Matthew Bourne's "Sleeping Beauty"

Nottingham Theatre Royal.

I have a confession to make. Last year I was converted, I had my head turned by someone i didn't think would be of interest to me. That man was Matthew Bourne. Well, closer to the truth would be that Matthew Bourne's ballet converted me to being a ballet fan.

In the same vein as Shakespeare, some people shy away from going to the theatre to see ballet in the same way as they feel that they can't understand the Bard and his works, Well let me tell you, if that's your way of thinking, you're missing out on a great deal of wonderful entertainment.

The latest in Matthew Bourne's wonderful re-imaginings of classic works ("Swan lake", "Edward Scissorhands", "The Car Man"), here this week is "Sleeping Beauty".

There are some slight differences to the well known pantomime but it follows the same story line and, with being ballet and having no dialogue, the story is relayed through the dance, which give a whole new perspective to the story. it really draws you in.

I'm no expert on ballet, but I know that watching these athletes of dance gives you such a feeling of calm, you leave the theatre feeling so relaxed after watching these incredible dancers and storytellers, ballet should be prescribed on the National Health, The feeling is so good.

Like the world of theatre, dance performances have to go that step further to keep fresh and to compete, and including a puppet baby "Aurora", which was so real looking, was an inspired touch and interacted well with the dancers. in my mind puppetry is an under valued art form, and when you look at shows like "Avenue Q" and "Little Shop Of Horrors", you can see what a difference this can make.

Anyone who knows how Matthew Bourne works will expect a dark performance and that was true here. "A Gothic Romance" is what it's billed as, and gothic in every sense it was, complete with evil fairies and vampires.

Adam Maskell who doubled as Carabosse, the dark fairy who cast the spell on Aurora (Ashley Shaw), as well as playing the dark fairy's son, Caradoc. Maskell oozed menace as he wreaked revenge for the death of Carabosse. He even plotted to entice Aurora's true love, Leo, played by Dominic North, to kiss the sleeping Aurora to bring her back to, life, just so that he could get his wicked hands on her. This plot worked but it all ends happily ever after.....for most of them! Remember this is a gothic re-working of a fairy tale

Everything that makes Matthew Bourne's shows so brilliant is replicated in this one. The incredible sets, the sumptuous costumes, the wonderful choreography, the comedy. There's even a sliding, conveyor belt like stage which gives the impression of the dancers floating in the air.

There's one particular setting with a large mansion on a hillock which is so realistic, complete with lit windows and such details, just beautiful, and that big old moon adds to the romance of the piece.

The light and shade between the bad fairies and the heroes of the piece is made obvious in the costumes and wonderful make up. Just looking at the credits for the people behind this masterpiece is longer than the cast and production team, which gives you an idea of the people involved in making this fairy tale a reality.

And of course there's the sweeping romantic music of Tchaikovsky. Bliss!

The timing, musicality, dramaturgy and attention to detail is incredible and just watching several of the dancers in the background of some the mass ensemble scenes is entertaining enough, so imagine trying to take in everything on stage all at once.

I noticed that some of the audience didn't look like your average ballet fan, if there is such a thing, but this is great because, whether the bald-headed ZZ Top lookalike and the T shirt and jeans bloke had been dragged there by their better halves, this shows that people like Mr Bourne is breaking down the barriers for the ballet theatre goers. now not an entertainment for the middle and upper classes; it's something that everyone can enjoy.

Matthew Bourne's "Sleeping Beauty" is at the Nottingham Theatre Royal until Saturday 23 April 2016.

"A Midsummer Night's Dream"
Lace Market Theatre.

Who'd have thought 400 years after his death we would still be enjoying the great poetry that Shakespeare wrote for the stage. This is one of his best comedies but in today's terms this could be seen as a fore runner of the "rom-com", After all, this is a love story for three of the couples featured which ends well for all three.

I'm not going to precis the story as you should know the tale of Hermia and her love triangle and the mischievous fairy, Puck who, on orders from the fairy king Oberon, throws the fairy spanner in the works, but then gets it all sorted out just in time for the happy ending.

Many people still have a vision of Shakespeare as being hard to understand, but this is not so. In the hands of a great cast and wonderful director, this is not the case and they all bring out the obvious comedy of the play while showing the dark side of the fairy kingdom. yes, they aren't all Tinkerbells you know!

Hermia is in love with Lysander but Demetrius also loves Hermia (Classic love triangle) but Hermia's father, Thesus, has told his daughter that she marries Demetrius or dies. well, what's a girl to do? Obvious, she plans to run off to the Shakespearian equivalent of Gretna Green to marry. Hermia tells her best friend forever, Helena, who has a massive crush on Demetrius, who only has eyes for Hermia and dismisses Helena's advances.

So what does a best friend do? Only tells Demetrius what's going on and all four end up in the fairy forest and that is where the fun really hits the fan!

Shakespeare's innovative writing is the fore runner of dream sequences where the dream characters are also part of the "real life" in the play characters. just think how well this worked in "The Wizard Of Oz" and the "play within a play" farce style plays.

Andy Taylor (Thesus/Oberon) shows the two sides of the characters with the "master of the house" kind of father and the almost cruel King Of The Fairies, Oberon.

Kay Haw (Hippolyta/Titania) again matches the contrasts as the loyal wife of Thesus and the opposing man eater Queen of the fairies Titania, who falls for a right ass!

Ali Patrick-Smith returns to the stage after a break of a few years and makes me wonder why? Why she has stayed away from the footlights for so long? She delivers some lovely emotive lines of the bard, especially when Lysander is under the influence (of Puck's magic) and again when the spell has been lifted.

Lysander, one third of the love triangle, is played by Martin Pikett along with Matthew Thomason as Demetrius. They make a brilliant pairing as rivals and there was one part when i almost expected a Morecambe and Wise style skipping off of the stage complete with unsheathed swords aloft. Matthew plays the "posh" character so well and says a lot in many of his "down the nose" looks.

Poor Helena, played by Chloe Senior, What a poor taste in men she has, but you can't help who you fall in love with i suppose. Chloe puts in a wonderful, at times quite scatty, performance, adding to the comic feel of the play.

Christopher Collins, as Puck, plays the mischievous fairy, darker than i have seen Puck played before, and this really suits the character. He's almost spiteful to the humans and he relishes the mischief he causes. Chris also looked like he was revelling in the role. Chris also doubles up as Philostrate when not in a dream sequence.

The "players", the equivalent of the modern community theatre crowd, are hilarious in their play for Thesus and the crew. Robert Wildgust (Quince), Ian Smith (Bottom) who was the tops at making an ass of himself, Hayden Bradley (Flute/Thisby) who has a natural comedy feel, Tom Orton (Snout/Moonshine), who also seems to lose a dog along the way, Stephen Herring (Snug/Lion), the campest lion I've ever seen, and Linda Croston(Starveling/Wall) who also gave a wonderfully comical portrayal of a hole in the wall, believe me you have to see the subtleness of this piece. A beautifully crafted troupe of comics.

Not forgetting the other fairies, Lucy Wakefield (Peaseblossom), Sally Nix(Cobweb) and Lesley Brown (Moth). Immi Lea (Mustardseed) and also David Dunford (Egeus).

What a wonderful cast! And what a production team as well. Jane Herring directs the piece with just the right balance of comedy, which i feel has been enhanced to bring out the true comedic writings of Shakespeare. Jane also balances this with just the right amount of darkness within the fairy kingdom. A great contrast of light and shade which, with Shakespeare, i imagine, isn't the easiest job for a director.

Loved the costumes; the colours and richness of the clothes brought to life the period of the piece. Not just for the women but some great garb for the male actors as well, and that goes for the wigs.

Brilliant set design by Mark James, as was the lighting, designed by Simon Carter, creating a magical atmosphere. Also creating a mood with the original music which was written for this production by Piotr Wisniewski.

I just loved the whole overall production of this piece of classic theatre. Classic but you get the feeling of a more modern atmosphere, created mainly, I feel, by the comedy elements that have been brought to the fore, while retaining the Shakespearian skeleton of his wonderful, eloquent stage poetry.

"A Midsummer Night's Dream" is on at the Nottingham Lace Market Theatre until Saturday 23 April 2016. Do not miss this production, and if you've not seen any Shakespeare before (God forbid), make this the one to turn yourself on to the Bard. Where have you been the last 400 years?

The Half Eight Headliner
The Bodega, Nottingham.

I don't often venture into the world of pub gigs, but after tonight, I may just venture out more often. Upstairs at The Bodega in Nottingham The Half Eight were playing their first headline gig with support from Joshwa Kemp and Holly Fallon.

Josh kicked the night off with a selection of self composed songs like "Leap Of Faith", "You Are" and his latest song inspired by his travels to Asia, "Imaginary Friend". I've seen Josh before and he has a sound of his own, multi tracking vocals, guitar riffs and percussion live to create his own band of one. Josh is a very talented singer, songwriter and musician. His songs are really easy to listen to in any environment and it's always special to hear him play live. Not only is he a brilliant musician and an unassuming performer, he is one of the most hard-working local artists as well as being one hell of a nice guy.

Holly Fallon was up next and this was the first time that I have heard Holly perform live. She performed a mix of cover versions and originals with her guitarist, Jack. Originals like her latest song "Summer" were received just as well as her inspired choice of covers which included her versions of "I'm Yours" mashed up with "Billionaire" and a lovely stripped back version of Irene Cara's "Fame" to end her spot.

After a short break to allow for the main event to be set up behind the erected banner, The Half Eight erupted with an introductory drum break from Hugh which teased the crowd for what was to come. One by one Charlie, James and Oliver exploded onto the stage. It was like lighting the touch paper of some sort of musical explosion because they came on and completely ripped the place apart with a powerhouse rhythm section and exciting vocals from all the band. They slowed down only a couple of times, once for us to get out mobile phones out (the new lighters bit), and the second time to do an almost accapella version of The Lumineers "Hey Ho", splitting the crowd to do the audience participation.

There was a brilliant version of The Killers "Mr Brightside" and One Direction's "Up All Night", which worked really well with the self-penned songs like the brilliantly catchy "Love In The Dark" and the single "Kiss Me Like You Mean It" which closed the show. They were loud and exciting to watch and listen to while getting the crowd going with some simple, but effective audience participation between the songs, and then all too soon the night was over with confetti cannons and a cascade of black and red balloons.

These four lads, Hugh, Charlie, Oliver and James have worked their socks off to create a great rock party atmosphere in a similar mould to Busted and McFly but with a slightly harder edge, still keeping the instantly catchy tunes. And like the bands mentioned the lads play their own instruments as well. A night that was well received by everyone and I for one can't wait for their next show, and for when they get signed so we can take a physical piece of their music home to rock out to and annoy the kids, who already tell me to turn my music down.

A brilliant night featuring some of the cream of Nottingham's local musicians, singers and songwriters, who should be supported at this level, because tomorrow they may be playing arenas, and then you'll regret missing out.

For more information about the three artists, you can go to their respective Facebook sites.

https://www.facebook.com/thehalfeight/?fref=ts
https://www.facebook.com/josh.kemp.330?fref=ts
https://www.facebook.com/hollyafallon/?fref=ts

"Noises Off" by Michael Frayn
Nottingham Playhouse

The idea for "Noises Off" came in 1970, when Frayn was watching from the wings a performance of The Two of Us, a farce that he had written for Lynn Redgrave. He noted that it was funnier to see the play from behind the set than as an audience member and thought that one day he would write a play from that perspective, "Noises off" is that play and takes its title from the theatrical stage direction indicating sounds coming from offstage.
Each of the three acts of "Noises Off" contains a performance of the first act of a play within a play, a poor farce called "Nothing On" Act One is the dress rehearsal where we see the cast hopelessly unprepared and having issues with entrances and exits, missed cues, missed lines, doors that won't open or stay shut and bothersome props, including several plates of sardines.

Act Two shows a matinee performance a month later but this time from backstage which shows the deteriorating relationships between the cast and director and falls into disorder before the end of the play.

In Act Three, we see a performance near the end of the ten-week run and the relationships have got even worse. The actors remain determined at all costs to cover up the mounting series of mishaps, but it is not long before the plot has to be abandoned entirely and result to ad-libbing their way to the end of the scene.

There are laughs a plenty here, and I have it on good authority that this is very close to how it sometimes can be behind the scenes of community theatre productions.

Orlando Wells plays the director of "Nothing On", Lloyd Dallas, who as a director is used to juggling and keeping all the theatrical balls in the air, but the juggling also spills into his personal life as well.

Carla Mendonca as Dotty Otley who plays Mrs Clackett, is a wonderful character driven piece who I would love to see playing Mrs Overall in "Acorn Antiques" because of the comedy element of both characters.

Patrick Osborne and Sophia Nomvete play Gary Lejeune/Roger Tramplemain and Brooke Ashton/Vicki are a wonderful pairing as the two who are having an affair and use the house as a meeting place for their illicit tryst, unaware that they are not alone in the house.

Enter the owners, who aren't really there as they are really in Spain for income tax reasons, John Elkington and Becci Gemmell as "Nothing On" actors Frederick Fellowes and Belinda Blair who play husband and wife Phillip and Flavia Brent. Belinda has a habit of revealing which of the cast members are in relationships with each other and Frederick has troubles with nose bleeds when there is any aggression shown, which as you can imagine is quite regular.

The poor assistant stage manager, Poppy, is played by Ritu Arya, and shows Poppy as over-sensitive and unaware of the director's dalliances with one of the other cast members. When this news is revealed, her character becomes ever more sensitive and there's a lovely scene regarding the curtain calls which shows the comic side of the character.

Robin Bowerman as Seldon Mowbray, the distinguished actor with a drink issue, plays the burglar in "Nothing On". There's a wonderful section in Act Two involving a bottle of whiskey which is beautifully choreographed.

And finally the overworked stage manager, who also doubles for Frederick and Seldon, and runner for Lloyd played by Brian Lonsdale.

All of the these characters are wonderfully cast, very funny. I can only imagine that playing a character who is playing another character can't be the easiest of roles but these lot make you believe the character and the character's character.

"Noises Off" is directed by Blanche McIntyre and a brilliant job she does as well. She has created a fast-paced, hilarious piece of slapstick/farce theatre with split second comic timing, made for all the family to enjoy. I'm not sure if it will make anyone sign up to community theatre but but hopefully it will make people go to see more community theatre. You never know, after all it is live entertainment and no two shows will ever be exactly the same so.....

"Noises off" is on at the Nottingham Playhouse until Saturday 30 April 2016.

"Jesus Christ Superstar" by the ESNA Players
Loughborough Town Hall

Hold on to your hats, you could be in for a long one here, and I mean the review, so you may want to get a beverage before you start reading.

I have seen many amateur and professional productions of the Lloyd-Webber/Tim Rice's rock opera but I think I've now seen the best version. i won't need to tell you the story so we can skip to the bit I like best, heaping praise. I apologise for not being able to mention everyone by name but you should all know that every single one of you made the performance the success that it is.

Let's start at the top and Jesus Christ. Played by Darryl Clarke, I judge Jesus by the song "Gethsemane", which is sung after Judas has betrayed him and he is waiting to be arrested. I look for an equivalent to Ian Gillan's stage version of the song or Ted Neely's film version, I know in reality that I won't find this but Darryl's version was as close as I've heard. The note at the end of the song was long, powerful and controlled and gave me goose-bumps. The performance throughout was powerful and emotive, especially at the end when he was taken from the cross and wrapped up. I won't lie, I was welling up. Darryl has an amazing falsetto which he used to great affect and dealt with the intricate key changes incredibly well. You could really believe it when he appeared completely tired, spent and ready to die on that cross.

Ashley Bright played Judas. You could see the frustration he wrestled with after he betrayed Jesus; torn between his love for the man and trying to stop the situation that had been created getting out of hand. We all know how the story ends for Judas but when it came, it was quite one of the most violent and shocking versions I've seen. it would have been easy to overdo the suicide act but this wasn't overdone at all.Again a wonderfully powerful voice with great control.

I always thought that Mel C did a great job as Mary Magdalene but after tonight, Mel C could take some tips from Natasha Bryan. Beautiful to look at and gorgeous to listen to. Natasha has a very pure, clear and emotive voice, which matched her acting. It would be easy to replicate past versions but Natasha took " I Don't Know How To Love Him" and made that song her own.

For me one of the most powerful voices on stage came from Chris Wilson, who played Pilate. The sheer power was quite physical; he put the opera in to rock opera. Chris is a big man with a big voice and he commanded that stage, but it was also nice to see the almost moralistic side of Pilate shown when he had to order the 40 lashes to Jesus. You could see that he was holding back the punishment as he had no crime to punish but gave in to the baying crowd who wanted the crucifixion of Jesus.

Brilliant vocals from Jonathan Penton and Phil Burrows as Calaphas and Annas respectively. A wonderful rich bass voice teamed with another powerful set of lungs with Phil. This pair of characters are a pair that i always look forward to hearing, and again I was not disappointed.

Making his debut with ESNA was George Evans as Simon Zealots, and what a way to make a debut for the company. Solid performance and again a strong musical theatre voice.

Another role I always look forward to is that of Herod. Benjamin Hardyplays this role with a difference and makes the role very fresh. Gone is the camp, almost game show host style of character and in comes the sarcastic, bullying King. "King Herod's Song" is also very very different. Gone is the almost ragtime style piano based fun tune and in comes a more fitting rock version which still retains the humour of the lyrics, but now has a much harder edge, and i loved it! Ben is teamed with a bevy of dancers for the choreographed piece and leaves us in no doubt who's in charge!

A wonderfully large ensemble which really make the crowd scenes look like and sound like a crowd. They also create a visual delight in the group choreography pieces. And talking of which, the choreography was spectacular and exciting and you can see that there's been a lot of hard work put in by the cast with choreographer Carl Edwards.

Music, as always at Loughborough Town Hall is crystal clear. the acoustics in that venue are wonderful. Jon Orton is the musical director of the incredible orchestra there. I loved the subtle changes in some of the arrangements, as well as the not so subtle fresh arrangement of "Herod's Song". Some may have thought it all a bit too loud, but I have no problem with that, after all it is a rock opera. Well balanced in my opinion by Rob Temperton. Lighting, which just as brilliant was the work of Judith Moulton A modern feel in the costumes provided by the excellent wardrobe department and Victoria Clarke.

The set, by Jeremy Malpas, was on two levels which gave rise, quite literally to a bigger performance space with a large cinema screen at the back. This is normally seen at larger venues such as the Arena tour that went around a couple of years back, but it works so well in this venue and in this show.

There's a very hard working stage crew who, at most shows don't even get a mention but they deserve one with this show, as does stage manager, Ash Moulton.

Directed by Emma Adcock, this is one great big resounding hit she has here, I know what an enormous amount of incredible hard work goes into being a director. It's not just telling an actor where to stand and how to deliver a line. In this show you can tell from what you see on stage that the hard work of the director has been the foundation for the amazing work on show. This is just the tip of the iceberg where musical theatre is concerned.

Look, basically, this show is the best version of "Jesus Christ Superstar" I've seen, and I can't think of one bad version I've seen, but this just has the edge, professional or amateur level. Every singer has an amazing voice and there are some brilliant songs that every one knows, "Heaven On Their Minds", "What's The Buzz", "Hosanna", "Gethsemane", "I Don't Know How To Love Him" and of course the anthemic title track.

"Jesus Christ Superstar" is on at The Loughborough Town Hall until Saturday 16 April 2016. This is one musical you really do not want to miss out on, so get your ticket as soon as you can, while you still can.

"Bad Jews" by Joshua Harmon

Nottingham Theatre Royal

After Jonah, Daphna and Liam's Grandfather, Poppy, dies in New York, leaving a piece of religious jewellery, a "Hay", that he succeeded in hiding even from the Nazis during the Holocaust. The cousins fight over not only the family heirloom, but their religious faith, culture, and even the validity of each other's romances. The necklace has significance not for its monetary value but because of what it symbolised. Poppy kept it hidden under his tongue for two years while in a concentration camp.

In the week that sees the arguments over wills hitting the news, this is well timed, coincidentally. The play is billed as a dark comedy and, while there are some laughs here, I found the play interesting, and entertaining for different reasons. There's a lot of anger, which could also be translated as passion, shown mainly between Liam, the cousin who couldn't get to the funeral on time, and Daphna, the cousin who thought that she ought to get the "hay". And it's the passion behind the arguments, on both sides that makes this play just as fascinating as the main theme.

It's interesting that both Liam and Daphna want the jewellery, both for different reasons but it all comes back to their religion and their different ideas of carrying on the faith and religious traditions. Daphna wants it because she feels that it should be hers because she is passionate about being Jewish and her faith, as well as the story behind the "hay". She also seems to want to break the tradition as she says that this is normally passed sown to the male side of the family.

Liam wants it because he wants to propose to his latest girlfriend, Melody, in the same way that his Grandfather did to his Grandmother. As Poppy didn't have the money to buy a ring, he uses the "hay" until he could afford a ring. Liam though, unlike Daphna, is happy to let the  religlious  tradition and faith go bye the bye.

in the middle of all of these arguments is Jonah, whose New York apartment the play is set in.Jonah wants to keep everyone happy and at times sits squarely on the fence, which by the end is just a little too much for him and the play ends in an emotional finale.

Jonah (Jos Slovick) seems to be the most laid back of the family and while he is a modern Jew, he doesn't have that much of an opinion over the traditiions or the faith with all of the arguments between his brother and his cousin.

Ailsa Joy, who played Daphna is, as her name, a joy to watch and the one that I felt more pity for, if "pity" is the correct word. She is feisty and knows what she wants, but is also very upfront and blunt with her opinions which you can see is what rubs Liam up the wrong way. She has some very lengthy pieces of script and delivers them with a  natural flow and great passion for the role.

Ilan Goodman (Liam), I'm surprised that this show hasn't made him burst a blood vessel. He has a right old vitriolic rant against Daphna for what must be a solid ten minutes or so, which gained him a round of applause mid play it was that good.

And then poor Melody, played by Antonia Kinlay, introduced to the family like a Centurian to the amphitheatre. Sometimes the performance is suitably restrained but she comes in to her own close to the end.

The set of the apartment, overlooking the Hudson River, is one that anyone would love to live in. it looks like a proper apartment, all shiny and modern with a big fridge/freezer that actually works. Brilliant set designed by Richard Kent.

Directed by Michael Longhurst, who actually studied philosophy at Nottingham University, did a brilliant job here. Everything was so tight when it needed to be, like the full pelt arguments, and he's also not a director who's afraid to leave gaps with no speech or action to create tension.

As I said earlier, it's billed as a comedy but there's no big belly laughs, the comedy is subtle. It is there and it's natural comedy, the lines have not been written to create an obvious laugh. It's not needed as the play is very entertaining and natural humour comes from the characters.

There's quite a bit of bad language, but do not let that put you off because this play is a joy to watch and a real education on the modern Jew and being Jew-ish. "Bad Jews" is on at the Nottingham Theatre Royal until Saturday 16 April 2016. Go on, don't be tight, shell some money out for 90 minutes of quality theatre this week.

"Tomb With A View" by Norman Robbins

Riverside Drama Company

Let me start off by saying that i was a little disappointed with this play, but not with the production or presentation. I saw Norman Robbins' "Tiptoe Through The Tombstones" a while back and absolutely loved it. I was really looking forward to seeing "Tomb With A View" because of the writer, but it seems that Robbins is a bit of a one trick pony because there were so many similarities between the two plays that I had already worked out who had done the dirty deed by the interval. Now let me just say that for anyone who has not seen another Robbins play featuring the family Tomb, you would not be disappointed because at first sight it is a really funny play and there are red herrings and twists aplenty. having seen the previous play by Robbins though this was a carbon copy.

Now that's over, let's get on with the praise.

"Tomb With A View" is set in the library of the Tomb's home, Monument House; they have been assembled for the reading of the will, but who will be the beneficiaries and who will get bumped off. More importantly, who will live to tell the tale! there are some strange characters here like Marcus Tomb who thinks that he is Julius Caesar, Dora Tomb who is a dab hand at gardening, although you wouldn't want the things she plants in her bed to come up!!

Mike Evans played the part of the lawyer, Hamilton Penworthy, whose job was to read the will, Sam Badman (Lucinda Tomb),Amy Cannon (Dora Tomb), Lizzie O Hara (Emily Tomb), Dave Wilson (Marcus Tomb), Jane Harris (Monica Tomb) every family member with their very own individual personality. The nurse, Anne was played by Donna Chin, really came into her own in Act 2. The dour housekeeper was played brilliantly by Moya Magee and the final pair to complete the excellent cast were Sarah Terry as the women's romance writer Freda Mountjoy and her publicist Peregrine (Perry) Potter, played with equal amounts of awkwardness and nervousness by Dave Whyatt ; both of these characters have secrets that are soon revealed.

Directed by Celia Billau, and what fun she must have had taking on this project, and what a lovely job she did on this as well. An important part of the play is the scene setting with sound and lighting, both ably handled by Keith Salway. I loved the costumes from the full Roman toga for Marcus to the tomboy-ish masculine suit for Emily, who by the way was wonderful as the butchest member of the Tomb family. Loved the set design of the old library with its secret (or not so secret) passage ways; another big pat on the back for Celia Billau along with Bob Baron.

If I were to mention anything that may need tweaking, it would be to tighten up, just a smidge, the delivery of some of the lines, as I got the feeling that maybe, and that's just a maybe, there was a wee bit of hesitation with some of the delivered lines. Something that may not even registered with other audience members, but that's just me being ultra picky.

If you're new to Norman Robbins, I urge you to see this wonderfully comical play. if you've seen Robbins' plays before, go anyway because this cast make it worth seeing.

"Tomb With A View" is on at the Duchess Theatre until Saturday 9 April 2016.