"Sleeping Beauty"

Nottingham Playhouse.

Ey up me duck, the 2025/2026 panto season continues with yet another brilliant family orientated piece of Christmas fare.

Outraged at not being invited to the Princess’s party, the evil Maleficent casts a spell that sends the Princess and her whole kingdom into a deep sleep, when she pricks her finger on an enchanted spinning wheel. As they snooze, a tangled forest springs up around them. Only one thing can break the curse – the magic of true love! Enter our Prince, who must battle through the thorns, and work with the Princess to defeat the wicked fairy, malevolent Maleficent.  

The legend that is John Elkington is Nelly The Nanny. Nelly gets the party started even before the first curtain is raised with her pre show rules and regulations, and by the sound of Monday's audience, they were ready to party! What I love about John is that whoever and whatever character John plays every year, he is just John in a frock, albeit extremely glamorous and over the top frocks. He is instantly Mr Entertainment, puts on n o airs and graces, and is one of the best Dames in Nottingham you'll ever see. His audience participation is natural and works the ad-libs in as fluently as if they were in the script.

I mentioned the frocks and every year, and I've been coming to see the pantos for quite a few years now, those frocks get more over the top than last year; it makes you wonder how far the designers can go for "Aladdin", next year's pantomime. From filled aquariums to Roses chocolates and a full English breakfast inspired frock, plus more, these costumes have to be the most ingenious and brilliantly designed costume for any panto Dame to adorn themselves with.

Charis Alexandra is this year's good fairy, and quite aptly named Fairy Lights, because she shines and twinkles every time she is on stage. A voice that could cut glass and is powerful as well. I would have described it as "belting" but I was advised a few years ago by a gorgeous actress that "belting" could be misconstrued as meaning "shouty" in the theatrical world, so I'll say that Charis is a powerful vocalist.

Seb Harwood is the dashing Prince Albert. If you cross Gaston from "Beauty and the Beast" with Tim "Nice But Dim" from Harry Enfield's show, you'll get the vibe of the Prince. Wonderfully arrogant to start with and has one of the best lines in the script for me. When Fairy Lights asks why he doesn't call himself just Albert, and drop the Prince title, Albert explains that titles are never taken away from members of the Royal Family... oooh, cutting, and a nice slice of topicality, which I think some pantos shy away from nowadays.

Danny Hendrix returns as Teddy The Bear, who appears on stage with just a little bit of Fairy Lights magic. One of those lovable characters who isn't afraid to "crack" the kind of jokes that kids love to hear, filling in the level below the saucy adult type jokes, you know the sort, the ones that go over the kids' heads but the adults get straight away! Danny is no stranger to the Nottingham Playhouse panto stage and is as comfortable as your favourite pair of slippers to watch. 

I thought the catchphrase for Teddy was just a bit weak, but I can remember the origin of it. Teddy shouted "Nice To See You" and the audience shouted back "To See You Nice". I wonder if that could be a bit of a link to the Theatre Royal panto with Craig Revel-Horwood and "Strictly" as Sir Bruce Forsyth was famous for that catchphrase, and of course Brucie presented "Strictly". This might just be an age thing though as the younger audience members couldn't wait to take part in the call and response.

Princess Rose is played by Yazmin King, who makes her Nottingham Playhouse pantomime debut, but fits in as if she has been in the family for years. A lovely voice and looks very comfortable on stage and in panto. Welcome to the Playhouse panto family.

TJ Lloyd is The King and what a wonderful character this is. I can't remember if I have seen TJ before or if this is his first Playhouse panto, what I could recognise though is that TJ has done a lot of musicals in the past because of his voice has great clarity and power, even singing with the rest of the cast, you could pick his vocals out. A real fun character, who also provides the twist in this version of "Sleeping Beauty".

Taking on the role of the magnificent Maleficent is Nottingham born actor Lara Sas, who by the way has plenty of sass. There is just something, and I can only speak for myself here, just a little bit sexy about an evil woman, especially when Maleficent has such an original seduction technique which involves Marvin Gaye and Boys To Men! The costume is marvellous in black and green, providing that dark image even before she utters a word. Another great singer who has so much stage presence that you cannot take your eyes off of her when on stage... or is that just me falling under Maleficent's magic?

There are two teams of young dancers and singers, Team Torvill and Team Dean. On Monday night I saw Team Dean (I think),and there's always one performer in these teams who really catches your eye. This was the same here. Let me say that this group of seven were so energetic and I love the energy that they put into their dancing, but the youngest and smallest young man, who was at times at the back of the group looked as if he had heard that phrase "dance like there's nobody watching". He was so in the zone while being part of a group and you were just drawn to him because of that supreme confidence.

I'm not sure who has written this year's panto but the writing is so much sharper than before and includes much more in the way of topical jokes as well as some cringy jokes - which we all love anyway, plus some of the jokes that have been used in Nottingham Playhouse pantos for many years, and would not seem right if they were not included i.e. "Butterface". Plus there's a twist to watch out for that I have alluded to, regarding the awakening of the Princess.

There's a nice new twist on the kitchen baking scene which was tight and gave rise to some nice but slightly naughty jokes, which I noticed there were much more throughout the panto, again satisfying the risky humour for the mums and dads.

Directed by Adam Penford, this is a very tight production and there are a lot more jokes and one liners in there that the cast deliver at times like a pump action gun. The music choices span quite a variety of music styles and I was quite pleased that there were a couple of more modern songs, Lady Gaga's "Abracadabra" and Huntr X's "Golden" as well some absolute stompers and a couple of musical theatre favourites, including a brilliant West End style version of "Supercalifragilisticexpialidoshus", which also put Team Dean through their paces.

The Set Designer is Cleo Pettitt. Anyone who has been to a Playhouse pantomime previously will know that their sets are some of the best pantomime sets around and this is yet another glitter filled set. Ranging from a desert scene, a woodland scene all the way through to Maleficent's hell-hole and the glamour of the palace. 

Uncle Johnny Morton is the Musical Director; where would the Nottingham Playhouse pantomime be without Uncle Johnny? The sound that comes from that orchestra pit belies the small quartet with the big sound.

Choreographed by Rosanna Bates I absolutely loved the energy in these routines. The opening dance sections that used to open the two acts have gone and instead the routines are ensconced in the story and opening action sections. I used to find the dance only intros into the two acts just a little bit boring, but times have moved on and this is a perfect example of using entertaining choreography to draw the audience into the action as opposed to giving them another few minutes to chat away.

Lighting Design is by Tim Mitchell, with Sarah Brown as the Lighting Programmer. Combined with the Sound Designer, Paul Groothuis, they created a gorgeous and fun atmosphere, with both lighting and sound being completely on top of their game. I could hear every word of the narration and vocalisation and the lighting created excitement.

I mentioned John's costumes but every costume you see is a work of art, created by Freelance Costume Makers Jo Birkett, James Goss, Annalise Walker, Jude Ward and Kit Winter.

Some people ask me which is the best pantomimes I have seen but both pantos that I have seen this year already are so different that I would not be able to make any comparison, which is really good for theatre goers when you don't have to rate one against the other.

The bar has been set in Nottingham, so let's see if the others can match this very high and enjoyable standard.

"Sleeping Beauty" is at the Nottingham Playhouse until Saturday 17 January 2026.

 "Cinderella"

Nottingham Theatre Royal.

My first panto visit of the year, and what a way to open panto season. This year's panto is so much better than last year's "cut and paste" panto, but was not without its' issues.

One thing about panto is that everyone knows the basic story of any particular panto, whether it be "Cinderella" or any other pantomime, so I don't have to go through the story of what happens to poor Cinders, how wicked her Stepsisters are, as is their evil Stepmother, and how much Buttons is lusting after Cinders, and that the Fairy Godmother is on hand to make sure that all goes well and gets to marry her Prince. Oh wait! I've just given away the whole plot there!

Strictly superstar, Craig Revel-Horwood heads the cast as the Wicked Stepmother, Baroness Demonica Hardup, and no stranger to heels, frocks and glamorous make up. Although I have had great pleasure in reviewing the FAB-U-LOUS Craig in musicals like "Annie", this is the first time that I have seen him in panto. Craig lights up the stage from his arrival to the "Strictly" theme tune in a stretch limo. 

There's a dance off section between Baroness and Buttons, many nods to "Strictly", including the names of the Baroness's daughters. Suitably nasty with that ever visible twinkle in his eye and wide grin, Craig may have surprised quite a few people with his singing abilities, but these would have been the people who didn't buy Craig's recent album, "Revelations: Songs That Boys Don't Sing". Craig doesn't show off his dancing ability as much as I had expected to, but that is quite refreshing to tell the truth as he plays down his "day job" with great subtlety; that's not to say that the choreography for Craig is not exciting to see on a panto stage.

Everyone who has seen "Strictly" knows that he has a dry sense of humour, which is part of his charm, and the wit here is crisp. Even with the parts that "go wrong", and there are a few - but how much is rehearsed and how much is actually a natural slip up; you judge because those parts are either well orchestrated or well ad libbed.

Unlike last year's "star" of the panto, Craig is a natural star and holds the stage, and audience, in the palm of his hands. But let's not forget, the FAB-U-LOUS Mr Revel-Horwood has his roots in musical theatre, and that shows in this role.

Neil Hurst returns to the Theatre Royal stage as Buttons. the mix of jokes is well balanced with some that have been used many times alongside quite a few new ones. I am not sure if the section where he gets three youngsters on stage part is a new piece of writing, I certainly had not heard the "Smart Fellers" speech before, and is one of those lovely bits that is funny to the four year old on stage as it is to the adults in the audience.

Neil has funny bones, but his experience on TV and stage has honed those comedy skills perfectly, and with his quick "off the cuff" remarks and retorts, he is just what a family panto needs as Buttons. There's also a slice of panto magic with Neil and a teddy bear!

Christina Bianco, who we last saw at the Theatre Royal as the Narrator in "Joseph and The Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat" back in January 2025, sprinkles her magic in Nottingham as the Fairy Godmother. This time around we get to hear more than just her wonderful powerhouse vocals, we also get to hear those incredible impressions that Christina is renowned for, plus her tremendous comedy talents. Her voice give you chills, and the lovely thing about Christina's mimic skills is that you don't need to be told who she is doing. Everyone from Adele, Julie Andrews, Britney Spears, Shakira and Shirley Bassey to Olivia Coleman are included.

Prince Charming, and may I say completely aptly cast, is played by Stephenson Ardern-Sodje, who has recently just finished a stint in the West End in "The Lion King", after playing in the original London cast of "Hamilton". Another voice that is very easy to listen to, and from listening to some of the ladies near to me, matches the easiness on the eye.

Daniel Norford, who has quite a large theatrical CV, is Dandini. Well paired with Stephenson and the chemistry is completely believable; they could be a couple of lads from the pub with their banter. Daniel also gets to showcase some pretty nifty dance moves throughout.

Cinderella is played by Elly Jay, who stepped into the role late on in rehearsals, but what a gorgeous voice she has. That twinkle in her eye every time that she catches sight of her Prince made for another believable piece of acting.

The two Wicked Sisters - looks like the PC Police have managed to eradicate the word "ugly" for fear of insulting people who are not as gorgeous as others - are played by Britt Lenting, no stranger to the stage or pantomime, and plays Claudia Hardup, and May Tether who plays Tess Hardup. Both ladies have extremely strong voices, in fact quite operatic at times.

There's a section where the main characters perform the standard panto fare where they sing about what they would be if there were unable to live at Hardup Hall. The timing in this section is comedy gold, and this has to be one of the best performances of this bit that I've seen on stage in panto.

The ensemble provide back up energy dance routines, and show that they can move as well as any of the Strictly professionals. Ruby Olivia Bennett, Harrison Creech, AJ Cufflin, Oliver Ferro, Rayne Hunter-Smith, Kasey Robinson, Nikki Seymour and Matthew Sweet sashay and swing all over the stage, and hardly seem to break into a sweat.

Directed by Jonathan Kiley, this is what you call a family pantomime with scenes that flow into each other while keeping the thread of the storyline. While feeling fresh it also retains that traditional panto feel.

Musical Director is Gavin Whitworth, and to say that there's only a six piece orchestra, they sounded so much bigger. What I enjoyed about this particular panto is that the songs were not all well known and there were several of them that may have been written especially for the panto, as well as parodies of "Don't Stop Me Now", "I Will Survive" and "My Way" among them, and the brilliant "Apt" that was such a big hit last year by Rose and Bruno Mars - still one of the catchiest songs going. That said, there didn't seem to be any recent songs involved, and that could be a reflection of the state of today's modern songs!

The costumes are, as only to be expected, A-MAY-ZING, especially those for Craig, Britt and May, but also creating that dapper image for Stephenson and Daniel. Lesley Brown is Head Of wardrobe and Helen Guy-Clark is Wardrobe Deputy.

Sound for me is the only dip in the quality of this year's pantomime, and I thought that it may have been my position in the stalls, but when talking to other reviewers in the interval, I found out that the sound was universally not as good as it could have been.

Many of the songs were parody songs, and to get the full comic effect of a parody, you have to be able to hear all of the words. The sound was crystal clear, but the mix was not right. The music was lovely and loud, and I don't mind it loud, but not when the vocal mix is lower in the mix than it needs to be. The vocals quite often were swamped by the orchestra, and even though in the second half it did sound like some kind of tweaking may have been done, it didn't quite get the mix as good as it could have been. Production Sound Engineer was Jem Kitchen and Jonas Luzys and Matas Muldaris are on Sound.

Lighting Programming is by Rohan McDermott and is everything that you could want from a big pantomime such as this. You have to have a big, bright lighting design to match the Baroness's big, beaming smile. Wonderfully colourful.

An A-MAY-ZING cast who work to their individual strengths to present a wonderfully entertaining and comical pantomime, mixing classic panto fare with fresh and funny sections. A panto that is worthy of seeing more than once over this Christmas period.

"Cinderella" runs until Sunday 4 January 2026 at the Theatre Royal, Nottingham.

 "The Crucible" by Arthur Miller.

Nottingham Lace Market Theatre.

Written in 1953 and based on the Salem Witch trials of Massachusettes between 1692 and 1693. In a small tight-knit community, personal grievances clash with lust and superstition, fuelling widespread hysteria. Miller’s classic story attacks the evils of mindless persecution and the power of false accusations.

The play isn’t wholly about supernatural happenings that may, or may not have happened in this period of history, but also about human manipulation of the mind of their fellow man.

Making someone believe in something non fact based can be a very dangerous thing, which is also why there are so many comparisons with the political world since and currently. The power of the mind is a dangerous thing!

It’s also about power, lust, respect and love as well as unfounded belief; an intoxicating blend. Fact is swirled with fiction and it’s well documented that Miller did his research well before writing this literary classic, which still stands up with the best of today’s theatrical works.

This has always been one of my favourite plays; it is in my mind a literary classic, but I will state now, before I go on, that I have one regret about tonight's production.

David Field is John Proctor, the play's tragic hero. Honest, upright, and blunt-spoken, Proctor is a good man, but one with a secret, fatal flaw. His lust for Abigail Williams led to their affair (which occurs before the play begins), and created Abigail’s jealousy of his wife, Elizabeth, which sets the entire witch hysteria in motion. You could not have wrung more passion out of David if you'd have put him through a mangle, and his passion as Proctor is completely insane and off the scale.

 

Kareena Sims plays Elizabeth Proctor, faithful in every sense of the word to husband John, as well as deeply caring and sensitive, if still hurting from what has happened to her. John had an affair with Abigail when she was a servant in the Proctors’ household. That sereneness, and love for John is brought out perfectly

 

Francesca Short is Abigail Williams, the villain of the play, more so than Parris or Danforth: she tells lies, manipulates her friends and the entire town, and eventually sends nineteen innocent people to their deaths. Throughout the hysteria, Abigail’s motivations never seem more complex than simple jealousy and a desire to have revenge on Elizabeth Proctor. 

 

Jack Leo is Rev. Parris, the minister of Salem’s church. He is a paranoid, power-hungry, but self-pitying figure. Many of the Salem townsfolk, especially John Proctor, dislike him, and Parris is very concerned with building his position in the community.

 

Fred Baker is Rev. John Hale,  a young minister reputed to be an expert on witchcraft, is called in to Salem to examine Parris’s daughter Betty. Hale is a committed Christian and hater of witchcraft. His arrival sets the hysteria in motion, although he later regrets his actions and attempts to save the lives of those accused.

 

Joe Foster plays Judge Hathorne, a judge who presides, along with Danforth, over the witch trials.

 

Nik Hedges is Dep. Gov. Danforth, the deputy governor of Massachusetts and the presiding judge at the witch trials. Honest and scrupulous, at least in his own mind, Danforth is convinced that he is doing right in rooting out witchcraft. 

Chloe Davie is Betty Parris, Reverend Parris’s ten-year-old daughter who falls into a strange stupor after Parris catches her and the other girls dancing in the forest with Tituba. Her illness and that of Ruth Putnam fuel the first rumors of witchcraft.

Maureen Nwabueze is Tituba. Reverend Parris’s Barbadian slave. We first see this quite scary character in the first scene where Abigail's friends and Tituba are in the forest and Tituba performs a voodoo ritual.

 

Jane Pyke plays Rebecca Nurse. Rebecca is a wise, sensible, and upright woman, held in tremendous regard by most of the Salem community. However, she falls victim to hysteria when the Putnams accuse her of witchcraft and she refuses to confess. 

David Dunford plays Francis Nurse. Nurse is an aged but wealthy, influential man in Salem. He is well respected by most people in Salem, but he is an enemy of Thomas Putnam and his wife. 

Adam Worton is Thomas Putnam. Putnam uses the witch trials to increase his own wealth by accusing people of witchcraft and then buying up their land. 

Emma Rayner plays Anne Putnam, a bitter, grief-stricken woman who has lost seven children in infancy and is convinced they were murdered by supernatural means. As the wife of Thomas Putnam, she is a key figure in the Salem witch trials, using her grief and jealousy to accuse others, notably Rebecca Nurse, contributing to the town's hysteria and paranoia. 

Eden Silk plays Mary Warren, the servant in the Proctor household and a member of Abigail’s group of girls. She is a timid girl, easily influenced by those around her, who tried unsuccessfully to expose the hoax. 

Ally Saunders is Mercy Lewis, one of the girls in Abigail's group.

 

Charlotte Thomas plays Susannah Walcott. Susannah is a young, nervous and frightened member of Abigail’s group.

 

Max Bromley returns to the Lace Market stage as Giles Corey, an elderly but feisty farmer in Salem, famous for his tendency to file lawsuits. Giles’s wife, Martha, is accused of witchcraft, and he himself is eventually held in contempt of court and dies an uncomfortable death due to sticking to his guns.

 

Joe Downing plays Marshall Herrick. There's not an awful lot of comedy in this play, but Joe, as Herrick, brought the light relief.

 

Tom Pluse is Ezekiel Cheever, a clerk of the court. Cheever takes testimonies, serves warrants, arrests people who are accused, and transports people to jail.

• Directed by Matthew Huntbach, assisted by Charlotte Thomas there was absolutely nothing more that Matt and Charlotte could have done to retain that "classic" label for this production. The cast really put you through the emotional wringer, especially David Field, and especially in the second act. That could be said though of all the actors on stage The final scenes with Proctor and his wife are absolutely gut wrenching. The "exorcism" scene with Abigail, Susannah and Mercy could not have been more unnerving, and especially when Mary Warren was dragged into the scene. An incredible ensemble piece of character acting from all.

  

  
  
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• Lighting Design and Operation is by Philip Hogarth. Keeping the majority of the lighting down to shadows and low lighting helped to promote the doom and darkness of the story and the acting.
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• Sound Designer and Operator is Darren Coxon. The creeping menace of a soundtrack worked very well at intensifying the supernatural elements of the storyline.
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• Stage Managed by Jae Marriott, assisted by Alex Hayball. With such a large cast, probably one of the largest that I have seen on the Lace Market Theatre stage for a very long time. Entrances and exits made from and around the wooden beams at the back of the stage, giving that feeling of a wooded area, as well as a corridor style entrance/exit for the actors. 

Set Design is by Guy Evans and is rather different to any that I've seen. A wooden, circular stage with the imposing wooden uprights towards the back giving that effect of the woods may look simple but is incredibly effective to look at.

The props are brilliant with nothing omitted from what you'd imagine a household from the 1600s to have, and so many of them as well.

Costumes by the Warddrobe Team of Sue Drew and the Team. Straight away you are immediately transported to the 17^th Century with every costume for every actor being perfect to place the actors and the scenes historically.

I've seen a few productions of this Arthur Miller classic over the years but this has to be the best production that I have seen. The raw power and energy from the stage is like being hit by an emotional fireball, leaving you at times quite breathless, and I did mention that there was just one regret with the production, and that was that I didn't stand up at the end because this is one show that deserves a standing ovation, and I can't remember the last time that a standing ovation was seen at the Lace Market... maybe I need to stand up and start that trend again.

If you can get a ticket for this production, get one as soon as you can because you will not see a production with as much stage presence and passion as this one.

"The Cruicible" is at the Nottingham Lace Market Theatre until Saturday 29 November.

Photography by Grace Eden Photography.

 "The House Among The Willows" by Robert Scott

Beeston Players.

Round Hill School, Beeston.

This play is something a little different from most of the other plays that I have seen performed by the Beeston Players. Normally, and they are very well known for producing some excellent comedy plays, but this time around they have gone full on thriller.

This play is one that has eluded me until now; the last time it was in the area was when it was performed at The Duchess Theatre in Long Eaton, and I was away, but this time around I did not miss out.

Fletcher Davidson is taking his new fiancée to the holiday home of his late fiancée's parents to meet them. Straight away this would ring a few uneasy bells, especially for his new fiancée, Sadie, especially as she seems to be receiving messages from the previous, late fiancee. The house itself would hold memories for Fletcher, but also for the parents, Erin and Paul Berkley, so straight away there's that tension in the air simmering away. If that's not enough for any new fiancée to deal with, up pops another of Fletcher's exes, Kirsty, just to stir the pot even more!

Memories are rediscovered and brought to the surface and hidden truths start to emerge, Fletcher's murky past starts to swirl around his feet, and then up pops another old friend of Fletcher's, ex policeman Josh. All this, and staying in the middle of nowhere in a house among the willows! Who would you trust to be telling you the truth about what really happened to Fletcher's late fiancée?

Fletcher Davidson is played by Callum Scott, who had made his adult debut in Beeston Players' May production. This role is very different and shows even more acting talents from Callum. Very slowly we start to unravel Fletcher and his personality and the mental health issues he has, but if you think that the first act Fletcher is dark, wait until the second act when his demeanor and image takes a very different turn. As I said, in this production, Callum becomes a very different and interesting beast, so be prepared for the change.

Sadie Cooper, the latest fiancée, is played by Helen Nankervis, a name that I had not come across before. Sadie comes across as quite under the thumb, but we soon find out that she will not stand for the sort of scare tactics and manipulation that someone is putting her through. Sadie also knows Josh the ex policeman, and that small town friendship sparks a hint of jealousy from Fletcher, even though Josh and Fletcher have known each other for a long time, so is there reason for Fletcher to believe that something may be going on between the two?

Josh Russell is played by Sean Knowles. I've seen Sean a couple of times with Beeston Players and is one of those very natural actors who has really good projection, so I knew that the casting of this team was going to be a solid one, especially with Callum's confidence and Helen's nervous version of Sadie already in the bag. Nice chemistry between this trio which makes you believe that these three characters have been friends for a length of time.

Erin Berkley is played by Sarah Nicholson, and you really feel that there may be something just not quite right with this character and maybe Erin has an unhealthy protective side for her daughter's ex husband. But then you are drip fed a few clues that proves that line of thought to be not so accurate, so who is behind the notes left for Sadie?

Paul Berkley is played by Rob Jackson. I am a big fan of Rob's and have seen him in many productions with Beeston Players. He makes me smile but he shows that he can play the serious role just as well as the comedy role in this production.

Kelly Vines, another of Fletcher's exes that he picked up in Paris, is played by Meghan Southan. Ooh, Kelly is a nasty piece of work; talk about a woman scorned! As soon as Fletcher and Sadie settle in with Erin and Paul, Fletcher gets a mysterious call, who we straight away assume is from Kelly, but that is what we are led to believe, and then Kelly turns up at the House amongst the willows with unsettling revenge in mind. Kelly's second act performance will be one to mess with your mind.

Directed by Gary Frost, this is a thriller that keeps giving twists all the way through to the very last line spoken in this production, and just when you get your head around what you think is the ending, Gary presents another twist. A brilliant cast in a very different genre of theatre Beeston Players are used to presenting, showing the versatility of the Players. There was no telegraphing from the actors of the outcome of the story which made my first vision of this brilliantly uneasy story a very satisfying one.

Set Designer and Sound is by Sam Williams. The set is split in two showing the living room and the dining room. Not having seen the play before, this straight away threw up several questions about certain things, which as the play went on, suddenly became evident to me; more than that I will not say because I do not want to give anything away.

The props involved are many and apt for a village holiday home, including a lovely old style record player. Props are thanks to Ali Parnham and Margaret Jones.

Costumes are thanks to Barbara Barton, and it's not until the second act, and one scene of this act that a certain relevance of costume becomes apparent and starts your mind working overtime to understand that one certain costume.

Hair and Make up by Maxine Taylor.

Lighting is by Tom Jenkins, who flicks the lighting focus from room to room to highlight where the story requires you to focus on.

Stage Managed by Paul Langston. Normally I would mention the length of time in between changing the scenes, but I was actually quite pleased about the slightly longer scene change times because it allowed me time to try and work out a few things about what I had just seen. Didn't make much difference to the eventual outcome, I still didn't guess what the finale held.

Production Mangers are Barbara Barton and Sue Frost.

I must not forget to mention as well the wonderful Front Of House team, Kevin Fairbrother, Ian Greatorex, Karen Livesey, Nick Livesey and Nina Tunnicliff, for always providing such a warm and welcoming first vision of this theatre group. And also to the members for running the bar and the complimentary tea and coffee station.

"The House Among The Willows" is at Round Hill School, Foster Avenue, Beeston for one more performance, on Saturday afternoon at 2.30pm.

I can't wait to see what their May 2026 production brings after this show!

 "Elf The Musical"

Blind Eye Productions.

Duchess Theatre, Long Eaton.

Ah yes! Christmas is on the horizon and one of the most beloved of Christmas films comes to Long Eaton in the form of the musical version.

Buddy, a young orphan "elf" mistakenly crawls into Santa's bag of gifts and is transported to the North Pole. The would-be elf is raised unaware that he is actually a human, until his enormous size and poor toy-making abilities causes him to face the truth. With Santa's permission, Buddy embarks on a journey to New York City to find his birth father and discover his true identity. Faced with the harsh reality that his Father is on the naughty list, and his step-brother doesn't even believe in Santa, Buddy is determined to win over his new family and help New York remember the true meaning of Christmas.

Buddy is played by JJ McCormack in a role that I am sure JJ is absolutely relishing because JJ has an inner child trying to break out, and has had, possibly for as long as I have known him. That child-like fun bursts forth as Buddy matures, only slightly, before our eyes on stage, and that "immaturity" just makes you feel like recessing back to being a kid without the feelings of guilt. Another positive of JJ's inner child is the energy that Buddy has is a complete natural ability of JJ. Brilliant fun to watch JJ cavorting, and you can see and hear the reaction from the packed audience as they audibly express their feelings at the more sad moments.

Gill Cook is Mrs Claus, only a cameo part but Gill looks exactly as I would like Mrs Santa Claus to look like. There's also another cameo part for Gill as the lady who carries the bells, allowing Buddy to display his campanologist skills.

Paul Duffy is Santa Claus, and if you're a very good boy or girl, you may even get to say "hello" to Santa before the show as I bumped into Santa in the theatre foyer before the show. This svelte Santa also looks just how you'd expect Santa to look in modern society. Still with the red costume but the usual ermine fur shows the toils of going up and down dirty chimneys, as does the beard. Paul plays a very modern Santa with a tablet and, due to emails or DMs from PETA, the sledge is no longer pulled by reindeer. 

Jovie, Buddy's love interest, is played by Eloise Lowe. It doesn't take Buddy long to break down the dating barriers erected by Jovie, and proving that it is fun to fall in love with an Elf. We have to wait a while before we get to hear Eloise's gorgeous voice, but it's well worth the wait, especially in "A Christmas Song".

Kevin Jones plays Walter Hobbs, the grumpy, work obsessed writer at Greenway Press, and  natural Father to Buddy. Even Walter can only keep up the grumpiness for so long, and with a little help from Walter's family, he gets to almost win over his boss, Mr Greenway. 

Beccy Burgess plays the long suffering wife, Emily Hobbs, who just wants to have some Christmas time with her husband and son, Michael. Beccy has a gorgeous voice and there's a lovely duet between Michael and Emily called "I'll Believe In You" and then in the second act called "There Is A Santa Claus", highlighting just how smooth their voices mix. Beccy is also the Musical Director, so no wonder those duets sound so good!

Sharing the role of Michael Hobbs, Walter and Emily's son, are Seth Burgess and William Curtis; it was William I saw on Thursday night. I've seen Seth in previous productions and can guarantee that whoever you see in this role, you won't be disappointed both acting and singing wise.

The boss with no Christmas spirit, Mr Greenway, is played by Ben Bradley. Love the accent and nice to hear Ben singing.  How Ben keeps such a straight face while acting next to JJ and the others beats me. Ben also doubles as one of the depressed Santas at the Chinese eating establishment for Santas that Buddy finds after being kicked out by Mr Hobbs.

Walter's secretary Deb is played by Andrea Caulfield-Smith.

Emme Gunn is the Manager of the store, Macy's, where Buddy is sent to help out by his Father.

Gabriella Tilley and Carys Windibank are the Store Elves.

Tilly Ebanks plays Tiara the Elf, Roman Nicol and Emily Radliffe share the role of Charlie the Elf.

James Rodgers is the Store Santa, who is revealed as not being THE Santa by Buddy, as well as the role of Jim.

Caitlin Rodgers, Lucie-Mae Wright, Lacey Bramley, Alex Michael, Orla Gunn and Lily O' Toole as Santa's Elves

Danielle Rodgers plays Charlotte Dennon and Ann Colgan plays the Saleswoman, plus several other roles.

Isobel Munden plays a woman and Steve Webb and Alex Wright are the New Yorkers.

Emily Hudson plays the Office Queen Bee.

Harriet Shaw-Browne is one of the several ice skaters.

Greenway Press Office staff members Jim, Sam & Sara are played by James Rodgers, Jackie Cooper and Lindsey Hemingway.

Alexandra Sjoberg-Weekes and Emma Nicol play Chadwick and Matthews.

Directed by Adam Chapman, assisted by Beth Duffy, this production really brings a feel of the film and all of the magical festivities to the stage, and as I told Adam after the show, it made me feel like breaking out my Michael Buble Christmas CD out and fetching the Christmas Tree down from the loft.... well maybe at the weekend!

Choreographed by Ashleigh Wilkinson, there are some real fun  dance numbers in this show, as well as a big tap number later in the show.

Kirsty  Smith is the Stage Manager and Deputy Stage Manager is Izzy Tilley, keeping the scene change timings down to the minimum.

Sound Designer and Operator is Nick Elliott. On a personal note, I would have liked the music backing track just a little louder, but that's my personal preference; apart from that, I found no real issues apart from a few missed mic cues.

Lighting Design is by Manda Joyce with Associate Lighting Design by Nick Elliott and Operation by Alan Betton.

Costumes are by JJ McCormack and Adam Chapman. When you take a look at the size of this cast, you can see the amount of hard work that JJ and Adam have put into these costumes

Set Design is by JJ McCormack which looked so good with the Projection Design by Paul Duffy.

Plenty of props for this show, managed by Kirsty Smith and Lisa Wilde.

You'll feel in the Christmas spirit even before you get into the theatre because the whole of the theatre box office area and foyer is like walking into  Santa's grotto with the decorations and Christmas trees. It makes you feel warm inside, even though the weather outside is frightful, so if you have no place to go.......

"Elf The Musical" is at the Duchess Theatre, Long Eaton until Saturday 22 November, but you may have to check just in case any tickets have been returned because at the last check, there were no tickets available. Let's face it, who in their right mind would not want a ticket for this Sparklejollytwinklejingley show.

Blind Eye are raising monies for their chosen charities this Christmas of "When You Wish Upon A Star" and Hayward House, so please get those raffle tickets and support these two amazing causes this Christmas.