"Operation Mincemeat"

Nottingham Theatre Royal.

Possibly the most anticipated show for a long time, especially after listening to the soundtrack for many months now. I can reveal that everything that you may have heard about this show, are all correct.

It's one of the zaniest, cleverest, fastest moving, beautifully timed shows on stage, and these five actors really earn their money. They race about, change characters on stage and have rapid fire costume changes to work into the show. God, It's Brilliant!

The music reminds me of a mix between "Hamilton" and "Six" with plenty of hip hop tunes with very clever lyrics. The book, music and lyrics by David Cumming, Felix Hagan, Natasha Hodgson and Zoe Roberts.

This show started off at the Edinburgh Fringe back in 2019 and by 2024 they had received the Olivier Award for Best New Musical, as well as three Tony nominations for Best Musical, Best Original Score and Best Book of a Musical in 2025.

The plot is based on a World War Two British deception operation named "Operation Mincemeat". Now, I'm not going to go into the detail of the storyline or the characters because, as in all the best spy stories, secrets shouldn't be revealed, a bit like the conclusion of "The Mouse Trap". Believe me though, this show is a proper belter and must be seen to get the full and utter enjoyment from this show.

Just five actors play over fifty roles, which straight away promises a rapid paced and chaotic, but brilliantly funny show; and it did not disappoint.

Charlotte Fleming is Jean Leslie, the glamorous MI5 typist. Jean wants so much more than what women are given in the 1940s. She wants to make a difference.

Jordan Pearson plays Hester Leggatt, the formidable secretary to Charles Cholmondeley. Hester is an older woman who has been working for a long time, and understands how females are perceived in the workplace. Jordan is one of the understudies but obviously knows this role back to front and inside out.

Ahmed Hamad is the socially awkward scientist and Air Force Officer, Charles Cholmondeley.

Chloe Hart plays flamboyant spy Johnny Bevan. He is the first to explain the premise of the operation; the British government requires a strategy to convince the Nazis to leave Sicily. He is the big boss of the gang.

Katy Ellis, one of the other understudies, plays Ewen Montague, a brilliant Naval Intelligence Officer.

Apart from these main characters, the stage is a revolving door for the above to play various other characters....

Ian Fleming: A naval intelligence officer who narrates parts of the show and serves as the mastermind behind the alter-ego James Bond.

Admiral Godfrey: The strict, demanding chief of Naval Intelligence.

Bill / Glyndwr Michael: The homeless man whose body was used by MI5 to carry the fake documents.

The Typing Pool: Including characters named Meryl, Beryl, and Cheryl who help manage the clerical work and gossip in the office.

German Officials & Spies: Including Nazi figures and the German spy Haselden, who operates in Spain.

Various others: Submarine crews, cabaret singers, and seaside locals.

The scene with the submarine crew is hilarious as the scene switches from the submarine to a dance scene in a club, using a quick change of costume and lighting design each time. The rapidity of this scene in particular has the ability to leave you feeling out of breath.

Directed by Robert Hastie. This man must have one of the best jobs in theatre to bring such a theatrical musical masterpiece to an audience.

Choreographed by Jenny Arnold, these moves are insane. There are echoes of Beyonce and Rihanna videos - don't worry you'll easily spot which ones, as well some extremely energetic groove moves. Some scenes have such fast character changes which bring along slightly different choreography for the various characters, it's like being caught up in a whirlwind of dance.

The Set and Costume Designer is Ben Stones. Let's start with the set. If you've ever seen "Curious Incident" the set is a little bit like that with sections of the back wall revealing doors, windows, electronic lighting designs etc. Props are brought on and off, often revealing character entrances and exits from behind large props like roller boards. Desks convert into other items, and the final glitzy finale is breath takingly Hollywood with a BIG illuminated staircase and...... no, I've said too much, I can't reveal anymore about this amazing set.

The costumes are wonderfully wacky, especially the glitz involved in one particular character where instead of blood there are hundreds of red, shiny sequins on several jackets in this wardrobe. Take a look at the photos and you'll get an idea of the full breadth of the costumes.

Lighting Designer is Mark Henderson. This area is yet another big hit with me - to be honest every area in this show is a big hit with me - It's like experiencing a big American Busby Berkeley Hollywood style musical with every colourful light used. 

Sound Designer is Mike Walker. I love musicals that don't hold back on volume and with several of these musical numbers, the volume of the boogie beats bombard you, and I love the power you get from these blasts. Nicely blended with the vocals, and with a lot of the songs including rap sections, it's important that the words are heard, to get the full comedy effect from them, and I heard every word and extracted every ounce of comedy and satirical lyrics from them. I already have the soundtrack, but seeing them performed on stage just adds an additional comedy skin.

Musical Director is Ben Cox with Musical Supervisor being Joe Bunker.

The orchestration and vocal arrangements are by Steve Sidwell. You may have gathered how much I love this soundtrack, and the vocal arrangements, especially for the rap tracks and the faster songs were delivered by the cast with speed and accuracy. It's this ability that reminded me a bit of the "Hamilton" soundtrack with songs like "My Shot", but with even more pace. One song in this show, "Dear Bill", though is a beautiful love letter, sung by Jordan Pearson.

Do you get the idea that I love this manic musical? Does a newt have a tail?

"Operation Mincemeat" is at the Nottingham Theatre Royal until Saturday 1 August.

 "How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying"

Nottingham Lace Market Theatre.

I can't remember ever seeing this musical performed anywhere in the East Midlands, at least in the last twenty six years, so this may be the premiere of this musical in the East Midlands. A fantastic premiere and an even more fantastic close to the current season.

"How to Succeed in Business without Really Trying" follows the rise of J. Pierrepont Finch, who uses a little handbook called "How to Succeed in Business without Really Trying" to climb the corporate ladder from lowly window washer to high-powered executive, tackling such familiar but potent dangers as the aggressively compliant "company man," the office party, backstabbing coworkers, caffeine addiction and, of course, true love.

An irreverent and tuneful romp, jam-packed with sly, swift and sharp jabs to the funny bone, this musical is a surefire hit, as bore out by the standing ovation at the final bows; a rare sight at the Lace Market Theatre. This show requires a large cast, and a great opportunity to showcase the Lace Market Theatre's male members.

Bara Erhayiem takes on the lead role of J Pierrepont Finch, energetic and endlessly ambitious. This role has to have excellent comic timing, which is why Bara has the role, because he has this attribute in bucket loads. I love the way that, at certain stages of the story, Finch turns to face the audience with a cheesy grin, to let us all know that his plan is working out just as planned. Anyone who knows Bara knows that he is an experienced and charismatic song and dance man, having performed in many musicals in various venues over the East Midlands, again making him the perfect choice for the role of Finch.

 

Matthew Thomason  is Bud Frump. When we meet Bud Frump, he is a mailroom clerk at the World Wide Wicket Corporation, a job he has been given because he is nephew to the company President, J.B. Biggley. He is an arrogant sycophant who tries to advance his career by exploiting his family connections. Matthew has that wonderful ability to act with his face, think Jim Carrey, and is wonderfully animated in his movements. This is a brilliant comedy vehicle for Matthew which he slams into fifth gear all the way to the end.

 

Nik Hedges plays J B Biggley, the President of the World Wide Wicket Corporation. He is often the most powerful man in any room. Biggley is a gruff, impatient person, used to commanding a lot of respect, but shows to be quite malleable when Finch wraps him around his finger. 

 

Steph Jones is the office secretary Rosemary Pilkington, the love interest for Finch. Rosemary is a sweet, domestic woman who hopes to leave the office, find a husband, and settle down in a comfortable suburb. I've seen Steph in several musicals, most recently in "Kiss Me Kate" for West Bridgford Operatic Society, so I was very well aware of what an excellent voice she has.

 

Rosie Poesl is Smitty, the Human Resources, or Personnel, secretary with a dry sense of humour, and best friend to Rosemary. She is a cynical “working woman” who is on the lookout for a man. Another lovely singer who avid musical theatre goers will know from various musicals over the last few years. That dry sense of humour is perfectly delivered by Rosie as Smitty.

 

Danielle Easter plays Hedy La Rue, and it's lovely to see Danielle back on stage as it's been a while since I last had the opportunity to see Danielle acting. Hedy is a voluptuous, sexually charged woman adored by all of the men. She may appear dim-witted, but she knows how to manipulate men to get what she wants. Think of a cross between Dolly Parton, Marilyn Monroe and Betty Boop and you have an idea of what Hedy looks and sounds like. Love the vocal characterization that Danielle brings to this role, and she has some gorgeous costumes to wear as Hedy as well.

 

Will White is Bert Bratt, the Executive in charge of Personnel at the World Wide Wicket Corporation, and the most trusted man in the company.

 

Billy Bamberger plays Milt Gatch, an Executive at the World Wide Wicket Corporation, a sleazy executive with a penchant for the ladies. I will admit that I didn't recognise Billy and it wasn't until I took a proper look at the programme at the interval that I saw that Billy was in this show. The power of make up is a wonderful thing.

 Sally Eaton is Miss Jones, the formidable, feared secretary to J.B. Biggley, the President of the World Wide Wicket Corporation. She is a dignified and commanding woman, with a strict, businesslike demeanour that gets her heckled and gossiped about, but is soft and kind to those who are good to her. Another brilliant comic role; just look at the timing of her entrances and exits when Biggley's wife is on the phone to her husband. Also wait until the second act when we also get to hear that belter of a voice, as well as the powerful choreography for Miss Jones.

 

William Radford  doubles up as Benjamin Overton and the TV Announcer. I love what the wardrobe department have created for Will in the role of the TV Announcer, so much so I want one in my size!

 

Anne McCarroll is Miss Krumholtz, one of the girls in the offices. A nice cheeky little role which shows that she holds respect from the other younger office girls.

 

Gareth Morris plays Mr Twimble. Mr. Twimble is an extremely faithful employee of the World Wide Wicket Corporation. He is proud to be a “quarter century man,” who has worked for the company for over 25 years. He is a fussy, old-fashioned, and a loyal employee at the company. Supervisor of the mailroom, he believes his success is due to his lack of ambition and ability to remain unnoticed. Always great to see Gareth on stage because he is always so watchable, whether that be in a musical or a play.

 Max Bromley is Wally Womper, the company’s Chief Executive Officer and a really tough boss. We don't get to see Max until near the end of the show, but a memorable role this is, with one of those twists that you half expect but not quite sure what it'll be until it arrives.

 

Ian Smith is The Voice of the Book, letting us know what Finch is reading, and also acts as narrator for the show, guiding us along the path of Finch's success. Almost like an audio book on stage.

The Ensemble consist of Henry Binder, Aaron Connelly, Sorcha Garavan, Eva Martinez, Charmaine Mayeto-Medina, Andrea Pykett, Tom Sneed and Holly Wilson. This wonderful ensemble really flesh out the choreographed parts as well as adding even more comedy to the acting and providing a wave of vocals.

Directors Linda Croston and Alison Hope - two of my favourite theatrical ladies - have created a whopping massive success of a show, which they didn't need a book to advise how to succeed in this business called show. Everything was spot on in every area, and having an almost sold-out show on opening night - only a couple of empty seats were visible, plus that standing ovation for the final bows shows that the hard work that they have invested in this musical has more than paid off.

Choreographed by Arthur Jones, and look out for those signature Bob Fosse dance moves (Fosse was the original choreographer for this show when it opened in 1961), especially in one of the earlier pieces. To choreograph so many people on a smaller stage and to not make it look overcrowded is genius, so I suppose I should say that Arthur is a genius! Dance Captain is Holly Wilson.

Musical Director is Sam Griffiths. I have known Sam now for many years and know that whenever his name is in a programme, the results will be quality. Was I wrong? Course not. Sam has worked all over the world practically; on cruise liners - and we all know how good you need to be to work on cruise liners. The singing and music were just fabulous, which is testament to Sam's experience and ability with working with vocalists. Be prepared for some proper earworms in this show.

Wardrobe by Linda Croston and Maddie Gould. So slick and smart, and that red outfit for Hedy is to die for.

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• Lighting Designer is Matthew Allcock, who along with the Lighting Assistants Amy Bermudez, David Billen and Allan Green gave us an artist's palette of colour, splashed before our very eyes. A colourful musical deserves a colourful lighting design, and that is what we got.
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• Sound Design is by Simon Carter, another expert in his field. The sound was balanced perfectly, and to say that the Lace Market do not normally use vocal amplification, the mix between the music and vocals was a dream.
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• Stage Managed by Helen Sharp, assisted by Rosie Randall. Slick and smooth all the way through.
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There are always  an array of props in any Lace Market Theatre production, and they are all relevant to the period of the shows that they perform, and this is no different. Love those old fashioned telephones. These and the rest of the props were sourced by Wendy Silver and Lesley Brown.

The set design is by Linda Croston with Guy Evans. There's an animated, cartoonish feel to the whole set, which matches the animated, cartoonish physicality of some of the actors. A simple set of doorframes are cleverly utilised to move entrances and exits for the characters, and also double for the office lifts. The design looks simple but at the same time incredibly effective and colourful. Many people were involved in the construction and painting of the set which gives you an idea that, simple it may look, but simple may not describe the construction and painting elements of it.

"How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying" is at the Nottingham Lace Market Theatre until Saturday 25 July. To be successful in getting a ticket for this fantastically funny musical, you best contact the box office pretty sharpish as I have a feeling that this is going to be sold out for the rest of the week after word gets out just how brilliant it is.

Photography by Grace Eden Photography..

 "The Secret Garden"

Collaboration Theatre.

Elvaston Castle, The Old English Garden.

Based on the book by Frances Hodgson Burnett.

Book and lyrics by Marsha Norman and the music is by Lucy Simon.

Mary Lennox is a disagreeable, sickly 10-year-old raised by servants in India. After a cholera epidemic kills her parents, she is orphaned and sent to live at Misselthwaite Manor with her uncle, Archibald Craven, a man deeply depressed and changed by the death of his wife ten years prior. 

Left to explore the vast, windswept Yorkshire moors and the manor grounds, Mary befriends a friendly robin who helps her find a buried key and an ivy-covered door. Inside lies a beautiful, walled garden that had been locked away and forgotten after Mrs. Craven's tragic death. 

Mary meets Dickon, a local boy who loves animals and nature, and he helps her secretly cultivate the overgrown garden. One night, following the sound of crying echoing through the halls, Mary finds her cousin Colin, a bedridden, hypochondriac boy convinced he will grow up to be a hunchback and die. 

The children spend their days together in the "Secret Garden". Immersed in fresh air, play, and nature's restorative power, Colin's health miraculously improves, and he eventually learns to stand and walk. 

Mr. Craven, wandering abroad to escape his grief, has a dream of his late wife calling him back to the garden. Upon returning to Misselthwaite Manor, he is quite shocked but overjoyed to find his son running to greet him, completely healed.

Imagine all of this set in the beautiful settings of The Old English Garden at Elvaston Castle and not on the Yorkshire Moors, and you have one of those wonderful evocative classic stories, all with the sun on your shoulders and a breeze ruffling your hair. How simply delicious, especially if you love being in the outdoors and love excellent period drama and a gorgeous soundtrack.

This is one of those productions where everyone was excellent, a real ensemble piece of theatre.

Clara Carter is Mary Lennox and really brought the two sides of Mary out wonderfully. The initial spoilt child was soon knocked into shape by Colin, and then  became a really lovely young lady who appreciated her new surroundings and the people who she shared the Manor with. 

Ben Riley is Archibald Craven, the hunchback Lord of the Manor who is so consumed with grief over the death of his wife and illness of his son he is unable to move on with his life until he went to Paris and received a very special message that changed his whole outlook and demeanor. And I must say, Ben has a really lovely voice which sounded very good in this open air setting.

Harley Tidy is Colin Craven, Mary's invalid cousin. This young man is a going to be a fine young character when he grows up. How do I know that? Because he is a fine young actor now. Colin is a really bossy piece of work who has that "woe is me" attitude, until Mary puts him right about a few things. Mary and Colin turn out to be very good for each other, after all the shouting has been calmed.

Imogen Wilson plays Martha, the chatty but kind housemaid who supports Mary throughout.

James Sikora is Dickon, Martha's brother and a lad with a talent for looking after animals, plus James plays The Major at the start of the play. I've known James for a few years now and I know what a fun person he is, and the role of Dickon is right up James' street. Love the Yorkshire accent as well.

Grace Howitt plays Bet, the gardener, as well as Claire and Mrs Winthrop. Bet is another fun character who has Mary's back all the way, making her new home just that little bit easier to settle in to, and of course, gets Mary into gardening, which of course leads to Mary finding out about the secret garden.

Kerry Britnell plays the firm "no-nonsense" housekeeper Mrs Medlock. She has rules that need to be abided by, but you can see that she has a softer side.

Paul Webb is Dr Neville Craven, his brother who has given up all of his dreams to care for his nephew and run the estate for his distant brother. Paul is another lovely vocalist, and there are some lovely harmonies with Paul and Ben, as well as some of the other cast members. There really is something about music performed in an outdoor setting, especially one like this one.

Lola Smith is the housemaid Jane. 

Playing the ghosts of Mary's parents are Abbi Pritchard as Rose and Jack Bayes as Albert Lennox. A more delightful pair of spectres you could not wish to see. There are some really lovely choreographed bits for Jack and Abbi to watch out for.

Playing the ghost of Lily, Mary's aunt and former wife to the Lord of the manor is Ellie Mallinson. I know I keep saying how gorgeous this cast's voices are, but here's a wonderful operatic voice that carries beautifully on the breeze. As light and wistful as the ghostly vision she portrays. (And I told you I'd booked the weather for the production).

This is the musical version of the story and the music, as I have already hinted at, is rather lovely, like a fruit sorbet on a really warm day, it goes down a treat. A classical feel tinged with folk and also Indian tones to create that eastern warmth. This soundtrack will really get your senses going. The vocal performances just made everything sound and feel just perfect for  such a warm afternoon.

The sound system by Matt Haslam and his assistants sounded wonderful, but then a few mic pac gremlins came to play and there were a few issues. That said, this is such an intimate space and the projection from all was good, so there was no real missing out of any story line from the actors. 

Lovely costumes but I bet that some of the actors, who had the heavier costumes to bear were feeling the heat inside them, but visually, they looked marvellous.

The Props certainly looked era specific, especially the wheelchair, loaned by Central.

I have only been to Elvaston Castle twice before, and have never seen The Old English Garden, so this was a lovely afternoon treat for me.

The walk from the car park is only about five to ten minutes, depending on what you're bringing with you, but the grounds are absolutely stunning, as are the walled gardens, and the Old English Garden itself. The surroundings are beautiful and my congratulations to the Set Designer, as well as the Lighting Designer; both areas spectacular and faultless!

There are only a few laid out seats in the garden so make sure that you remember to bring your own, maybe with a few cold beverages and a picnic would also go down well, but no umbrellas as you wouldn't want to block anyone else's view of the story, would you?

There's also refreshments and cakes on sale and toilets available just a short walk from the performance area, so everything is catered for.

"The Secret Garden" is at Elvaston Castle's Old English Garden until Sunday 19 July when the final performance is at 2pm. Don't miss this wonderful story in this setting, as well as this excellent cast and soothing soundtrack. A Sunday treat for you methinks.

 "Les Miserables School Edition"

KTCo Studios

Duchess Theatre, Long Eaton.

"Les Misérables - School Edition" tells the story of Jean Valjean, a former convict who spends a lifetime seeking redemption. Set against the backdrop of 19th-century France and the aftermath of the French Revolution, this story of intertwined destinies reveals the power of compassion and the quiet evil of indifference to human suffering.

As Valjean’s quest for a new life carries him into Paris and to the barricades of the Student Revolution, he is hunted by Inspector Javert and the ghosts of his past. Amidst the battles, he discovers the true meaning of love and salvation.

What, may you ask, is the difference between the "School Edition" and the original full length musical? the answer is, not a lot. There's just a few minor changes in the lyrics.

I first saw "Les Miserables - School Edition" at the Nottingham Arts Theatre back in 2015, and it's been in my top five favourite musicals since that day.

This musical is very ambitious for any young theatre company, mainly due to the score being almost sung through, as well as its' operatically strong vocals needed.

That said, this IS Kristian Thomas Company who do not shy away from big shows like this.

There are two teams for some of the main characters. 

Team Cloud, who are on Tuesday evening, Wednesday matinee, Thursday evening and Saturday evening.

Team Castle (great name for a team) perform on Wednesday evening, Friday evening and Saturday matinee.

Jean Valjean is played by Finley Eden. I last saw Fin in "Legally Blonde" last year; this role is completely different and we get to hear the power of Fin's voice, as well as the quality and control he has, and blend that in with the obvious stage presence he has and you have a strong leading man with an equally strong vocal technique.  The big song for Valjean is "Bring Him Home", and he certainly brought it home. I really liked the way that the hair and make up aged Fin towards the end with a very realistic beard and moustache and greyed hair.

Javert, the complex police inspector obsessed with upholding and enforcing the law, is played by Harrison West. I was talking to a few people in the interval and told them that what I really liked about Harrison's version of Javert is that he sang the way that his character would sing, and not as Harrison would sing the part. Maybe what I am trying to say is that Harrison really gets under the skin of the character, understanding what Javert would be like, how he would speak and the physicality of the character. Javert becomes animated and obsessed with Valjean, and the final scenes sees Javert's world of obsession spinning out of control. Harrison has a wonderfully animated face as Javert, almost giving away the rising manic coursing through his veins. One of my all-time favourite songs from this score is "Stars", a song that Harrison smashes out of the barricade, or the ballpark, and what a strong and well controlled final note in this song.

Thénardier is played by Jake Lighbown. I've had the pleasure of reviewing and writing about Jake in several productions, and has become one of my favourite young actors. I've always enjoyed seeing Jake on stage, but he raises his personal best bar up another notch as Thenardier. It's a character that needs to have a natural comic streak, as well as a great singing voice and ability to sing in accent. Well, I can see straight away why Jake got this role as he ticks every box, and there's some nifty choreography involved as well. A lovely chemistry with Madame Thénardier is also a requirement; well that's another box ticked as well. What makes this pair even more comedic, in my opinion, is that Jake is not as tall as Evie. I've seen quite a few Thénardiers over the years and have not seen a pairing that I didn't enjoy, and I am still looking because this pair are absolute comedy gold.

Madame Thénardier is played by Evie Fawbert. Have I seen Evie previously? Was Evie in "Legally Blonde"? I can't remember, but I will definitely remember Evie after Wednesday night because this performance was brilliant. The accent was excellent, the vocals were excellent, the comedy - visually and vocally - was excellent and her interaction with Jake's Thénardier looked just like a married couple who like to make snide remarks about everything to do with their relationship. 

Marius, who is close friends with Eponine but falls heavily for Cosette, is played by Miles Potter, who reprises his role from about four years ago. Since that time Miles's voice has really matured and developed into the strong and controlled voice I heard on Wednesday night. A lovely character actor who feels the emotions of the characters he plays, and that is then shown in his face. There are so many great songs in this soundtrack and "Empty Chairs At Empty tables" is such an emotional song as he relates the story of his friends that he lost at the barricades. His performance got the hairs on the back of my neck standing up.

Enjolras, leader of Les Amies de l'ABC, is one of the most important and charismatic characters in the revolution, and is played by Findlay Parker. Anyone who has read any of my reviews that have Findlay involved will know that, after his family and friends, I am possibly his biggest fan. After his incredible Uncle Fester in "The Addams Family" a couple of weeks ago, this role is yet another change of character, although Findlay is no stranger to "Les Miserables" roles. I have a feeling that Findlay is just not capable of giving a performance less than perfect, if he ever did, then it must have been a night that I didn't attend.

Fantine is played by Katie Chamberlain (Team Cloud), and Imogen Davies (Team Castle). Wednesday evening is Team Castle so I saw Imogen. Fantine is a strong and determined female character and Imogen brings these attributes to the fore in this role. She also brings emotion, especially on the deathbed scene, and her version of "I Dreamed A Dream" started off a run of "tingles" for me. You felt Fantine's pain and determination every step of the way.

Éponine is the eldest daughter of the Thénardiers and is played by Evie Hancock (Team Cloud) and Hannah Pattinson (Team Castle). Another classic song from the soundtrack belongs to Eponine in "On My Own" and you get all that passion wrapped up in an incredible young star. The scene with Marius and Eponine at the barricades is possibly one of the most emotive performances of the two characters.

Daughter of Fantine and the adopted daughter of Valjean, Cosette is played by Nora Welham (Team Cloud) and Olivia Bonham (Team Castle). Olivia is the female equivalent of Findlay as I have been a fan of Olivia's for several years now. I mentioned the operatic streak running through this score and Olivia has one of the best trained operatic vocals around. Every time I see and hear her on stage, she seems to have taken her vocal ability to another level. Her vocal control is joyful to the ear and visually is stunning to watch.

Young Cosette is played by Jessica Upton (Team Cloud) and Sophie Shropshall (Team Castle) and Young Eponine is played by Isabelle Magee (Team Cloud) and Iris Lee (Team Castle). Sophie and Iris, who I saw on Wednesday night have a bagful of confidence and looked so comfortable on stage, and the smiles at the final bows show that this pair enjoyed being on stage as much as the audience enjoyed watching them.

Gavroche, the cheeky and streetwise urchin who helps out at the barricade, is played by Toby Clark (Team Cloud) and Joshua Stewart (Team Castle). Josh has all the cheekiness needed for this role, as well as the confidence. Love the accent and his singing style, and Gavroche's demise still makes my jaw drop, even after seeing this musical so many times.

The supporting cast, who play several roles throughout, are a tour de force and include Alfie Bridges, Bailey Duffy, Megan Wilson, Oscar drake, Rio Cundy, Alana Broderick, Amy Shelmerdine, Amelia Goodwin, Effie Lennon-Ballard, Evie Radmore, Felicity Holman, Grace Kolasa, Gracie Foster, Isobel Osborne, Jessica Peel, Laila Cook, Libby Petford, Millie Knight and Nancy Fox.

Grace Kolasa is Dance Captain. For anyone who is unsure the role of a Dance Captain, they play a vital role in preserving and maintaining the original choreography of the musical, as well as making sure that the other cast members have the routines accurate for the performance. The opening choreographed scene is very stylised and the actors concerned have a lovely staccato movement and smooth synergy.

Directed by Katy MacLaughlin. From the start to the very end of the show, everything on stage was perfection - I really am now getting so used to seeing Youth Groups creating and performing practically perfect productions. This show, as I have already mentioned, is a massive take, but when the results are as spectacular as this, you realise the amount of work put in by the creative teams.

Musical Director is Jonah Williams. Fresh from yet another amazing show last week, "Bonnie & Clyde", Jonah delivers another incredible big name show. The music is a monster but in the hands of someone like Jonah, the results are beautiful, dramatic and spectacular. The operatic, as well as dramatic, style of vocal is not always easy to bring out of a young person, but Jonah has worked his magic again. Musically, this show is stunning.

This score includes some of the most well known musical theatre songs; songs like "I Dreamed A Dream", "The Inkeeper's Song", "One Day More", "Bring Him Home", "On My Own" and "Empty Chairs At Empty Tables" among them.

The musical staging is by Kristian Cunningham, and who better to create this particular area than Mr C. Every drop of dramaturg is visible with every one of these actors. Every character is a performance.

The barricade set is designed to be able to moved in two parts so that it can be rotated to be able to show both sides of the barricade. Provided by Proscenium Set Ltd and the stage extension thanks to Roydon Charlesworth.

The costumes look marvellous, as did the wigs, and were provided by KTCo Studios. Just by looking at the costume, you know which character they belong to. Javert has several costume changes, which is something that you don't see that often in a production like this. Love the street urchin look with Gavroche. Seamstress for this production, who I imagine was kept very busy, is Abbi Burns.

I did have to have a silent smile at the attempt to gel down Miles' mass of curly hair for Marius, but I don't think there's enough gel in Long Eaton to suppress those curls!

Sound Design and Operation is by Dave Dallard. there may have been a few late mic cues, but this is a BIG cast, and when individuals in the ensemble also get solo vocal parts as well as the mains, that whole image of an octopus comes to mind. No amount of late cues though would ever spoil this show for me. Volume wise, the sound was spot on for me, as was the vocal/music mix.

Lighting design is by Stephen Greatorex, operated by Stephen Greatorex and Quillen Parker. This show's lighting design is one of colour, not just black and red, and that's what we were given, an artist's palette of colour.

Producers are Kristian Cunningham and Katie Lawson.

Stage managed by Millie Gilks.

The many props were provided by Carol Lawson.

I'll also mention that the programme is pure quality. It's glossy, looks professional and has all the details you'll need about the production. This is the work of Kristian Cunningham.

"Les Miserables - School Edition" is at The Duchess Theatre until Saturday 18 July, but I would check first to see if there are any tickets available, as when I last looked the run is SOLD OUT throughout, and after seeing the show, I can see exactly why this is. Another well deserved standing ovation, and whichever cast you see, Team Cloud or Team Castle, you will not be disappointed.

Photography by Cassie Hall Photography.

 "The Bodyguard"

Nottingham Royal Concert Hall.

I’m sure that there aren’t many people who have not seen the film of the same name which starred Whitney Houston and Kevin Costner, but the story is basically the same.

Former Secret Service agent turned bodyguard, Frank Farmer, is hired to protect superstar Rachel Marron from an unknown stalker. Each expects to be in charge – what they don’t expect is to fall in love.

The musical is packed with great Whitney Houston songs like “I Wanna Dance With Somebody”, “The Greatest Love Of All”, “Queen Of the Night”, “One Moment In Time”, “So Emotional”, “Saving All My Love For You” and of course, the song we associate with the film, “I Will Always Love You” plus so many more Whitney classics. 

Rachel Marron, in tonight's show (Monday) is played by Mireira Mambo. This role is otherwise played by Sidonie Smith. To play the same role that Whitney Houston plays is a big pair of stilettos to fill, especially vocal wise, but I am not going to compare Mireira to Whitney because Mireira has a big old powerful set of pipes for herself, and after all, it's Rachel Marron we're watching not Whitney Houston, and Mireira does an amazing job being Rachel Marron. She hits all of those big notes and when it comes to those power ballads, the emotions are there too. When it comes to choreography, she has the edge on Whitney because I can't remember Whitney having this intensity in dance; and let's be clear here, I love Whitney's work. Mireira has legs that go on forever and a groove that makes you want to mambo all night long.

Rachel's sister, Nicki Marron, is played by Sasha Monique, who has one hell of a voice as well. From the smoky jazz version of "Saving All My Love For You" to the final club banger "I Want To Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me), along with the whole cast, her voice really stands out, and I adored the gospel sound of Sasha's voice.

Frank Farmer aka The Bodyguard is played by Adam Garcia. Singer, dancer, actor, this man can do everything (he does in this keep his singing and dancing skills hidden until the finale). There is plenty of eye candy on show for the ladies in the audience but Adam certainly had a weird effect on a few ladies sat around where I was sitting, or maybe it was the heat that made them exhale so audibly. Loved the drama that Adam is involved in, all the while looking as if he would very easily step into the shoes of the next James Bond.

Rachel's stalker is played by James-Lee Harris. Here's one man you would not like to bump into in a dark alley in Nottingham, or anywhere to be precise. He looks nasty, although when he came on for his final bows and smiled at the booing his character received, he looked completely different - now that is how to break a profile. Extremely sinister looking, especially with the lighting and effects used when he was the focus on stage.

Sy Spector, Rachel's publicist, is played by Matt Milburn. Sy has been in the business for a long time and does not suffer fools gladly. He likes everyone to be adept at what they do. He is bullish and outspoken but is good at his job of promoting the Rachel Marron brand.

John Macauley plays Bill Devaney, Rachel's long standing manager, who also has the best interests of Rachel at heart, almost like a father figure to her. While Sy is interested more in the business side of Marron, Bill has that kinder edge, extremely loyal. Bill is the man who initially makes contact with Farmer after finding the note left by the Stalker in Rachel's dressing room, and asks that he becomes her bodyguard. 

Jonathan Alden plays Tony Sibelli, Rachel's current Head of Security, who at first doesn't take kindly to Farmer coming in and taking over, but soon appreciates the knowledge and experience that farmer brings with him to the job. 

Ray Court is played by Ryan Bennett, who is an experienced CIA or government agent with specialized knowledge of character profiling and stalkers. Ray provides Frank with critical intelligence regarding the stalker targeting Rachel.

Fletcher Marron, Rachel's young son, absolutely stole the stage with his singing and especially his dancing. Throughout the tour there are four young actors who play this young man, Adam Bartlett, Phoenix Beharry, Mason Dyett and Ebrahim Joof, and if they are all as talented as Mason, who is the little star on opening night (Monday), I can see long and successful futures for them all. I must say though that Mason looks as if he is going to be a brilliant dancer because he has a groove about him, and I was watching his hands and they are wonderfully turned out.

The Ensemble consist of Taylor Bridges, Kayne Gordon, Ohana Greaves, Alice Readie, Theo UK Rose, Emma-Jane Smith, Yiota Theo, Luke Walsh, Luke Woollaston and Zirihi Zadi. Boy, can this lot dance. the energy in this lot is as hot as the flames leaping from the stage in the opening number "Queen Of The Night", and as I said earlier, plenty of eye candy for the ladies with quite a bit of flesh on show and lots of raunchy gyrations.

Directed by Thea Sharrock this show is a massive success, the pace is well measured and the music and light cues are split second to give the maximum effect. Still love the way that in certain parts of the play, half of the stage is curtained off to make you focus on that particular scene of character, and then reversed to move you to the other part of the stage for the next scene; it's all about the flow.

Lighting Design by Mark Henderson and Sound Design by Richard Brooker made this musical seem like a full on concert in parts with the light show. With the "jump" factor the lighting cues, in conjunction with the sound blasts made you sit up and take notice, and the wonderful slow motion section was incredibly exciting, highlighting the danger that Rachel was in, being in close proximity to her stalker.

The sound in the Royal Concert Hall used to be - a long while ago now - not as good acoustically as it should be, but now it is top notch. If I go to a concert, I love it to be loud so that the bass resounds in your chest, and that is what this sound level was like; lovely and loud which really created that concert style atmosphere. The lighting was, likewise, of superstar concert standard. 

Musical Direction by Charlie Ingles. This six piece band sounded at least twice the size and gave out such power. Stephen Hill's orchestral management was absolutely lush, which sounded gorgeous on the ballads.

I noted that some of the songs were trimmed down, and that worked well with the flow and pace of this show.

Choreographed by Karen Bruce and, as I'd previously seen this musical before, I knew I was in for a treat, because this is West End choreography at its' best. Full on energy from the ensemble as well as Mireira and the rest of the cast. An absolute treat for dance fans.

The Video Design for this show by Duncan McLean really makes the flow of the show in an almost cinematic way. In sections it reminded me of those old film noir detective films, but the opening video sequence is something that would not look amiss in the introduction shots on "The X Factor" before the guest performer takes to the stage. 

Set and Costume Design is by Tim Hatley. A gorgeous set design that highlighted Rachel's status in the music industry, and of course the costumes are absolutely stunning.

What really made this show so classy for me though was the whole staging of the show. Props and scenes that seemed to slide in and out, Stage sectioning to focus on the smaller scene while the quick changes were being done in the darkened and shielded part of the stage and also the three way closure of the scenes - the two from the sides of the stage and then another that lowered from the top of the stage to diminish the vision to a small square which then vanished. Difficult to explain but a fabulous way to bring closure to a scene.

What slightly irked me though was the grating noises that were heard when the flats - large scene sections that are dropped into place from above the stage - were hoisted or lowered into place electronically. At times you could only just hear the actors while these flats, behind the curtained off scene, were positioned and repositioned. This grating noise could be heard several times during the show, lasting for around ten seconds at a time. This didn't spoil my enjoyment of the show however, it was just annoying to be able to hear the electronics of the machinery that changed the scenery. I think this may also be the first time that I have ever heard this sort of thing in a theatre setting.

But I refuse to end on a negative note because this show has, over the years become a bit of a guilty pleasure for me. I love the songs, the choreography is always exciting to watch, the Direction is always stunning, as is the sound and lighting design. the film was never really on my favourite lists, until after the first time I saw the stage musical of this, and now I watch it whenever it's on TV (spoiler - the end of the musical is not the same as the end of the film version - but I love both). This a great night out at the theatre and a wonderfully thrilling evening's entertainment.

“The Bodyguard” is at the Nottingham Royal Concert Hall until Saturday 18 July.