"The History Boys" by Alan Bennett.

Nottingham Theatre Royal.

This is one of my favourite plays by one of my favourite authors. I love Northern writers, their plays and the whole northern humour, so straight off this was always going to be a winner with me. It's also the 20th Anniversary production of the play and anyone who has seen the play before will spot a few differences.

The play opens in Cutlers' Grammar School, Sheffield, a fictional boys' grammar school. Set in the early 1980s, the play follows a group of history pupils preparing for the Oxford and Cambridge entrance examinations under the guidance of three teachers (Hector, Irwin, and Lintott) with contrasting styles.

This is the only school-play in English drama that is about the process of teaching. Not just about the sexuality or politics of school life but about the daily process of opening up young minds. We get to see the heroic Hector, and the insidious Irwin - the play's intellectual antagonists who just so happen to be in the same boat sexually - at work in the classroom.

The play is also sublimely funny, not least in a scene where Hector improves the boys' French by getting them to impersonate the clients of a bordello, only to be interrupted by a surprised and astonished headmaster.

The original stage play (2004) and film (2006) paved the way to stardom for Matt Smith, Dominic Cooper, Russell Tovey, Jamie Parker, Samuel Barnett and James Corden.

The humour is as sharp as when Bennett wrote the play and the whole 1980’s feel is still very evident from the soundtrack used. What is also still crystal clear is the distinctive light and shade of the story with the repressed but evident, to the boys at least, sexuality in the all boys schooling of the period.

Simon Rouse is Hector, the central character in the play, a beloved teacher who believes that his students should learn literature by heart in order to help them weather life’s difficulties. His teaching style is irreverent and energetic and often has the boys act out scenes or sing songs, and he seems unhampered by the usual school rules. He does not believe that exams are useful.

Milo Twomey as Headmaster of the grammar school where the action of the play takes place, his real name is Felix Armstrong. He is very concerned with sending the boys to Oxford and Cambridge in order to raise the school’s profile. He dislikes Hector’s scattered teaching style, and hires Irwin to make the boys more competitive university applicants. Milo brings a slight Basil Fawlty feel to the character, especially with some of the physicality.

Gillian Bevan is Mrs. Lintott, whose first name is Dorothy but known to the lads as "Totty", is a lower-form history teacher at the grammar school, and the only female character who speaks in the play. There's a lovely played down, matter of fact charisma with Totty, especially when she mentions her first pizza, and other firsts, commenting which was the more memorable.

Bill Milner plays Irwin. A young, recent university graduate who comes to teach history at the school and help prepare the boys for their university entrance exams. Irwin’s philosophy of education is about looking at questions from an unconventional angle in order to appear more interesting to examiners. I love the nervousness with Irwin near the end when he is cornered by Dakin.

The students are played by Archie Christoph-Allen, in his professional stage debut as Dakin. Dakin is charming, manipulative, self-confident, and handsome. This makes him popular at school, and at least three of the male characters in the play are sexually attracted to him. A really confident performance, which is what you need for this character.

Lewis Cornay as Posner, a role a million miles away from being Spongebob Squarepants. One of the most memorable lines from this play comes from Posner when he describes himself and his background. Posner’s journey towards discovering his sexuality figures largely in the play. He feels attracted to Dakin, and doesn’t know what to make of those feelings. Lewis has a really pleasant voice, which we get to hear on a regular basis.

Teddy Hinde as Timms, a funny and confident student who often contributes to the class’s lively banter.

Yazdan Qafouri, who theatre fans may know from being part of "The Band" a few years ago after winning through on the TV talent show "Let It Shine". plays Scripps. Scripps is Dakin’s closest friend, a pianist, and an aspiring writer. He is a devout and practicing Christian, and he says that his parents don’t understand this choice. Scripps delivers a large chunk of the play’s narrative asides to the audience.

Ned Costello plays Rudge,  This is not Ned's first foray into the magic of Alan Bennett as I can remember seeing him in Bennett's "The Clothes They Stood Up In" at the Nottingham Playhouse a few years ago. Rudge is a talented athlete from a working-class background. The teachers all underestimate him, and don’t believe that he has much chance of being accepted to Oxford, but they are in for a surprise! Rudge also delivers one of the other most famous quotes from the play regarding history.

Mahesh Parmar plays Akthar,  and Mahesh is another actor who is no stranger to Nottingham stages as I remember first seeing him seven years ago playing Mowgli in "The Jungle Book" at Djanogly Theatre, Lakeside, directed by Martin Berry.

Tashinga Bepete is Crowther, an aspiring actor and theatre enthusiast; one of the quieter students in the class.

Curtis Kemlo plays Lockwood, a thoughtful student who also participates in the class’s irreverent joking

Rowena Bentley, Morgan Phillips, Zrey Sholapurkar, Elliot Parchment-Morrison, Rob Astillo and Jolyon Young make up the ensemble, many of whom are making their professional stage debuts.

Directed by Seán Linnen, assisted by Emily Oulton. I mentioned that this production is slightly different, so even if you've seen a production of this show previously, this one has slight differences. Everything about this show has pace, especially the scene changes, which are carried out, often at breakneck speed, by the cast members.

The whole cast actually look like they belong in school, which straight away locks in the characters to the school setting. 

The Set and Costume Design is by Grace Smart. The main set is a back to back class room and exterior setting with desks, tables and chairs, plus the piano that Scripps plays.

Lighting Designer is Ryan Day and Movement Director is Chi-San Howard. 

Composer, Arranger & Sound Designer is Russell Ditchfield with the  Musical Director being Eamonn O’Dwyer. With the play being set in the 1980's we get to hear some classic 80's bangers in shortened, instrumental offerings of the original arrangements. 

What is also lovely, as well as different to some of the other productions of this show, is the amount of acapella work the cast perform. We start off with acapella, and there's also a wonderful acapella version of Adam & the Ants "Stand And Deliver" to open the second act, completely unexpected, and then there is the final version of "Bye Bye Blackbird" which always sends a cold chill down your backbone.

Any theatre goer cannot fail to be touched - if that is the right word in this context - by this brilliant Bennett blockbuster, and especially this cast. It is warm, funny and has balls, so if you can fit this show into your timetable, you will not be disappointed.

"The History Boys"  will be at the Nottingham Theatre Royal until Saturday 14 September, and don't arrive late or you better have a note!

 "Mumsy" by Lydia Marchant

Nottingham Lace Market Theatre.

This production opens the new Autumn/Winter season at the Nottingham Lace Market Theatre, and is a wonderful way to start what is an exciting roster of diverse plays.

Sophie is about to become a single mum and she's terrified. How will she afford to feed her baby? Or a Deluxe Snuggle Pod? Can she hold on to her job? What if she's crap at parenthood? Surely she can count on her own mum and nan to help...

Her mum, Rachel, has got used to having a life of her own, and doesn't fancy giving up pole-dancing class and Tinder to go back to changing nappies and no sleep. Meanwhile, fresh out of hospital with a broken leg, her nan's having a three-quarter-life crisis of her own, and has moved into the one bedroom flat with Rachel and Sophie.

There's plenty of music played throughout in sound bites which smooth over the scene changes nicely. Every track has been well chosen to keep with the theme of the storyline, ranging from Blondie and Abba to The Killers and Hozier.

Performed in the upstairs studio area of the Lace Market, it makes the whole story from start to end a really intimate affair. 

Sophie, the mother to be, is played by Lucy Deane. Every scene is a gem with Lucy in; ranging from that nervous anticipation of breaking the news of the pregnancy, and exactly how the pregnancy occurred, through to the scans and all of the episodes an expectant mother has to endure. Morning sickness, worries about everything, reduced hours at work and the resulting shortage of money, which brings its' own problems affecting her health. We see Sophie questioning options and finally confiding to her mother and nan about her hidden worries, several of these scenes are emotional, many of the scenes really comical. A growing bump also brings mobility and physical issues which Lucy conveyed brilliantly.

Rachel, Sophie's mother, is played by Becky Goddard-Hill. As the play goes on, we discover that Rachel is not quite the selfish mother she first appears to be, and many situations turn out to be the exact opposite of what we first thought, especially in the second act. I loved the scene when Rachel returns home at 4.30 in the morning, slightly worse for wear, with her descriptions of her young 22 year old one night stand, and how the roles of mother and daughter are reversed. A brilliant piece of writing, and beautifully executed by both Lucy and Becky.

Linda, her nan, is played by Sharon Phillips. These three actors could not have been better cast because you really start to believe that the three characters are related by motherhood; the relationships built and made to gel by three very talented actors who obviously understand that wonderful connection that only mothers with their daughters can have. Another physical role as Linda throughout has one of those boots on her foot, due to the character, not falling, but having an accident at work. If you go and see the play, you'll understand why I have phrased it in this certain way!

The language is of an adult nature, but then again, that goes along with the situation that is quite literally thrust upon Sophie, and the reactions from Rachel with the double whammy of having, not only her pregnant daughter coming to stay with her, but her mum also joining them.

Directed by Charlotte Hukin, she has made sure that this gem of a play rolls along at just the right pace, making sure that the humour and the more fraught scenes are well balanced. There are some parts of the play that reveal upsetting scenarios, but these are quickly digested and progressed to some wonderful, lighter moments.

Lighting Design is by Esther Warren, and there's more lighting than I had thought there would be. That is due to the scene changes when we are kept entertained with the lightshow and the soundtrack to the story.

Sound Design is by Gareth Morris. there's just one scene change where music is not involved, and that makes that section ever more poignant. Loved the soundtrack, as I have previously said, and I can imagine that the team who created the playlist not only had fun putting it all together, but also put a great deal of thought into which songs go where, because if you listen to the songs, they also move the story on.

Stage Manager is by Linda Hoyland, assisted by B Anthony, and there are many scenes where quick costume changes are required by all three actors. The minor changes to the set are done by the actors in a natural and smooth motion.

I always like to get into the theatre quite early just to have a proper look at the set and the props. With this being in the studio upstairs, this made my scrutiny of the set very easy. The set is designed by Charlotte with a convertible sofa bed and kitchen units with a working fridge freezer; this plays an important role, which I will let you work out. The props are sourced by Lesley Brown, and there are quite a few to take in.

Summing up this play, which by the way I had never seen before, and that's because this production is only the second time that the play has been performed, the debut being by the Hull Truck theatre Company, which is apt as the play is set in Hull. The language is deliciously ripe and the accents are superb. Charlotte has ever so slightly tweaked the ending to create a more rounded end. Beautifully emotive and the writing is delightfully descriptive.

"Mumsy" is at the Nottingham Lace Market Theatre until Saturday 14 September, but you'll need to get your tickets pretty quick as it's close to being a sell out week.

Photography by Grace Eden Photography.

 "West Side Story" by Zak Scott Productions.

Duchess Theatre, Long Eaton.

The classic Stephen Sondheim/Leonard Bernstein musical is performed by Zak Scott's Summer School pupils aged between 13 and 21 and created from start to finish in just two incredible weeks. Knowing that, and seeing the results of those two weeks on stage, makes the audience reaction at the end of the production even more awe-inspiring. The show should get sponsorship from Kleenex.

The story is inspired by Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet” and it’s the story of the relationships between two opposing street gangs, The Jets and The Sharks, with the two main characters, Tony and Maria being on opposite sides of the fence. This doesn’t stop the course of true love though but exacerbates the feelings between the two gang members with fatal consequences.

This is also a good musical to counter many of the classic musicals which end on a high and happy vibe.

“West Side Story” includes so many classic musical pieces, many have become chart and popular hits, covered by some of the cream of the recording industry. “Something’s Coming”, “Maria”, “I Feel Pretty”, “America”, “Somewhere”, “One Hand One Heart” and “Tonight” being among them as well as the lyrically comic “Gee Officer Krupke”. But you knowledgeable theatre fans already know that, so I'm preaching to the the theatrically converted.

Tony is played by Harvey Tavener. A character like Tony has to tick a few boxes for any Director who is looking to cast such an iconic character. He must be good looking, charismatic, be able to handle the complexities and broad vocal style and have a believable chemistry with his "Juliet". Wel, with Harvey, all those boxes are ticked. Harvey has a mature flexible vocal, and a really good falsetto, and the way he sings, the emotion he injects into singing "Maria" really makes you feel that he has met the love of his life and has fallen so deep for her. 

Tony’s “Juliet” is Maria, sister of Bernardo, the leader of the Sharks, and played by the lovely Harriet Campion. What a voice this young woman has, and she's not the only young woman who has a voice that is very easy on the ear. Harriet really puts passion into this role, especially in the final scenes when your heart breaks along side of her. Some actors, especially of this age group often look and (possibly) feel uncomfortable kissing on stage, but this pair made these scenes look as if they were actually enjoying it! This of course shows what really good actors they are! 

Riff The leader of The Jets is the incredibly talented Joel Dawson. I've had the pleasure of seeing Joel in many productions, so I already know that he has a very credible theatrical CV in performing, singing and dancing. Yet another charismatic performance from this triple threat performer.

The feisty Anita is played by Olivia Bonham. You almost forget that this cast are so young when you experience performances like this, and what I noted was the consistency of her Puerto Rican accent, What is also impressive is how easy that gorgeous voice spills out from her lips. The strength and quality of her voice also works so well in this role.

Bernardo is played by Brogan Haynes. Here is a character who is very protective and can be quite bullish, and Brogan brings those qualities to the stage really well. What Brogan also brings to the stage is some really confident choreography skills. This is the second time that I've seen Brogan portray this character, the last time being in 2022, and I commented at that time that he has the look matching his character's background; two years on and he really matches the description of this Peurto Rican, especially with his swarthy looks and dark long hair. He has a busy road in front of him and is appearing in several local productions, so look out for him.

 Miles Potter plays Action. As this character he gets to show the comic side of his acting as he takes the vocals on "Gee Officer Krupke", which drew a massive show of appreciation from this enthralled audience for his visual and vocal comedy performance. Miles last played Thenardier in the previous ZS Productions version of "Les Miserables", so comedy is definitely a forte for Miles.

Quite a large cast who really gelled in the relatively short period that this show was put together; of course many of them are known to each other due to the rich vein of young actors that runs throughout the area.

Drew Boswell (Chino/ Krupke), Finn Boswell (A-Rab), Fin Tomlinson (Baby John), Dillian Brookes (Snowboy), Isobel Pickering (Big Deal), Lucy Coulson-Jones (Diesel), Heidi Parsons ( A really convincing "boyish" Anybodys, a lovely piece of character acting), Isla Basill-Conroy (Graziella), Lexie Mae-Hart (Velma), Phoebe Litherland (Pepe), Violet Graney (Indio),  Amelia Forcast (Luis), Keeley Rickerby (Anxious), Alice Whitaker (Nibbles), Kate Whitaker (Clarice), Neve Johnson (Rosalia), Ella Charlesworth (Consuelo), Avaani Babra (Francisca), Will Mellor (Schrank), Millie Weston (Gladhand), Megan Price (Pauline), Martha Smart (Toro), Evie Perks (Teresita) and Molly Price (Estella).

Directed by Zak Charlesworth, who must be a very happy director with results like this. It's tight and pacy and he has the perfect cast. His casting of "Doc" was genius! One reason why this choice of musical is so good is because the cast are just the right age for the original turf war gangs. Sometimes you see musicals where older actors play parts that are very much younger than themselves, but this cast are the perfect age for the characters that they play. An inspired musical choice.

Great musicals need great songs, which this show has in abundance, a great story, which it also has, and great dance routines, and that is the third box well and truly ticked.

Musical Director for this wonderfully emotive and evocative score is Ben Ward. I don't need to heap praise on this musical maestro because anyone who has seen anything that has Ben's name on the creative team will automatically know that music-wise the show is going to be a success. that trend continues here! There's a wonderfully emotional arrangement of "Somewhere" that closes the show, and I'm not sure if this is an arrangement by Ben, but it also provides food for thought for today's street issues.

Choreographers Ellie Simmonds and Alex Tavener have recreated some classic routines for this show. There are many different dance styles in West Side Story and it's rather wonderful to see ballet, jazz, contemporary, salsa and more all performed so well by this fabulous cast.

The choreography is so stylish and stylised and tells much of the story, especially the Prologue where you have a six-minute instrumental/dance piece to open the show. This sets the tone for the rest of the programme and spells out who the Jets are and who the Sharks are, creating the feel of street gangs and danger of being alone in the neighbourhood with the possibility of meeting a member of a rival street gang. 

There's a beautiful segment in "West Side Story" which is a ballet dream sequence, and this piece was an absolute dream. The six main characters really performed this sequence and performed it with ease. The whole turning out of their hands and toes was such a lovely sight to see, especially from such a young cast, and especially the male dancers.

I know that I am probably going on a bit about the choreography, but in this musical, it's such an important part of the show; that and Ellie said that I had to really big it up, as she and Alex had really worked on this area and offered payment for a decent write up. NO only kidding Ellie!

What I would say though is that normally, and quite naturally, the female cast rule the choreography, but every male actor shone with their choreography and were equals with the ladies choreography. I can't remember the last time I saw such a strong young male choreography, which is a tribute to not only Alex and Ellie, but to this brilliant male cast.

The fight choreography is also worth mentioning because of the stylisation in this area.

Set design is by Roydon Charlesworth, who also constructed the set. An evocative back scenery which firmly placed you in the given "hood", provided by Rocket Studios.

Zak Scott Productions also created and supplied the costumes for this show, and there are some lovely costumes - especially for the female cast and especially in choreographed numbers like "America"- with help from Seamstress Raj Babra.

Dave Martin's lighting design made sure that you focused on specific parts of the stage; a bit like a magician who draws you to the area that you need to be concentrating on. This works especially well with some of the more emotive scenes.

The sound design is by Olivia Michaud. Crackly mic packs aside - and there were only a couple and out of the hands of anyone - this is one of the better sound designs at the Duchess. I was sat in the balcony and heard every spoken and sung word.

I was really pleased with the final scene of this production, given the closing dramatic scene. A simple closing of the curtains was such a mature, as well as demure close to the show, and left you with that tinge of sadness at the wasteful loss of life of such young characters.

"West Side Story" has always been one of my favourite musicals, and Zak and his wonderful cast have made sure that my love for this musical remains.

You can see "West Side Story" at The Duchess Theatre in Long Eaton until Saturday 7 September, if you have already purchased your tickets because it's SOLD OUT.