played over the scene changes. I was told that the music was chosen by the playwright, who seems to love the music of Peggy Lee, and I can't see a thing wrong with those choices. The sound effects were also executed bang on cue as well.

Light operation is by Peter Hodgkinson, and as Peter has such a long history in this field of production, you know that lighting was going to be as on cue as the sound, and it was.

Sound and lighting design is by David Goatham.

Set design is by Anna Hodkin. We travel from a Northern pub via Phoebe's bedroom and to The Sea Brink Hotel. There's always been a strength in the set design within The Bonington Players, and this production again shines because of the design. The majority of the set is for the bedroom, and the design of the room is in line with its' inhabitant with a lovely plum coloured wall with several wall pictures reflecting Phoebe's adoration of the Queen Mum.

The pub and the Sea Brink Hotel share the same space with just the addition of a tablecloth and different pictures on the wall taking the scene up a notch from pub room to hotel dining/reception room. By placing a couch and table at the front of the stage, this also creates another performance space for the final scene.

There are several costume changes, mainly by Lindsey, and in charge of costumes is Sheila Millington.

To be honest, the only thing that could make this play even better than what it is, would be a little tightening in the scene changes, but Wednesday night is opening night, and that is where any areas that could be bettered is highlighted, so not even a negative really because Eddie, Robin Davis and Zoe Lander, the Stage Managers, will then identify how they can shave off milli-seconds from this area of production.

James Robson's play is very wordy and is extremely funny but there's a swift turnaround at the end of act one with the outburst from Phoebe and a very dark ending, all of which I loved, and having not seen this play previously came as a resounding slap in the face when not expected.

"Mr Wonderful" is performed at The Bonington Theatre, Arnold until Saturday 3 May.

 “Ghost Stories” by Andy Nyman & Jeremy Dyson

Nottingham Theatre Royal.

There’s an online warning that accompanies this show stating that “people of a nervous disposition may want to think twice about booking a ticket for this show”, but how frightening can it be to sit with a theatre full of people and experience theatrical ghost stories? Well, here's one spoiler that I can reveal; I saw this play the last time it was here in Nottingham at the Theatre Royal, so I was better prepared for it this time around, and it still made me jump and gave me goosebumps.

Now, much as I would love to tell you so much about this show, I can't because I do not want to give away any other spoilers, so what can I leak?

Joshua Higgott plays Professor Goodman who kick starts the evening with a light-hearted but uneasy lecture on the nature of fear and the appeal of ghost stories. He then presents three stories from the Supernatural which, at first seem to be completely separate stories but it becomes apparent that these are not as unrelated as they first appear. In fact they are the stuff that nightmares are made of!!!!

The story telling is second to none, and the actors, Dan Tetsell (Professor Goodman), Eddie Loodmer-Elliott  (Simon Rifkind), David Cardy (Tony Matthews), and Clive Mantle (Mike Priddle) - hang on weren't there more than four actors taking the bows at the end? - were all excellent and created that unease, easily. Lucas Albion is billed as Ensemble, so watch out for when the "Ensemble" arrives!

Another thing I experienced, and I don't know if this is auto association, but, I could smell certain things just after the things I could smell were mentioned. Strange but in my mind, true, or was that just my imagination?

The lighting design (James Farncombe) and the Sound design (Nick Manning) really makes this a wonderfully unnerving experience and creates many of the scary moments. And the special effects are equally unnerving. They both show that darkness  and noises from out of nowhere really can scare the Scheiße out of you, even when surrounded by hundreds of people.

With this being the second time that I have seen this show, I almost prepared myself for what I could remember happened, but you know when you're waiting for a moment to come, and then when it does, still makes you jump and go cold, well that was me tonight. That said there was one part as well that I hadn't recalled at all and was spectacularly scary.

I tell you how much this production will play on your mind, and I'm not normally affected by scary movies etc, but even when I get off my bus on the way home, I power walked to those steps and made it down there in record time. The power of the mind eh?

The set designs (Jon Bauser) are excellent, and they are put into place with such speed that it was almost cinematic with the rapidity of the scene changes.

Directed by Jeremy Dyson and Andy Nyman, they have managed to create an atmosphere where people manage to feel uneasy en-masse. The jump scares, and everything else to do with this piece of theatre are perfectly timed to create the biggest effect for an audience. The effects used create some real stage magic, and more than that I can't say as I would not want to give anything away. There's an audio statement given out at the end advising not to tell anyone anything about "Ghost Stories", and who am I to tempt fate? 

I ain't gonna give away anything about this play but to confirm that it will unnerve you. It will make you jump. And you will want to see this play again, even though you know what is coming and the ending.

The show lasts ninety minutes straight through with no interval, and once you're in the auditorium, if you decide to go out, you will not be permitted back in, so make sure that you empty your bladders before the show starts!

For anyone who loves being frightened, and paying to be frightened, you will love this production. just make sure that you take someone with you.

Sweet dreams all, and just remember, that shadow in the corner of your room after lights out, and that creak on the stair when you are all in bed, hopefully will just be that... but then again......

“Ghost Stories” is at the Nottingham Theatre Royal until Saturday 3 May.

 "Private Lives" by Noel Coward.

Nottingham Lace Market Theatre.

Elyot ( Luke Willis ) and Amanda ( Kathryn Edwards), who were once married, find themselves in adjoining rooms in the same hotel on the French coast, both on honeymoon with their new partners, Sibyl ( Alex Milligan ) and Victor ( Jack Leo ), respectively. Elyot and Amanda's initial horror quickly evaporates and soon they’re sharing cocktails and a romantic serenade. Deciding they still love each other they both elope to Paris, leaving their new spouses at the honeymoon hotel.

Their marriage had not been a success, a diet of arguments brought about the divorce, but it seems that their current partners, have not enflamed the passion that once both ignited in each other. It is that passion that this play is all about.

We discover that very little has changed with Amanda and Elyot and the back-and-forth banter between the two is still as meaningly hurtful, but all very typical of a Noel Coward script. Amanda and Elyot also inflict quite a bit of violence on each other! To counter this there's also a very comical scene surrounding a romantic interlude on the sofa with Elyot limping off with arthritis and Amanda complaining of indigestion, as they had only recently eaten.

Then we really meet the new partners, Victor and Sibyl, who turn up at Amanda's private flat in Paris looking for the pair, and more than match Amanda and Elyot in the argumentative stakes. It's nice to watch Amanda and Elyot take an onlooker's seat, viewing the spectacle of Victor and the fireball Sibyl's meltdown scene which closes the play.

Louise, the French Maid, is played magnifiquelly by Sally Eaton. 

Coward was always one for witty repartee, and this play, written in 1930, just shows how great comedy can transcend the decades, and still be funny nearly a hundred years down the line. We still find stereotyping of what is expected from males and females comedic, especially when Amanda calls Elyot out for his hypocrisy regarding his adulterous behaviour, and he retorts that he can, "because I am a man".

The chemistry between the four main actors is wonderfully believable and the delivery of the lines, as well as the script is of that certain time. We would not speak in such a way nowadays, and that is what makes the script, and story, so much fun to receive.

Directed by Colin Treliving, who also was Set Designer, and as you can see by the pictures by Grace Eden, the set is gloriously sophisticated and in keeping with the era of the play.

Lighting Design is by Simon Carter and Sound Design by Philip Hogarth; both superb in their fields of expertise, as shown throughout the play.

Stage Managed by Jae Marriott with Props Manager being James Whitby.

Needless to say, the threads adorning the actors are of the finest and classiest quality.

A wonderful farce that should be taken as entertainment and not too seriously, but a wonderful evening of classy acting with a sharp and wonderfully witty script, as well as a guideline to meter how far we have come - or maybe not come - both comedically and stereotypically in the last century.

"Private Lives" is playing at the Nottingham Lace Market Theatre until Saturday 3 May, but you may find it tres dificile to ascertain tickets, so get your name down on the reserve list for this spiffing piece of theatre.

 "Matilda Jr the Musical" by Williams Creatives.

Sue Townsend Theatre, Leicester.

Matilda has astonishing wit, intelligence... and special powers! She's unloved by her cruel parents but impresses her schoolteacher, the loveable Miss Honey. Matilda's school life isn't completely smooth sailing, however – the school's mean headmistress, Miss Trunchbull, hates children and just loves thinking up new punishments for those who don't abide by her rules. And woe be tide any child that is subjected to "The Chokey"!!!

Matilda is played by Poppy Branston, and this is Poppy's first show with Williams Creatives. Like every young actor on stage on Friday night, she oozes confidence; not a glimpse of nerves about Poppy. And also like all of these young actors, her vocals are strong and very clear.

Bruce Bogtrotter is played by Jenson Weston. A nice character-driven performance from Jenson.

Miss Agatha Trunchball is played by Sienna Barnes. This musical has several very strong characters and you don't get them much stronger than the child-hating head of school, who finally gets her comeuppance thanks to a little bit of magic Matilda style. You can tell that Sienna loves every minute of being nasty. There's a really clever scene, which is executed very smoothly by Sienna, when she grabs Amanda Thripp's pigtails and swings her around by them, launching Amanda through the air.

Ms. Honey, the teacher who spots Matilda's academic talents and tries to promote these talents to the head, who is having none of it. Ms Honey is played by Millie Beech, who injects real sweetness into the role.

Mr Wormwood, Matilda's father, is played by Ruben Bruen. What did I say about characters in this musical. Ruben has a real feel for comedy, and especially slapstick, and I love the accent that he has given Matilda's father. Ruben definitely put a smile on my face, every time that he stepped into the spotlight.

Mrs Wormwood, the mother, who has a penchant for leopard skin print clothing as well as flashy flamenco dresses, is played by Isla Singleton. Brilliantly cast with Ruben to give the audience a brilliant comedy coupling.

 Austin Parker plays Michael Wormwood, Matilda's emo-esque brother. Not a lot of script, but what Austin does have, script wise is definitely impactful.

Mrs Phelps, the librarian who is captivated by Matilda's stories, and Matilda's great friend is played by Hattie Moore. When Mrs Phelps and Matilda are on stage, you're drawn into the episodic story related by Matilda.

The story in question, as told by Matilda is about an acrobat, played by Ruby Foster, and an escapologist, who is married to the acrobat and their daring feat. William Ham plays the escapologist and between the pair of them, they keep us on tenterhooks with their escapade. A nice show of acrobatic skills from Ruby and William.

Rudolpho is Mrs Wormwood's dance instructor, and William Ham, who doubles up his roles with this one is brilliantly funny. I love this particular character role for a couple of reasons. The first is the physical character side of William's acting, and the other is because William himself is about half the size of Isla, and the pair of them together just has that wonderful comedy element, without having to say a word. Great costumes for both of William's roles as well.

Zuha Abbas plays The Cook who brings in the large chocolate cake that young Bogtrotter is forced to eat by Ms Trunchball at the end of the first act.

The other school children are played by Austin Parker (Eric), Oliver Stocker (Tommy/Sergei), Molly-Rose Moore (Amanda Thripp), Hollie Smith (Lavendar), Thea White (Alice), Florence Dann (Hortensia) and Thomas Burton (Nigel).

The Big Kids are played by Emily Raynor, Isabella Kirk, Izzy Riley, Maisy Reynolds, Rosa Clarke, Aria White, Ellie Wood, Isabella Jenkins, Emily Brewin, Emily Dryhurst, Hattie Moore, Ruby Foster and Zuha Abbas. 

The Little Kids are played by Isabelle Dingle-Hunt, Isabelle Webb, Matilda Singleton, Scarlett Warren and Eden Humphreys.

Project Manager is Joshua Taylor-Williams.

Directed by Cathy Robinson, this show is incredibly tight and the children have been so good at receiving and carrying out Direction that this production is as good as it gets and could be mistaken for a professional touring production with the energy and enthusiasm that this group deliver.

Choreographed by Jacob Bale, this area brings out the best, and most energetic of talents from this young group of performers. But it also shows that these young actors, as with the Direction, can respond to choreography to such a high level, highlighting Jacob's fun and energy filled choreography. Dance Captain is Emily Dryhurst.

The Musical Director is Ellie Barratt. This cast have worked so well in all areas of the production side of the show, and when you listen to the harmonies that they produce, the layering of the voices, they give you goosebumps. It takes a good teacher to bring out the best of any pupil, and these pupils have obviously received some magnificent tuition.

A brilliantly catchy soundtrack with songs like "Naughty", "Revolting Children", "Smell Of Rebellion" and the brilliant "When I Grow Up" will have you tapping your toes and clapping along.

The Lighting was by James Ansell and Sound was by Tom Brooks. A few crackles with the mic packs but this is one of those shows that is full of energy, so that's something that can't be helped. That said, it took nothing away from the very clear sound at Sue Townsend Theatre, and the lighting was spot on.

The set design was by Ellie Barratt. This is yet another strong point as it was multi-levelled with blackboards and library sections raised slightly above the main performance area. The set itself was provided by King Academy.

The video design was excellent and added yet another touch of class to what is already a classy production.

Great costumes, I've already alluded to just how good they look, and are provided by Ariel Costume Hire and Andrea Bruen.

Also a big shout out to the Stage Management crew who kept the flow going brilliantly. Sharon Brown (Stage Manager), Callum Taylor-Williams (Deputy Stage Manager), Sue Kyprianou and Andrew Parkin (Backstage Hands) and Maya Voce (Backstage Microphones).

"Matilda Jr The Musical" is at Sue Townsend Theatre, Leicester just until Saturday 26 April, but it may be worth checking for any spare tickets for the Saturday matinee and Saturday evening as it looks to be sold out, the same as Friday night's performance, and I can see why this production is so very popular.