"Abi" by Atiha Sen Gupta
Derby Theatre.

This play is a new play in response to "Abigail's Party" which is also playing at Derby Theatre.

It is a one woman production with Safiyya Ingar as Abi.

Abi is the fifteen year old Grand daughter of Abigail, who as in "Abigail's Party", is never seen but is crucial to the plot.

Abi is throwing a bit of a party herself and is expecting her boyfriend Lucas round for pre party entertainment, when she discovers some quite shocking secrets about what happened at the party back in 1977. This play also shines a very eerie light on one of the party guests featured in "Abigail's Party" and answers some of the unanswered questions that in the original play, may not have been so mysterious.

Using the same set give or take a few updated furniture and decorative designs, from "Abigail's Party", this action takes place in 2018, where the party music is current and so is the language.

It's a clever way to go back and shed some light over the events that happened on that night back in 1977, and by the end of this one hour play, you get a certain shock factor which mirrors recent events over the past few years.

That said , for me it could have been shorter and meandered a bit, but maybe that was the whole point to take you off of the scent as to what the play would end up revealing.

Saffiyya is a talent to look out for and I've seen her in a couple of other plays locally and she always delivers a fiery, gritty and modern performance. This play is no exception and I loved that light bulb moment when the jigsaw pieces from 1977 fell into place in 2018.Cleverly directed to keep that revelation right at the end for maximum impact by Sarah Brigham.

"Abi" is at the Derby Theatre until Saturday 20 October 2018.

See both "Abigail's party" and "Abi" to get the full impact as the story continues.........

"Abigail's Party" by Mike Leigh
Derby Theatre.

I'd forgotten what a wonderful piece of theatre this play is, but tonight refreshed my love for this Mike Leigh slice of suburban seventies soiree.

Beverley is throwing a small but select "do" consisting of their new neighbours, Angela and Tony and Susan, mother of Abigail, who is having a teenage party a few doors down. Laurence, Bev's husband, is racing around catching up with his work as well as racing around after Bev..

As the evening continues we hear snatches of the back stories of all the characters and slowly, secrets are revealed about all five of them, giving us a more rounded image, as well as a darker side to them all.

Tony and Laurence are sent off to make sure that all is well at Abigail's party, Tony returning a while after Laurence confirming that all is OK to Susan, who takes ill after Bev continually topping up her drinks. All on an empty stomach as well!

The evening ends in a very dark way for one of the five.

The cast are excellent.

Melissa Gutteridge (Beverley) is wonderfully flirty as the hostess with the mostest.

Christopher Staines (Laurence) really encompasses the hard working husband, slightly under the thumb with a bit of a rebellious streak.

Amy Downham (Angela) has a wonderful character to play and her voice is delightfully infuriating while also keeping that comic edge, Angela sometimes lets her tongue run away with her while trying to keep up with Bev's life tales.

Liam Bergin (Tony) depicts the typical 70's heart throb. Long hair, beard, tache, hairy chest, smart, trendy clothes and at times mysteriously silent. He also used to be a pro footballer - for a short time. It makes you wonder why he has married Angela at times. You can tell he has an eye for the ladies as he is seduced by Beverley, right under everyone's nose.

Susie Emmett (Susan) is also another wonderful character driven part, as are all the characters in this play. Susan is well bred, divorced and nervous about leaving Abigail and the party, especially with all the horror stories the others drip feed her about their past party experiences.

A brilliant set (Lee Newby) which depicts the typical 1970's middle class home, complete with lava lamp and other seventies lights, bar, furniture, wall coverings and vinyl. Baccarra, Elvis and of course Demis Roussos. As only to be expected the clothes are wonderful, also designed by Lee Newby. That is what makes this play fascinating to watch, the attention to detail.

Brilliantly directed to make sure that the comedy and pathos, and the final dramatic ending were well balanced, Douglas Rintoul has kept all the magical feel of the era but still managing to make it feel like this was the first time that I had seen the play.

Ivan Stott did a great job with the sound design as did Zoe Spurr with the light design.

Mike Leigh's writing has stood the test of time and this wonderful production proves it.

"Abigail's Party" is at Derby Theatre until Saturday 20 October 2018

"Strictly Musicals" by LEOS
May Hall, Long Eaton

What can I say? What can I say about this show. Absolutely every person that left May Hall last night had the biggest smile on their faces, me included.. From the very start with the opening number "Flash, Bang, Wallop", Long Eaton Operatic Society had us in their spell.

The joining of the Youth Group and LEOS was a cracking idea and I think both groups gained something from the experience, and we, the audience, certainly enjoyed both.

Members old and new sang their hearts out, and I especially loved hearing the elder statesmen and women in the group taking leads in the ensemble numbers.

I couldn't possibly say which of the sections or songs I enjoyed more than others because the production/Director team of Emma Collins, Katie McDonald, Siân Scattergood, Kheenan Jones and Louise Watkins pulled together a superb collection of classic and modern musical numbers.

"Half A Sixpence", "My Fair Lady", "Rock Of Ages", "Calamity Jane", "We Will Rock You" and "Legally Blonde" were all featured in the first part.

The "Mamma Mia" medley really got the crowd going, ending the first act and leaving us wanting more, which we got in the second act.

"Wicked", "Blood Brothers" - my all time favourite musical, and - my second all time favourite musical "Les Miserables" filled the second act.

The "Les Mis" medley was out of this world with several solos and that wonderful ensemble choir which was so powerful, and really filled us all with emotion, which led to the well deserved standing ovation at the end.

There were a couple of solos that I really would like to highlight. Phil Deakin's "Somebody To Love" was spot on. His falsetto sent shivers up my spine and Queen songs are notoriously difficult to pull off because of Mercury's incredible voice but Phil smashed it.

Emily Corner's "Wizard and I" was a sublime way to open the second act and Phoebe Mellor's solo of "Castle On A Cloud" showed off what a pure and controlled voice she has for one so young.

Another tear-jerking moment was another from the "Les Mis" medley, Tony Newton and Robert McAuley was a magical merging in "Stars", and their voices complemented the other beautifully.

I'm not going to mention everyone on that stage as there were too many but, I've not seen an ensemble that size work so well and sound so good. I applaud every single one of you.

At times at May Hall the sound can be a bit muggy, but not tonight. The sound was the clearest I have ever heard at May Hall, and the band, for this clarity, sounded amazing, led by Musical Director Tom Watkins.

And finally I must mention our two MC's for the evening, Adam Guest and Kheenan Jones. I have done MC work in the past and know how hard it is, and these two were so laid back, and made it look so easy.Even the jokes were funny, even the 111 joke, which I knew made me laugh because of the timing of this one was perfect. I've made notes and will be using some of them in the future... it's a tribute and I'm not really stealing your gags... honestly!

Thank you all for a wonderful evening of musical entertainment, and I'm still smiling thinking about the show... and those jokes!

“I Dare You” written by Tom Powell
Neville Suite, Nottingham Playhouse

Written by Tom Powell who is only 26 years old, this play is the story about two siblings, Emily and Solomon who are coping with the end of their parents’ marriage and the challenges that they have to face and of being a child in an adult world. His use of words are simple but that simplicity, and honesty, bring a fresh and realistic, as well as at times, quite shocking piece of theatre very much alive.

The play takes in very adult subjects such as divorce, death and abuse but doesn’t preach and actually has many lighter, comic moments, despite its’ dark subject matter.It gives a lot of credit to young people and their resilience when put in situations that adults may crack in.

The two actors switch between the parents and the children, as well as the the other characters within the play. There's also a moment near the end which almost borders on a Norman Bates moment as Solomon starts to resemble what we imagine their mother may have looked like.

Sabrina Sandhu plays Emily and Thomas Mahy plays Solomon, and I really can't praise these two enough for taking on what I imagine must not be the easiest of roles, but also must have been roles that they have enjoyed taking on. The extent of the age ranges and the subject matter for both really gave both something to get their teeth into.

Directed by Beth Shouler, and assisted by Omar Khan, they brought out the range of emotions from both actors and succeeded in creating a child like, bickering atmosphere as well as a couple of rather uncomfortable moments.

Produced by Ria Ashcroft, Tilly Branson and Hannah Stone with a simple and clever set design by Lydia Denno.

It's a very physical play and in the small performing space at The Neville Suite, it kept you on your toes, visually, making it an exciting watch.

Drew Baumohl designed the soundscape which allowed us to imagine in our minds the different situations and settings, and that along with the superb story telling of these two actors and the evocative script and lighting, designed by Alexandra Stafford, make this play magnetic to watch.

New writing is always something that sets me tingling as you never know quite what to expect, like reading a new book for the first time. You drink it all in and afterwards you want to know what comes next. This play is left open ended and I for one would love to know what happened next to Emily and Solomon. What I also liked about it was that, where the play was left, was not the happiest and also, if you have an imagination like I have, quite gruesome.

“I Dare You” is at the Neville Suite at The Nottingham Playhouse until Saturday 29 September 2018. The play then transfers to The Curve Theatre in Leicester on 25 and 26 October 2018.

“Working Class Hero/ The Devil You Know” by Nottingham New Theatre
Djanogly theatre, Lakeside

Here we have two plays produced and presented by Nottingham New Theatre – in my humble opinion, one of the best student theatres in the area. This double bill is billed as an Edinburgh Fringe Double Bill. Both plays are ones that I've not seen performed at the New Theatre, so I am so pleased that these two were chosen on this occasion.

Unfortunately I've not been able to mention the actors or tech people involved as there wasn't any programmes produced.

“Working Class Hero”

This is a story about a father and his son. A son and his father with a middle ground of. football, politics, John Lennon, education, rapper Akala,and humility.

During his first semester at university, the son realises that his father is just a person like the rest of us, which, as a father of three sons I can really relate to. "Working Class Hero", which as many will know, is the title of one of Lennon's songs, is a story of understanding and discovery,

I loved the enforced "awkward" moments between the two men and you really wanted the two to hug each other, but that's not what father and son do, is it?.Even at the low moments in this lovely, warm play, you feel the love between the pair, and while there is a mutual admiration and love between the pair, there's also that invisible wall built up by the inability to converse with each other about the important things in their life.

“The Devil You Know”

Captivated by local folklore, four friends endeavour to uncover the horror that haunts their local woods. But their dreams of discovering the truth soon take a dark turn when one of them disappears.

"The Devil You Know" is a thriller which is almost on the lines as "The Blair Witch Project" and had just the right scare jump and hair raising moments to make you feel just a little uncomfortable. Something nor easy to do in a theatre.This play brings to light the demons lurking in the shadows of the internet, and exploring the effect of the supernatural on the human psyche and the power to control another's mind.

Both plays were well acted, and while both plays were very different, I can see these two being a success on the Edinburgh Fringe circuit because of the diversity between the two.

Having had the pleasure of a few years of New Theatre productions and can vouch for the incredible wealth of talent that has come from this University talent pool, on every level of the theatrical ladder, I can't wait to see what productions they have to offer this season, and the new wave of talent to come.

Here's looking forward to the new season for the Nottingham New Theatre when it opens in the near future.

All proceeds from this double bill goes to the Nottingham Breast Cancer Research Centre.

“The Comedy About A Bank Robbery” by Mischief Theatre Company
Nottingham Theatre Royal

This play is the third from the brilliantly funny team who created “The Play That Goes Wrong” and “Peter Pan Goes Wrong”, so for anyone who has seen both or either of these plays, they will know what to expect, and this company did not fail to deliver an incredibly funny and anarchic piece of theatre. It has been described as “Oceans Eleven” meet The Marx Brothers and I can see where this analogy comes from.

It is set in the Summer of 1958 in Minneapolis and the City Bank has been entrusted with a priceless diamond but an escaped convict has his heart set on making the diamond his own, with help from his girlfriend and the maintenance man, but as the title of the play states, it all goes wrong with hilarious consequences.

Not only will you find its’ basis steeped in slapstick and farce there’s also a nod to the comic wordplay of comic legends like The Two Ronnies, so this comic theatre productions works on all levels of visual and cerebral comedy, and of course the comic timing is utter perfection.

The cast are excellent, which goes to show that a night out at the theatre does not have to feature celebrity names to make for a great night out. They are so hard working, you can tell that by the time taken to make the play as entertaining and precise as it is.

This really is an ensemble piece and I can honestly say that I've not laughed so much at a piece of theatre as I did in this play.

Liam Jeavons, David Coomber, George Hannigan, Ashley Tucker, Damian Lynch, Jon Trenchard ( who stole the show for me as Warren Stax), Sean Carey, Julia Frith and Killian McCardle were all amazingly good, and I must also mention local actor Tom Hopcroft who makes his professional debut alongside Julia (Caprice) and George, who performed a brilliant piece of comic knockabout slapstick with wonderful timing with himself

The sets were really very very clever. There was one scene in Act Two which I originally thought may have been done with mirrors where it's as if the audience are looking down into a room from the ceiling, but this was no trick of the light or mirrors, just an ingenious set design that I have never seen used before in theatre. Jon and Damian defy gravity to provide a multitude of laughs in this section.David Farley the set designer is a genius.

There is also danger involved in another scene later on. Picture the Tom Cruise scene from "Mission Impossible" and that is what you have here when the robbery is taking place, but as the title of the play denotes, all does not go quite to plan.

Another scene which I thought was done incredibly well onstage was an underwater scene, which has to be seen to be believed, again all down to physical talents of these actors.

What also makes this scene special is the superb lighting design by David Howe.

The writers, Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer and Henry Shields have created yet another excellent and clever piece of comedy theatre. Along with their previous works, this one will go down as one of the best original comedy plays ever.

The physicality in the play merged with the script and the incredible cast make this show one of the best original comedies on tour

“The Comedy About A Bank Robbery” is at the Nottingham Theatre Royal until Saturday 29 September 2018.

“Blue Remembered Hills” by Dennis Potter
Lace Market Theatre Studio, Nottingham.

Originally set in the Forest of Dean back in 1943, Potter’s play shows the innocence of children, but also just how cruel children can be. The seven year olds fantasise about what their fathers are doing in the war and then ganging up on the weaker members of the group, bullying and being nasty. There are no adults present and all the children are played by adults, a theme that was done in “Lord Of The Flies” of course.

Easy going Willie tags along as Peter bullies Raymond about his stutter, and is challenged by John. Plain Audrey is overshadowed by Angela's prettiness and wreaks her anger on the boys. All of them gang up on the terrified "Donald Duck" who, abused by his mother and ridiculed by his peers, decides to play a different, very dangerous game…..

Although only about an hour long, and being about a group of seven year olds who are all friends, the simplicity belies quite a disturbing play about how nasty kids can be, and I suppose as adults, we filter our memories of being a child and how we acted. Potter obviously didn’t have that filter.

The opening is a piece of film, shot in black and white, which show the actors in character playing in a field and woods, just like any group of friends. This introduction really takes you back to the days of innocence, and sadly scenes we no longer see in today's world of technology.

From the start we see the bullying and how often we remember that when we want something that someone else has, once we have it, we find we don’t want it any more, for whatever reason. This is something that isn’t just credited to kids. From that starting point, the play shatters any sentimentality of childhood. What is also interesting is the image that children have of adults and the way they are seen through the eyes of a child.

This play will have you laughing one minute and then, like a slap in the face, will have you shocked.

As a cast they all gelled and it was completely believable that they were friends with no one actor outshining the other. You also stop seeing the characters as adults playing kids and see the characters as the children they are meant to be.

Edward Pickering-Symes (Willie) plays your typical seven year old. Slightly naughty and mischievous but when the chips are down just a frightened little boy. Willie's childish laugh is infectious.

Sue Lee (Peter) is deliciously evil and seems to get great joy out of hurting others in either a physical or mental way.

Richard Whitehorn (John) is one of the boys you want in your gang. Full of gung ho with no fear.

James Whitby (Raymond) plays the simple and slightly ignorant character. Raymond's stutter being the target of the bullying, and all the while Raymond lets it go over his head, mainly it seems because he wants to belong. Again though, not an easy watch seeing this boy being ridiculed for something he has no control over. A nice controlled performance.

Clare Moss (Angela) gets to play the "girly-girl" with her pram and wanting to be "mum". Clare's facial expressions and voice are joyful to behold.

Mo Pickering-Symes (Audrey) is the opposite of Clare's character, but she is a fighter who knows that she belongs in the "gang" but has to make her presence felt, The scene where she is asking about being Angela's best friend highlights that she would do anything to be a BFF!

David Watts (Donald Duck) plays the most pitiful character. There's one scene which really does get to you where he is alone and really missing his dad. The end scene is also a bit of a shocker. For anyone, like me who didn't know this play and have never seen the TV play or read the book, will find these scenes quite harrowing.

From watching this cast, I also think that they all enjoyed recessing back to being a seven year old kid.

Directed by David Dunford, he has embraced the whole child like thing and obviously made sure that all of his cast have also embraced all of those little things that kids do. the playing with the shorts, the nose-picking, the swaggering and the childish facial expressions that kids do. Everything has been so well observed and utilised.

Lighting Design by Max Bromley with Sound Design by Matthew Allcock. There is no set but you don't need one when you have a technical team like this pair and the Director to create the image and feel of what is happening. From the woodland sounds, to the planes and the ending which, through the lighting and sound design, really makes you feel what the others were experiencing.

I've always said that through light and sound, you can create any feeling for the audience. Max and Matthew proved this to be true.

People who know me will know that I love a good accent, I can do a few myself - or so I think, but this cast were consistent with their regional accent, which all added to the realism of the era as well as geographical area.The language is also a dream.

I've already mentioned that this is my first time seeing this play, but I know that it won't be my last - thank you Youtube. But it is this lovely, slightly dark production of Potter's play that has given me this newly discovered love for "Blue Remembered Hills".

This first play of the new season has set my theatrical juices flowing for what is going to be an excellent Lace Market Theatre season. What a wonderful start!

“Blue Remembered Hills” is at the Lace Market Theatre Studio until Saturday 22 September 2018.