"The Three Musketeers" by John Nicholson and Le Navet Bete.

Nottingham Lace Market Theatre.

 

One of my favourite novels when I was a young boy - many years ago - was Alexandre Dumas' "The Three Musketeers". I read that book over and over again and, in my head, marvelled at the bravado of D'Artagnan, Athos, Aramis, and Porthos. I watched the films over the years as they all came to life outside the confines of my head and before my very eyes on both the big cinema screen and on TV. And now I get to see these characters just feet away from me on the stage; but what a very different quartet they are when compared to the words in a book or on TV.

The story starts by introducing us to the actors who, in turn, give us their potted history of when they were children, through their school days, and the formation of their drama group and this is the latest play that the group are touring. This story is a play within a play told through the eyes of children, so expect some rather silly behaviour from the stage.

What you can also expect is something like a very tasty cake where the ingredients consist of dollops of The Goon Show humour, Monty Python, Blackadder, Horrible Histories all the way through to The Play that Goes Wrong, all mixed in to create one of the silliest things that I have seen on the Lace Market Theatre stage. And I LOVED it!!

I am a big fan of silly, simple humour and this production is absolutely packed with it, and all delivered in breakneck speed with oodles of costume changes, false facial hair - some even in the right place - space hoppers, tricycles, toy ducks, make believe swords, Dexys Midnight Runners and Martine McCutcheon... and so much more! And the best thing is that even if things did go slightly awry, who's to notice?

Ok, so this is where I tell you what the tale in this show is all about.....

Armed with his questionable steed, hot-headed D’Artagnan leaves home and travels to Paris full of childish excitement and misplaced bravado to become a Musketeer. But with the scheming Cardinal Richelieu and femme fatale Milady de Winter in the mix, will things go to plan? Well, if it was going to go to plan, the show would end after about fifteen minutes, so I don't think I'm giving away any spoilers to say that the answer to this question is a resounding "NO".

After discovering that the musketeers have been disbanded, he makes it his mission to get them reinstated and become the fourth Musketeer. But will his feud with Milady thwart him? And who the heck is she anyway? Who has the bluest eyes that resemble a lake? Why is this fact so integral to the plot?

With four actors and over 30 characters this will be their most hilariously chaotic adventure yet.

Ian Currie is D'Artagnan, as well as several other characters.

Tom Pluse plays Athos, as well as several other characters.

Tilda Stickley plays Porthos, plus several other roles.

Charlotte Carter is Aramis, and like the other members of the cast, plays several of other roles in the play.

Emma Carlton is the Stage Manager. Emma doesn't play several other characters, but provides the additional bells and whistles, plus the odd horn - literally! From start to finish Emma keeps to her over stressed Stage Manager character as she opens the show by telling everyone to check that the phones are off because they did not want a similar incident to what happened at the last venue they performed at. And I'll leave it at that!

I'm not going to individually heap praise on the above because this really is an ensemble comedy masterclass. Their timing is spot on as they also operate the set to bring the story into the next scene with revolving pieces and drop downs to think about as well as the various entrance and exit points, and the many various props the thirty odd characters use.

They also deliver some very special accents including Dutch, Irish, German and French among them. This area of comedy expertise reminded me, and I will say this only once, of the way accents are used in "Allo Allo".

If you saw "The Hound Of the Baskervilles" at The Lace Market Theatre years ago, it's very similar to how that play worked; fast, funny and fabulous. Oddly enough that production was also directed by Mr Matthew Huntbach!

"The Three Musketeers" is directed by Matthew Huntbach with Ali Lit as Producer, and if they had half as much fun working on this show as we had watching this show tonight, then we enjoyed it twice as much as they have enjoyed the experience of bringing this production to the stage. And like the cast, they must also be exhausted.

Lighting Design and operation is by David Billen, and there are some very nice lighting touches in this show. The show is a colourful one, made all the more colourful with these effects and designs. The Lighting Assistants are Allan Green, Matt Allcock and Carl Inglis.

Sound Design and operation is by Darren Coxon, whose timing with the various sound cues and sound bytes were timed to perfection.

Seeing how rapid this show is also made me appreciate even more the job of the Stage Manager - the real one that is. There are scenes when an actor will exit and then come back on looking different with a different prop within seconds, so a Stage Manager like Linda Hoyland and her Assistant Stage Managers, Fayde Judd, Glyn Allen and Lesley Brown, who also managed the props with Ali Lit and Eve Baxter is absolutely vital to the fluidity of this play.

The costumes are wonderful, as only to be expected in the hands of the Wardrobe Wizard, Max Bromley, with help from Nottingham Playhouse and Le Navet.

All for fun and fun, most definitely for all who get the chance to see this rib tickler of a comedy that will leave your cheeks aching.

"The Three Musketeers" will be swashbuckling all the way through the week until Saturday 31 May.

Photographs by Grace Eden Photography.

 "The Little Mermaid" by Act One.

Iveshead Theatre, Shepshed.

The story is of course about a mermaid who dreams of the world above the sea and gives up her voice to find true love. 

Beautiful mermaid Ariel should be a happy girl -- she lives in an enchanted undersea country, her father is a King, and she has the most beautiful singing voice. But she is a passionate, headstrong teenager, and wants what she cannot have -- to live on land. When she falls in love with Eric, a handsome human prince, Ariel is more determined than ever to gain a pair of legs. But her only option is to defy her furious father, and bargain with Ursula the Sea Witch, giving her voice as the price of entry onto dry land. With the help of Flounder the fish, Scuttle the seagull, and officious court composer Sebastian the crab, Ariel must wordlessly gain Prince Eric's love within three days -- or lose her soul to the ambitious witch! 

David Sturla plays the handsome and friendly Prince Eric who is rebelling against his father’s dying wish to take up the crown. He becomes enraptured by Ariel’s voice and makes it his quest to seek out and meet the fair maiden to whom it belongs to. I know that I say this quite a bit, especially about youth groups, but David's voice really surprised me, in the best possible way. 

The control, power and tone of his vocals sound like he has had training; I don't know if that is true as I have seen only a few of these young actors before. David also indicates that he has done quite a bit of acting before because of his confidence as well as the understanding of the character and the songs, which all together gives this young man great stage presence; and he is not the only one in this group who impressed me tonight either.

Anyway, the voice that Eric has fallen hook, line and sinker for belongs to Evie Hancock, who plays Ariel, daughter to King Triton and a mermaid, and of course the titular character. I love her voice, it's so clear it could cut glass and, like David, really got under the scaly skin of her character and gave us a performance we all could believe in, and all on heelies most of the time as well!

Toby Ashurst plays Sebastian, a friendly crab who is King Triton’s advisor and the court's composer. This is a brilliant comedy role, and a brilliant costume and accent to go with it. I last saw Toby last year in "Bring It On" and this year he has surpassed himself with this role, injecting all the fun of the Disney character into his version of Sebastian. The Jamaican accent was great and I absolutely loved the glittery red sequinned suit and hat, and without lobster claws, which he didn't need for comic effect. Talent obviously runs in the Ashurst family genes.

Ethan Smith is Grimsby, caring and considerate of Prince Eric's welfare and tries his best to guide, inform and encourage him to fulfill his obligations and destiny. He thinks the stories of mermaids and a King of the Sea as superstitious nonsense though, but that is soon dispelled. Not only has Ethan got a mature view to acting, he can carry a tune and he can tap dance as well. A young man of many talents.

Leo Gilbert is Flounder, Ariel’s best friend. I really don't know what it is about Act One, but everyone involved is an equal on stage talent wise. Leo is another young man with bundles of energy and confidence which shows through his acting and singing. Just watching him take centre stage surrounded by the Mersisters in the big, Hollywood style number "She's In Love" shows that he is future leading man material.

Arlen Panesar is Scuttle, a seagull who is fascinated by humans and all things humanish! He come across as a very confident bird but he actually doesn't know as much as it seems! His enthusiasm is infectious, just like Arlen's, and has a "positoovity" outlook on life. He is friendly and believes anything can happen if you just believe. I love wordplay and words, full stop, and Arlen's tongue twisting dialogue shows that he also has a talent for words, which will make his ability to deliver wordy scripts and patter songs in the future an absolute breeze. There was no stumbling over the words and everything just rolled off his tongue with ease, natural ability and comic timing, as shown in the wonderful songs "Positoovity" and "Positaggity".

King Triton is played by Jonah Robinson. With an imposing presence, commanding nature and magic trident, left to him by his father, he rules his kingdom and the sea and holds the devotion and respect of the sea creatures. But as a single, widowed father of seven girls, there are times when he feels out of his depth. There's a lovely controlled air about Jonah when he acts which also transcends into his vocals and his main song "If Only". There are two versions of this song, a solo one and then a quartet version with Ariel, Eric and Sebastian which sounded really good in Act Two.

Amy Tarrant plays Chef Louis. French to the core with more than a liking for blades. A flamboyant character with a passion for cooking "Le Poisson", nothing fishy there then! A lovely choreographed section in Act Two where Chef Louis is chasing Sebastian around the set, which Amy looked to have enjoyed thoroughly, and I loved the way she kept in character even through to the final bows.

Flotsam is played by Caitlin Fitzpatrick and Jetsam is played by Grace Clark. This pair are the loyal sidekicks of Ursula and are the ones responsible for enticing Ariel, when at her lowest point, to go to Ursula to enable her to go on land to see her Prince. I love spotting the smaller details in characters and there's a move that they both do, like a body ripple, just as they settle, which reminded me so much of the way tropical fish move; and they did that ripple every time. The costumes for Flotsam and Jetsam were also brilliantly designed to resemble flowing fins. A lovely pairing of voices with Caitlin and Grace as well.

Lexie Collins plays Ursula, the Sea Witch, a daughter of Poseidon and the oldest sister of King Triton. Her main songs "Daddy's Little Girl" and "Poor Unfortunate Fools" are packed with panto style wickedness. Everybody loves a good villain and Lexie plays a really good villain who injects just the right amount of vitriol into her songs and has bucketloads of attitude. The "boos" her character received at the final bows show what a great job Lexie does in this nasty role.

Ariel's six Mersisters are played by Nellie McLennan (Andrina), Katie Sturla (Aquata), Elizabeth Cutts (Arista), Layla Adelakun (Atina), Heather Fitzpatrick (Adella) and Freya Walshe (Allana). There were some nice comic moments with these Mersisters, as well as the other roles they played, and their dance skills were also highlighted in the big tap number with Scuttle.

The pair of Trumpet Fish, who are heralds in King Triton's court are Windward, played by Jessie Davis and Leeward, played by Lorena Thornley.

The other cast members and Ensemble members are Isabel Limb and Lizzie Offiler-Russell (Featured Sailors), Eleanor Corbett, Polyanna Field, Evie Slawson and Grace Smith (Maids), Heather Fitzpatrick, Katie Sturla, Layla Adelakun, Elizabeth Cutts, Freya Walshe and Nelli McLennan (Princesses), Etta Brompton, May Brompton, Beth Clark, Eleanor Corbett, Isla Corbett, Abigail Corns, Emilia Corns, Evie-Mai Cowdroy, Jesse Davis, Pollyanna Field, Isabel Limb, Emma Offiler-Russell, Mary Offiler-Russell, Brooke Richardson-Giles, Evie Slawson, Grace Smith, Amy Tarrant, Lorena Thorley and Freddie Walshe (Sailors, Sea Creatures, Gulls and Chefs). And there were some very quick costume changes for some of the above!

Directed by Danni Starkey and Amy North who did a fantastic job when you see just how many people there are involved in this production. They managed to retain everything Disney about this story, and I'm not normally a massive fan of Disney musicals on stage, but I loved this production.

Choreographed by Wendy Spencer and Helen Starkey, assisted by Shelly White and Danni Starkey, and again it's the little details that I spotted that have been used in the choreography. The way that Ariel places her hand on Eric's arm when they are dancing and the hands are turned out with the ballroom pieces are simply exquisite. Then there's the fun choreography for Sebastian and Scuttle, the "She's In Love" section and especially that wonderful tap sequence for "Positoovity". There are some big choreographed pieces which looked amazing on that stage.

Musical Director is Adrian Dobson, assisted by Allie Sturla. For the opening piece of music, I closed my eyes and I could picture one of those old Disney films where the ship is in long shot on the open sea and this gorgeous orchestral piece of music is over it, and that's the feeling I got just with the opening piece. The soundtrack is lush and this group did it proud under the guidance of a music maestro.

The soundtrack includes some delightful Disney delicacies. "Kiss The Girl", "Under The Sea", "Part Of Your World", "Poor Unfortunate Souls" and "Daddy's Little Angel", plus the 1960's seasoned song "She's In Love"

The costumes were just brilliant, and when you see just how many costumes this show needs, the wardrobe mistress will need a week off just to get over this show. I could go on for ages about the many gorgeous costumes, but I think to get the full affect, you need to go and see this show, as every costume matches the character impeccably. My favourite is still Sebastian's though.

Sound by James White and  Lighting is by James Cladingboel. If I was to be incredibly picky I noticed a couple of missed mic cues, and a couple of early light fades but that aside I have nothing to gripe about at all.

Brilliant stage management by Kevin Spencer and his crew, Pete Yeomans, Paul Savage, Mike Armes, Alan Jamieson, Amy North, Steve Hancock, Frank Armes and Amber Savage.

"The Little Mermaid" definitely does not flounder and would be a reel shame if you codn't get a ticket and be crabby, as it's only on at Iveshead Theatre in Shepshed until Saturday 17 May for two more performances. Go on, don't be koi and don't carp on about it if you've left it too late! You'll have a whale of a time.

And on one final note, I loved all the puns that ran through the show, which proves my herring isn't going anytime soon!

 "Out Of Focus" by Peter Gordon.

Beeston Players.

Round Hill School, Beeston.

One thing that you come to realise with Beeston Players is that they have the ability to choose plays that, not only are not over performed in the Nottinghamshire/Derbyshire area, but plays that play to the group's strengths. This is another play that ticks those boxes that make Beeston Players the drama company that everyone knows and loves. This is also the reason why their audience base is forever growing, and remain loyal.

So, what is "Out Of Focus" all about?

Helen has arrived at the Church Hall with her troupe of Brownies in tow. 

Kath and Bob arrive ready for their planned badminton game amidst their own marital quarrels about Bob’s secretary Linda, who also arrives ready to play, with ladies’ man Wayne not far behind. 

David and Sue show up for the big game even though Leonard insists he has booked the hall for an illustrated talk on steam locomotives and Evonne, the vicar's wife who has just recently took over the responsibility of the booking system, is certain she has arranged for the rehearsal of her very first pantomime. 

Confusion reigns until everyone eventually unites for a common cause, the production of the pantomime. Over the weeks, alliances are formed and switched as they all battle against the odds and the opening night for the panto nears. 

Bob and Kath’s marital troubles continue, with Linda in the middle. 

Helen, in between staging walk-outs, is in pursuit of David, although he only has eyes for Sue. 

Wayne is out to impress anyone who will listen, while Leonard rapidly bores everybody into submission. 

Events finally culminate during Leonard’s talk at the final night party, when Evonne finds her confidence, Helen her come-uppance and everyone else receives their just desserts.

Helen Beever, who is one of those bitter and bossy people who likes to take charge of everything, but when things go wrong, it's everyone else's fault, is played by Alison Williams. How Alison doesn't crack a smile playing this role is a mystery, because she certainly put a smile on my face; maybe because I have known people like this over the years and recognise those qualities. I've seen Alison in several Beeston Players productions over the years, and she really corners the market in this type of character, and she does it so well.

Sue Dixon, played by Nicola Adkin, is immediately the victim of mistaken identity by Helen, even though she has only arrived for a game of badminton. Another fun and positive role brought to life by Nicola.

Sue Frost plays Evonne Duckworth, who is a bundle of nerves due to the over booking, afraid to bother her husband the Vicar, Donald Duckworth, as he is always busy writing his sermon. Evonne's nervous energy is brilliant to experience, but by the final scene, we see a completely different, and more self-confident Vicar's wife, not entirely off the back of the panto "success". Sue is always a joy to watch in any role she plays and this is another character filled part for Sue to get her comedy teeth into.

 Ali Parnham is Kath Enfield. The issues with her marriage is that she doesn't trust her husband, Bob, who has recently announced that he is off to a work's conference and is taking his secretary Linda. Most of Bob and Kath's scenes include bickering and arguing about this very issue, but there's a turn around in this relationship which creates a happy ending for both, although there are a few bumps in their marital road. Ali is wonderfully volatile as Kath, and she gets some wonderfully violent confrontations with Bob.

Bob Enfield  is played by Sean Knowles. Poor Bob tries his very best to explain the situation with his secretary and why he wasn't so keen on Kath actually being there for the badminton match, alongside Linda. Sean is a really expressive actor with great projection, and both these qualities are well utilised for Bob.

Tom Jenkins plays Leonard Trotter, the steam enthusiast. Now, even though Trotter could bore the pants off of a naturist where steam locomotives are concerned, he does find that acting is another outlet for his passions, which also includes photography, and that passion also creates the final blow up! Tom is another actor of whom I've seen several times in Beeston Players' productions, and I think that this is one of my favourite roles that he has played.

Callum Scott makes his debut, not just for Beeston Players, but anywhere as an adult playing the ladies man, Wayne Bryant. Wayne is the original action man, a secret member of the SAS, which he doesn't keep that secret, especially when impressing the ladies, but is all his bravado regarding his success with the ladies, his flash cars and endless cash supply just a front? Callum seems to be one of those actors who just naturally takes to acting because if I hadn't known that this was his first stage role, I would certainly not have guessed as he is brimming with confidence and is so at ease on stage. I have seen newbies on stage in the past with a cast of actors who have been acting for decades and they have stuck out, but Callum blended so well with this seasoned cast that you would never have guessed. As a stage debut, this is probably one of the best, and most confident I've seen.

David Wright is played by Kevin Fairbrother. David is a policeman who thinks that he is there to play table tennis, but not only does he attract the attentions of Helen, but also Sue. David gets cast as the Cat in the pantomime, and the costume is brilliant. Although he doesn't get to play table tennis, he does get his own love match b y the end of the play. Kevin has an air of authority in his acting which makes you believe that he is an officer of the law, even without the uniform.

Linda Hammond, Bob's secretary, is played by Karen Livesey. Linda is a flirt and soon turns her attention to Wayne, his muscles and tattoos, and the strange thing is that, while she starts flirting for the wrong reasons, she actually brings out the real Wayne. It's nice to see Karen back on stage with the Beeston Players, as I don't think I've seen her on stage for about six years.

Directed by Paul Langston, he brings out the absurd in this Peter Gordon play. The confusion mounts steadily enough for us to be introduced to the various characters. The casting of these characters is also spot on, and Paul clearly knows the strengths of his cast and brings out those strengths through the characters.

The set, which is in the annex of a Church Hall, is designed by Sam Williams, which includes a kitchen area with coffee making facilities and exit points showing how to get to the rear of the Church Hall, the entrance as well as to the hall itself and the changing rooms. Some nice wall adornments also show that this is a Church Hall annexe - the cross on the wall and relative posters.

Sound design is also by Sam with some well timed effects creating that world outside the building.

Lighting is by Laura Burke. Simple and straight forward design is all that is needed and that is what we received.

Costumes are thanks to Barbara Barton. The panto costumes are brilliant, as is Helen's Brownie leader costume. The style of costumes are also well observed differentiating the ages between Wayne, who is the youngest character in the play, and the more mature characters.

There are many props in this play, well sourced by Gary Frost, Ali Parnham and Helen Nankervis.

With this involving pantomime, there's the element of make up for the pantomime performance, and the make up, and hair throughout is by Maxine Taylor.

Good stage management meant that the scene changes were carried out quickly and smoothly by Stage Manager, Gary Frost.

Production Manager is Nina Tunnicliffe.

As I said at the start, Beeston Players know what works well for them and what their audience appreciate, and this play is well chosen. Peter Gordon's plays always manage to entertain and amuse, which is why they are often chosen for local theatre groups to perform, and in the hands of a good cast make for an entertaining and fun evening out. Not only that, but you have to wait until right until the very last line to give clarity to the play's title.

"Out Of Focus" is at Round Hill School until Saturday 17 May, when there's a matinee performance only available.