"A Christmas Carol" A Derby Theatre Production.

Derby Theatre.

This is a new version of the Charles Dickens classic Christmas tale, written by Mike Kenny, and you can really tell because everything about this production looks and smells fresh.

Of course the original Dickens story is intact but it's the little touches that have been embellished that give this classic an added sparkle. That and the addition of some beautifully arranged Christmas carols and hymns that are performed live on stage by the actors/musicians themselves.

Gareth Williams is Ebenezer Scrooge, and does he look the part? Hypothetical question really. Gareth reprises his role of Scrooge from his 2019 performance, also at Derby Theatre, but with a completely different set and cast.  It's a delight to see the look of dawning on Scrooge's face as he is taken through his history and his future by the three ghosts; the complete opposite to the look of horror as he comes face to face with his old partner, Jacob Marley, prior to his conscience being well and truly pricked. Gareth, as always, is perfect for this part ,and we even get to see him, literally, on the fiddle at the end of the show.

And for those of my age group, you may also remember that Gareth was a member of the acapella group from the 1970's/1980's, The Flying Pickets.

Sam Lightfoot-Loftus plays Young Scrooge/Debtor/Topper and also is a multi instrumentalist and singer, a talent that was also shown on stage.

Oliver Mawdsley plays Bob Cratchit/Dick. there are some lovely flashes of Oliver's comedy acting talents as Bob Cratchit when in Scrooge's workplace area, and we also get to see the more emotional side of his acting later on; I'm sure you can guess where.

Ali Mylon is The Ghost of Christmas Present / Mrs Fezziwig/ Charwoman. I loved the fun, light portrayal of The Ghost of Christmas Present, but do not be drawn in too much by it because just when you think that is it, there's a very dark turn to this ghost!

Oliver Nazareth Aston is Fred, Scrooge's nephew as well as The Ghost of Christmas Future. It's the norm for the latter character not to be vocal in this play, but the spectre's voice was delivered in the form of his cello playing. Looking like The Angel of Death, the low mysterious notes of his playing gave this character an added air of menace. Another multi talented musician as well.

John Holt-Roberts plays Jacob Marley / Mr Fezziwig/ Mathilda's Father. These three characters give John a wide range of vocal acting ability, especially with Marley. His version of Scrooge's seven year past ex business partner really gives you the chills. He enters through double doors with enough stage mist to rival anything from "Stars In Their Eyes", but with a green glow. The chains that are there to laden Marley actually look and sound as if they are the real thing, and the effort that John takes to lug these lengths of chain onto the stage and into Scrooge's bedroom makes you believe in their density. A very different role to his last Derby Theatre appearance in "Welfare", and before that in "Kes", also at Derby Theatre.

Claire Lee Shenfield plays Belle, the young beau of young Scrooge /Mathilda/Lucy. Belle is such a lovely innocent and genteel role, but a woman who knows what she wants from Scrooge, as she has very simple tastes; tastes that fall below Scrooge's outlook. Claire is another incredible musician and violinist, and has a beautiful singing voice.

April Nerissa Hudson is Joan Cratchit / Madeleine/Charity Woman. Apart from everything else what struck me from the very start with April was her voice; absolutely stunning.

There's a mini live orchestra on stage, made up of the above musicians, producing some gorgeous festive, as well as atmospheric music. The folk feel of this soundtrack really places you, history wise, in the times of Scrooge and the Dickensian era.

Also on stage and adding more flesh to the bones of this Christmas feast are three groups of six young people, the Blue Team, Purple Team and The Yellow Team, taking turns to perform. I think on Monday night I experienced the Purple Team. If the other two teams are as professional and as talented as Monday's young ensemble, which I am every bit sure that they are, you're in for a great show, whichever group you see.

Directed by Tom Bellerby. The Director can radically change a play or show that you may have seen several times, as I have seen "A Christmas Carol" many times over the last twenty or so years, but making those changes enhance a well known show isn't as easy as it sounds without losing the initial love for a piece of theatre. Tom has done that spectacularly. We have festive folk versions of classic Christmas fare, snow and of course the important element of fear and menace, and a happy ending all round.

Musical Director & Arranger is Sonum Batra. As you've probably gathered if you got this far down my review, I love the arrangements of these pieces of music, and I love the way that they not only make you feel festive, but they make you feel as if you are in a completely different era, which enhances the enjoyment of a play like this. Deputy Musical Director is Eliza Waters.

Set & Costume Designer is Jess Curtis. I have, over the years, seen several different sets for this play, but this is almost quite stripped back compared with the Derby theatre production a few years ago when the centre piece was a giant clock face. the min features are three slimline exteriors of dwellings, which when revolved exhibit the slimline interiors, upstairs and down. These in turn are expanded on with props on stage to show a larger living area, such as the Cratchit's humble abode and Fred's more upmarket living area. There's also the wonderful but simple four poster bed that Scrooge has, and his moderate living area. There's also a headstone that rises through the stage which provides Scrooge with the realisation that he needs. A simple set that I imagine was not simple to create. 

The costumes were equally impressive, all adding to the Dickensian feel and, creepy as it was, the costume for the Ghost of Christmas Future was wonderfully dark.

Sound Designer is Ivan Stott. I have always said that the sound quality at derby Theatre is second to none, and the music sounded absolutely gorgeous. The acoustics lend themselves extremely well to the folk style music in this show, as well as the harmony singing. There were however a few missed mic cues which I am sure, as the run goes on, will be tightened up on.

Lighting Design is by Adam Foley. The light moments in "A Christmas Carol" are very well lit, as are the darker moments, whcih are kept in shadow. this may be a simplistic way of describing the lighting design, but more often than not, simplicity in the lighting department is what makes the design work. Unless you need special lighting effects or a full on rock concert style light design, keep everything simple, and that is exactly what we got, and that worked perfectly for me.

Movement Director is Jon Beney. The choreographed pieces were beautifully done, and while they looked as if anyone could master the steps shown in this particular style of dance, I bet they're not as easy as they look, or how these actors make the choreography look. If you love the "Bridgerton" or "Downton" style of dance, then you'll absolutely adore the choreography in "A Christmas Carol".

Start your festive period off on the right foot with this production.

"A Christmas Carol" is at Derby Theatre until Saturday 4 January 2025.

 "Building Blocks" by Bob Larbey.

Beeston Players.

Round Hill School, Beeston.

Yet another new play for me to see, so what's "Building Blocks" all about?

Jim and Mary Baxter are in the middle of one of life's major traumas and they are having an extension built on to their house. A great deal of their time is taken up with negotiating with the builder, the charming but evasive David (Larbey allegedly based him on a well-known local builder).

Naturally, everything goes to plan, - or does it?

Bob Larbey may not be a name that everybody has heard of, but his vast back catalogue of TV sit coms that he has had a hand in writing include "Please Sir", "The Fenn Street Gang", "Get Some In", "The Good Life", "Ever Decreasing Circles", "As Time Goes By" and "A Fine Romance".

Rob Jackson is Jim Baxter. Jim and Mary, as well as having and addition to their property are also trying for another addition; they are trying for a baby, but is all this extension block causing a mental block in the bedroom? Rob has, and I hope that he does not take this the wrong way, a lovely world-worn face, and that means that he is a visual comedy actor, and he really knows how to work that virtue to his advantage. He knows how to deliver a comic line to get the full effect, and back it up visually.

Sarah Nicholson plays Mary Baxter. I loved Sarah in Beeston Players "Volunteers", and this role shows another side of Sarah. In fact, this role shows two different acting sides to Sarah, one of the sides due to tranquilisers; for Mary, not Sarah, by the way. Does Mary end up getting pregnant? Only one way to find out!

Sue Frost plays Piper, the apprentice, and Laura Burke plays Mandy, Piper's Superior brickie. A lovely comedy pairing who have no problem bouncing off of each other. There's a really nice pally chemistry, the kind you get with work colleagues with Piper and Mandy. We discover though that Piper does have a habit of using the woods as a toilet, where she discovers another one of Jim's secrets!

Mandy, towards the end of the play, is seen returning from a funeral, dressed in black, but whose funeral has she attended?

Gary Frost is David, the elusive boss of the builders. Part Arthur Daley, part Del Boy. He uses every excuse under the sun with Jim and Mary to explain away why the carpenter isn't there, or why the plumber won't be around that day, and also why he keeps taking the workers away from this extension to work on The Manor as well as other properties that he is providing labour on. 

One constant excuse is the health of other people, who we don't see, from pulling at the heart strings of the currently childless couple with the story of an ill four-year-old girl, to an aging employee, throwing in blackmail by a Councillor, in fact any excuse he can find to deflect the Baxters' increasing questioning about the completion of their extension.

Health seems to be a running theme, and we see that the constant barrage of questions from Jim and Mary causes David to have his own health issues, but just how serious are these particular health issues, and will you spot the giveaway sign?

Sean Knowles is Brian, the carpenter, who finally makes an appearance to get the extension on the final stretch and completed. Sean is a new addition to the Beeston Players, and what a brilliant addition to the cast. Sean told me after the show that he did quite a bit of acting at Uni in Derby but has now got back into acting. Well, he has lost none of his acting skills if Friday night was anything to go by. A really confident performance and I hope that he spreads his acting wings more in the future.

What I enjoy about Beeston Players and their choice of plays is that whoever is in the cast, they all gel really well and are incredibly believable. This is one reason why I don't need to say too much about the actors' performances because of that natural gel they have on stage. That is due to the relationship that people involved in this theatre group have with each other away from the stage, which makes that transition on stage so believable.

Directed by Tom Jenkins, this is a really lovely gentle comedy and this gentleness has been brought out beautifully by Tom and the cast. It's got a very natural  feel about it, in the same way as "The Good Life" came across on TV. The characters are very believable and you can really emphasise with the situation that Jim and Mary find themselves in; you can believe in the workplace camaraderie and banter between Piper and Mandy and you can inwardly giggle at the excuses given by David.

Set design is by Sam Williams. You see the back of the red brick house with blue tarpaulin covering the house extension, which is then revealed at the end. Sam is also responsible for the sound effects which really make you believe that there is a working life beyond the stage area. Some excellent sound effects as well, all of which are well utilised at a believable sound level.

Lighting is by Megan Southan. This is simplicity personified, but I've always said that when no specific light effects are needed, simplicity can be special and simple black outs are perfect to divide the scenes.

I must mention the props that are used, and these soon mount up. From a concrete mixer to cement stained trowels, tea sets, cordless phone and lunch box and accessories, a bidet, taps, electric cable spool, a wheelbarrow and quite a few other associated props, all under the guidance of Ali Parnham.

It's not that often that I mention stage management, and it is a role that is so important to the smooth running and timing in a stage production, but Paul Langston does an excellent job in arranging installation and removal of props, as well as everything else that the Stage Manager has to oversee.

Hair and make up is by Maxine Taylor.

Produced by Barbara Barton and Nina Tunnicliff.

This is not one of those laugh out loud plays, but there are plenty of gentle comedy moments all the way through to get you smiling.

"Building Blocks" is at Round Hill School in Beeston for just one more performance on Saturday at 2.30 pm.

 "The Wind In The Willows - The Musical" by Blind Eye.

Duchess Theatre, Long Eaton.

This story takes me right back to when I was a kid, watching "Tales Of The Riverbank" on black and white TV; the TV programme was originally filmed in black and white, just in case you thought my childhood started when TV was only in black and white!

This is the first time that I have seen the musical version of this delightful play, so although knowing the basic story, I was more than excited to see the musical version. 

"Wind In The Willows" is written by Julian Fellowes, whose name may ring a bell as he also was responsible for writing "Downton Abbey". The music and lyrics are by George Stiles and Anthony Drewe, who have been responsible for several of the more recent revivalist musicals around at the moment like "Kipps" and "Mary Poppins" plus the wonderful new musical "Becoming Nancy". The musical is based on the 1908 novel of the same name, written by Kenneth Grahame. 

Listen carefully and you might also spot some other musical theatre influences in their work. I am sure I heard echoes of "Hamilton" as well as "Les Miserables" in a couple of the songs.

This comedy musical follows Mole, Ratty, Badger, and the impulsive and amazing Mr. Toad, whose insatiable need for speed lands him in serious trouble. With his beloved home under threat from the notorious Chief Weasel and his gang of sinister Wild Wooders, Toad must attempt a daring escape leading to a series of misadventures and a heroic battle to recapture Toad Hall.

Ratty is kind, sociable, and accommodating, much like the actor who plays him,  JJ McCormack. Brilliant fun character and very different to his last role as Stanley Kowalski in "A Streetcar Named Desire". Playing Ratty, the water rat, brings out the fun, playful side of JJ, and if you look closely, you can see his eyes twinkling with joy.

Mr Toad is played by Bertie Black, an inspired piece of casting. Toad is the flightiest and pettiest character in this musical, due to a combination of immaturity and unrestrained wealth. He represents the British upper class, as he is an aristocrat living in his large inherited estate, Toad Hall, and has a snooty attitude towards those of lower class. The "youngest" of the animals, he is quick to pick up and then dismiss expensive hobbies, most notably with motorcars. Bertie has the unrivalled energy for this role as well as the excitable singing style needed for this eccentric, but lovable character.

Max Wilmott plays Mole, who serves as our first lens into the story, as Mole slowly matures from a frightened animal into a self-reliant, brave and clever companion. Max played a couple of minor roles in "Streetcar" for Blind Eye, but what a discovery this young man is. He has a wonderful voice for musical theatre and gets to sing one of my favourite songs from the soundtrack, "A Place To Come Back To". Max is a very expressive actor, and combined with his vocal ability, he is going to be in demand for many various theatre roles. I can see his theatrical CV being filled to the max in the next twelve months and beyond.

Badger, the "oldest" of the animals, Badger is a stoic and solitary character who lives in the Wild Wood, is played by Kevin Jones. Now, here is another discovery that made me sit up! I've seen Kevin in several shows in the past few years, so his acting talents come as no surprise, but what does is that singing voice. This production really highlights some real hidden talents from actors and performers who have been seen on local stages, but spotlights talents we may not have seen before. A great authoritive performance, while still showing that caring side of the character.

Mrs Otter, is quick and bright, and gains the respect of other animals by always being on hand to help when needed. Mrs Otter is played by Andrea Caulfield-Smith.

Mrs Otter's daughter Portia, is played by Gabriella Tilley. Portia always seems to be disappearing, worrying her mother, but she causes much more worry later on in the story. A nice fun role for Gabriella.

Chief Weasel is played by Alex Sjoberg- Weeks, who stepped into the role with just ten days' notice. Not that you would have noticed because her performance was smooth and faultless. The nasty characters are always more fun to play and Alexandra looked as if she was having a great time being evil. The audience even saved some panto style baddie boos for her at the final bows, showing that she hit all the right notes with them.

Lesser Weasel and  Sheryl Stoat is played by Emme Gunn. Another pair of roles deserving panto style boos, but so much fun in the nasty department.

Mr and Mrs Hedgehog are played by James and Danielle Rodgers, who with the cutest of baby hedgehogs gave us a highway code lesson we could all take note of where the safety of hedgehogs is concerned on the open road, in the song "The Hedgehog's Nightmare". A quality comedy quartet.

The trio of swallows are played by Ashleigh Wilkinson, Emily Hudson and Gill Cook. Their spotlight song, "A Swallow Does Not A Summer Make" provided a lovely operatic style section.

The adult ensemble consist of Beth Duffy, Paul Marples, Paul Duffy (why have we not heard Paul singing on stage before?), Lindsey Hemingway (go on, see if you can count how many different characters she plays here), Ann Colgan, Steve Webb, Adam Chapman, Emily Hudson, James Rodgers, Danielle Rodgers, Kay Thomason-Vardy and Gill Cook. All of them don many costumes and hats throughout. 

  

The children's ensemble are played by Evan Thomason-Vardy, Lexie Rodgers, Caitlin Rodgers, Emily Ractliffe, Lily O’Toole and Olivia Thomason-Vardy. These have to be the cutest children's ensemble ever and boy, do they give 110% in everything that they do on stage. Some get to perform small solo sections and is there any sign of nerves? Not one. They all look as if they are loving being on stage, and that comes out in the performances they give.

Directed by Zackary McCormack in his directorial debut. Regular readers of my reviews will know his name because Zack is responsible for all of the set construction, along with Grant Hemingway, but it looks as if his talents are not just resigned to set construction, but also in directing. Zack was assisted in the directing stakes by Kirsty Smith.

Musical Director is Sam Griffiths, who also stepped into the breach at the last minute. Sam is the musical hero you need when you need a stand in MD, and it was good to see him on local soil again. This is a musical which has many earworms; for me "A Friend Is Still A Friend", "Messing About In A Boat", "Hush" and "A Place To Come Back To" are still rattling around my eardrums.

Choreographed by Ashleigh Wilkinson, and if I know anything about Ashleigh, she will have put this cast through their paces. How do I know that? Just take a look at the choreography standard in this musical!

The set design is by Grant Hemingway and Zack Mccormack, and up to their usual high standards.

There's an audio/visual design backdrop that worked well with placing the characters and showing the scenery of the story, i.e. the river, the woods and Toad Hall among the various scenes. This area of production was created by Paul Duffy.

Sound design is by Nick Elliott and Dom Mills. On a personal level, I would have liked the volume of the backing tracks to be just a little lower because at times the music slightly drowned some of the vocals. Apart from that, everything was spot on with everything to do with the sound department.

Lighting design is by Alan Betton and Ben Bradley. There was just one scene where the cast were in shadows, stage left, but, as this is the first time that I have seen this show as a musical, I was in two minds as to whether this was supposed to be how it was supposed to look, and that the animals were supposed to be hiding in the shadows. I'd like to think that this is what was intended.

There are some brilliant costumes in this musical. I loved the way that you could tell who the characters, and the animals were just by the costume design, the make up and addition of wigs etc. Mole could only have been Mole because of the glasses. the Hedgehog family had spines on their shoulders and cute black noses. Ratty had his long rat-like tail. Badger was dressed up to the nines in grey which accentuated his standing in the animal community. Toad had the most layered costume, apart from his striped prison outfit, and his prison escape costume (sorry for any spoilers). 

Blind Eye always seem to work to their members strong points and JJ's costume designs are brilliantly thought out to instantly show who these characters are without a word being said or anything explanatory given.

Apart from panto, there aren't that many all family entertainment plays and musicals going around the circuit at the moment. This is one that every age will love, so grab the kids and their Grandparents and see this show. 

With every show that Blind Eye put on, they always like to give back by holding collections for charities appropriate to the show, and this is no different. Blind Eye are collecting for Nottingham Wildlife Trust as well as a charity called Breakthrough T1D, which supports Type 1 Diabetes.

"The Wind In The Willows - The Musical" is at the Duchess Theatre in Long Eaton until Saturday 23 November, but tickets for the rest of the run are limited, speed is of the essence so grab them now and don't be a party poop pooper!!