"Aladdin" by Westfield Folkhouse Pantomime.

Mansfield Palace Theatre.

To celebrate their 86th year we're transported from the cold. misty and damp streets of Mansfield to the busy and dusty market place of Peking with the story of "Aladdin", all thanks to Westfield Folkhouse Pantomime. All those years performing and experience have culminated in one of the best pantomimes I've seen this winter period.

Aladdin lives a poor but happy life with his mother, Widow Twankey, who runs the local laundry. However, everything changes with the arrival of a mysterious stranger who claims to have magical powers and to be Aladdin’s uncle. He promises Aladdin fame and fortune if he will only help locate a long-lost lamp. Aladdin accepts without hesitation, but it soon becomes clear his uncle is not what he claims to be.

Aladdin’s life is further complicated as he falls in love with the beautiful Princess Jasmine, much to the anger of her mother, the Empress, who banishes him from the country. Aladdin decides that as he now has nothing to lose, he'd go with Abanazar, get the lamp, get rich and see what happens then. Well, a lot happens after that!

Playing the titular role is Amy Briscoe who embodies the traditional Aladdin style and look, and may I say looks fantastic; a look that matches her voice. There are a few duets with Amy, all of which, not only highlights what a gorgeous voice she has, but how beautifully her voice blends in with others.

Princess Jasmine is played by Chloe Barratt-Reid, and like Amy, who she gets to duet with on some absolute banging toons, Chloe has a fantastic voice.

Abanazar is wonderfully nasty without going over the top. Played by Matthew Bird, he looks the part in just one of the best costumes for this character that I've seen in this pantomime period.

Widow Twankey is played by Martin Belcher. I mentioned costumes when talking about Matthew Bird, but, while there's less costume changes for this character than most "Dame" characters, these costumes for Twankey are 100% original while being completely outrageous, which is how I could describe Martin Belcher's performance. I love a good Dame, and Martin is a brilliant Dame.

Vizier opens the whole show with a rousing version of "Can't Stop The Beat" and sets the tone for the whole show. Matthew Jayes has such a strong musical theatre voice and the songs that he delivers are done with ultimate ease.

David Gell plays Inspector Shaw, one half of a legendary pantomime double act along with Brandon Stafford who plays Sergeant Rick; and together they make Rick and Shaw. There's such a lot of material this pair bring to the pantomime, including dollops of audience participation, and I've not seen an audience so eager to participate as the one on Saturday night. There's loads of classic panto double act jokes alongside some extremely funny new jokes, all of which hit home with the audience. Along with a wonderful sketch with Matthew Jayes as Vizier about a lottery win and a visit to the Chinese Takeaway, which I didn't see coming until half way through the sketch, this trio delivered a brilliant rendition of "Money Makes The World Go Round".

The extremely glamorous Empress is played by the extremely glamorous Christine Oscroft. Christine didn't have to do a thing to make every red-blooded male in the theatre fall in love with her.

Lynn Roberts completed the main cast playing The Genie.

The People Of Peking are played by Honey Cohen, Michelle Ferencikova, Grace Hackett, Kacey Hartin, Eila Van Ham, Ruth Lamb, Emily Rainbow and Daisy Seymour.

The Babes of Peking, who are split into three teams of eight, are Isabella Alvey, Heidi Briggs, Isabella Gunby, Lois Hibbert, Cora Littler, Elsie-May Mehew, Elsie Norman, Rosie Radzynski, Georgia Shipley, Arabella Taylor, Ivy Warren, Amelia Wilkinson, Marlowe Boole, Frey Ja Edson, Erin Hancock, Martha Isterling, Niamh Lock, Lyra Mowbray, Caitlin Pincott, Shyana Rubio-Bates, Frankie Spinks, Bella-Rose Wallace, Rose Wightman and Elsie Williamson.

There was so much energy coming off that stage with the Babes as well as the People Of Peking and every single one of the above looked as joyful performing as we felt watching them.

Directed by Brandon Stafford, this is another production that is on a par with any professional pantomime this season. It's tight, it's full of pace, it's slick, it looks incredible, the scenery is fantastic, just everything about this production is absolutely spot on. I certainly cannot think of anything that could be done better to enhance this show; it has everything you need from a family pantomime.

Choreographed by Lynn Roberts. Just look at the amount of people involved onstage and that should give you an idea of the work that has been put into the dance numbers seen on Mansfield Palace Theatre's stage. And as I stated above, this production is more than a match for any professional pantomime company such as Crossroads.

Musical Director is James Barrows. He and his other four orchestra members created a sound so huge, everything sounded absolutely superb. The quality of the music sound and volume was perfect, especially with the acoustics of the theatre, acoustics that I have said on previous occasions are one of the best in any theatre that I've been in. The songs chosen for the panto are diverse, from musical theatre favourites to 60's pop classics, singalong bangers to modern catchy tunes. Basically there's something, music wise, for everyone. The audience participation section with "Sweet Caroline" sounded as if it had been transported from the stands of Mansfield Town Football Club.

The script has been written by Westfield Folkhouse Pantomime which is why it's so good, especially with all the experience this group have in the field of pantomime, and when they have such a strong cast that they write for. It also means that the story is slightly different while still keeping that traditional feel.

Costumes for this production are, as I mentioned earlier some of the best costumes outside the big professional pantomime companies. You need to experience seeing them to get the full effect and beauty of them. Julie Wright is the lady responsible for this area of production with additional costumes supplied by Imagine Theatre Ltd.

Sound Design is by CNICS. Absolutely perfect sound quality and operation. I don't need to say more than this. Possibly the best sound quality and operation from all of the pantomimes over the 2025/2026 period.

Lighting Design is not listed in the programme, but as with the sound design, it was completely faultless and added to the magic of the whole production and presentation.

For a brilliantly entertaining family show, you need to look no further than this show.

"Aladdin" is at the Mansfield Palace Theatre on Sunday 18^th January and then 20^th to 25^th January with matinees and morning performances on weekends.

 "The Nutcracker Prince" by The Young Performers.

Duchess Theatre, Long Eaton.

This is an original pantomime written by Barbrara Moran and Patricia Freer and based on Tchaikovsky's "The Nutcracker Suite".

Normally, I would say that you know the story and get straight down to saying how brilliant everyone was. But you don't know what this panto is about, do you? Oh no you don't! Enough of all this literary frivolity, let me give you a quick synopsis of the story....

It's almost Christmas and Grandfather Drosselmeyer is throwing a huuuuuge party with the usual dancing, food and presents for all of the younger guests. Franz and Clara. the Grandchildren are so impatient to open their gifts that they are allowed to do so and discover that Grandfather has made Franz a wooden mouse and Clara a wooden nutcracker in the shape of a Prince. Little do they know that the tree that the wood was carved from had a spell cast on it, therefore making both toys magic, but only when kissed!

The mouse suddenly turned into a giant, nasty rat who kidnapped the two children, but to foil King Rat, the wooden Nutcracker Prince turned into a magical Prince who, along with Nanny and Grandfather, and a few other magical fairies, set off on an adventure to save the kidnapped Clara and Franz from the clutches of King Rat and his baddies!

And you know what? It's brilliant fun! That's the start of the story, now onto the praising.....

Grandfather is played by one of my favourite young actors Finlay Tomlinson. Strangely he looks a lot older than he is, not sure how they have managed that, and he has nailed the physicality of the role, complete with a walking cane, making all of those noises and faces that people my age make when they get up out of a chair. I also noted that his diction has improved and I could hear every word he spoke, and holds his head up at all times when speaking to the audience. This young man shone in this role tonight, especially with the comedy element of the character being hard of hearing and mishearing some of the phrases. Finlay has always had funny bones on stage and this role has made dem bones grow even more.

I will also add that Finlay is one of those young actors who does not get fazed when something goes, let's say, not to plan. On opening night, something happened near the end which was not scripted and Finaly dealt with it like the unfazable young actor he is. In fact, I think that part should be kept in because it got a brilliant response from the audience.

Nanny is also another brilliantly written comedy character and played by Lexie-Mae Hart. I had been expecting a pantomime aimed at the same age audience as the actors involved but no! Here we have a naughty Nanny with some of the things that she comes out with, and Lexie-Mae delivers the lines with conviction. There are some excellent costumes for Nanny to wear as well, a couple receiving wolf whistles from the packed theatre. A lovely cheeky performance from Lexie-Mae, who looked as if she was enjoying it just as much as the audience were.

Clara, the young girl who is not averse to having tantrums when she does not get her own way and often tends to throw her shoe at people to make her point, is played by Mily Hopkins. Clara's rambunciousness - I know, great word that I have just discovered - is half of the reason for the children's kidnapping, but is also how they win the battle at the end. Something to watch out for without being too much of a spoiler!

Clara's brother, Franz, is played by Evie Yates. Franz is the typical brother who wants to have a go with everything his sister has and that is how this massive adventure really gets going. Great pairing of Evie and Mily in these roles.

Prince Valen - the Nutcracker Prince -is played by Paige Bone and another young actor who has nailed the physicality of their role. She looks regal as she strides across the stage with head held high and performs like the hero that Prince Valen is. And of course, there's love in the air as well. Does he get his Princess? Come along and see.

The lovely Laura is played by the lovely Clarissa Armitage. In all good pantomimes there are couples that are thrown together and make for happy endings. Need I say more? Laura gets her day and her match, as does another couple in this story. Lovely voice and a bit of a groover as well.

We all love a good baddie and King Rat is a brilliant baddie and I truly think that Daniel Swan absolutely relished his role as King Rat, especially in how he addressed the audience even before the curtains were raised, and also as he took his final bows, he kept in character from start to finish. His rodent staff were almost as evil as he was, well apart from one (but I won't say which one and why). They were made up of Millie Weston (Dribble), Alex Povey (Drivel), Violet Graney (Twitch) and Imogen Scott (Snitch).

One of the good guys is Uncle Mergus, played by Jamie Higgins. Jamie is leading man material but I'd have liked him to maybe slow down the delivery just a tad as he seemed to want to get his part of the script out of the way; maybe nerves on this opening night, but a very charismatic actor is Jamie. 

Back to the nasty characters and we come to Malpoda, who wants a certain ingredient from the children to complete her latest potion, which is why King Rat kidnaps the children to get on her good side. Alexa Lewis, like Daniel looked to enjoy every menacing minute she was on stage. Alexa has great poise and I loved her deliciously devilish rendition of Lady Gaga's "Abracadabra".

We get not one, but two panto animals in this show; two reindeers. Randolph, who has a very runny nose and a cough is played by Emily Wilkins and Livvy Read, and Ria who has been force fed onions by Malpoda, is played by Remy Read and Heidi Parsons. Great co-ordination with both of these pairs.

And so back to some more goodies. Neve Johnson (Auralia), Lottie Ellis (Eleane), Evie Perks (Fallandra), Sophie Longcroft (Mother Nature), Keeley Rickerby (Sweetpea), Izzy Pickering (Primrose), Daisy O' Connor (Poppy)and Molly Price (Snowdrop).

The ensemble are made up AJ Chamberlain, Alexia Simpson, Amelia Baker, Archie Brooks-Ball, Elijah Green, Emily Mae Taylor, Emmie Simmonds, Megan Shackleton, Mia Allen, Millie Newbold and Olivia Monk. All of which played every other part in this panto wonderfully.

Directed by Vicky Byrne, assisted by Ella Charlesworth and Lewis McDowall, this pantomime could not have gone any better with all of the cast looking to have enjoyed everything on stage as much as us. It was pacy and an absolute blast from start to finish. It highlights that younger actors can embrace panto roles, audience participation, comedy, slapstick alongside acting, singing and dancing. Vicky and co. really seems to have got the best out of this talented and enthusiastic cast.

Musical Director is Harvey Tavener. Another brilliant area of the production team, but then again Harvey knows his stuff when it comes to music and performing, so the perfect person for this role. Included in the show are some real bangers that will have your hands clapping, toes tapping and ricks rolling.

Choreographed by Lottie Ludlow, another expert in their given field. I watched all of the dancers and sometimes you may spot one or two who watched the others for the moves, or maybe one or two who were a second or two behind, but not in this show. Like the singing and acting the cast are a mirror for the various sections of the production team, and this cast showed what a brilliant bunch of teachers they have in the various fields by showing the audience what they had been told to do in rehearsals, and doing it to the high standard we see on that stage.

There were some fabulous costumes sourced and provided by Sarah Charlesworth, Andy Cook and Friends of The Young Performers. King Rat, Mother Nature, Nanny, Malpoda and The Prince's costumes were really eye-catching.

A great set design as well with several different locations and scenes slid effortlessly into place and designed by Roydon Charlesworth. Combined with the projections, designed by Lewis Cuthbert and operated by Gizel Chaparova, this was a pretty top notch area of production.

The lighting was a match for all other areas of the production with the design being by Dave Martin and Maddie Taft.

The sound design is the area that I usually have anything slightly negative to comment on, not all the time, but there were a few too many mic pack issues for me to skip over this area. Mic packs when they are on an actor can play up, especially with how an actor moves and wires can become loose and start to cut out, and that is really what dropped the ink in the ointment for me. That said there is nothing that a sound operator, in this case Olivia Michaud, or designer can do about it, so it's not their fault, and I know that good quality mic packs don't come cheap and you have to use what you have to get you by. That is also just one reason to support local theatre groups so that faulty mic packs with loose wires can either be maintained or replaced. I must say it was really good to see opening night though with very few empty seats.

And finally, I must congratulate the authors of this show, Patricia freer and Barbara Moran. It can't be easy to write a completely original pantomime using a classical composer's work, "The Nutcracker Suite" as a baseline. For a start, the majority of the cast will probably not have heard Tchaikovsky's work, and probably even further may not relate to it, even though there is one piece that lyrics have been added to "Dance Of the Sugar Plum Fairy", and it sounded great. I loved the comedy and jokes written for this, let's face it, who doesn't find the mishearing of an old man's understanding of what he thought he had heard very comical, plus the sauciness and seaside humour of Nanny's retorts?

"The Nutcracker Prince" is at The Duchess Theatre in Long Eaton until Saturday 17 January. Brighten up your January blues with this fun packed and fast paced pantomime. There may be rain outside dear, but there's also some inside "rein deer", which is much more fun.

 "The Cat's Meow" by Steven Peros.

Nottingham Lace Market Theatre.

Sex, drugs and the Charleston! I thought that may get your attention. I love it when I get to see a play that I haven't seen before, and this fits the bill perfectly.

Based on the true story of a mysterious Hollywood death, "The Cat's Meow" offers a fascinating cross section of Jazz Era characters who intersect for one notorious weekend on board William Randolph Hearst's yacht in 1924. The play was adapted for film in 2002, with a screenplay by the author, directed by Peter Bogdanovich, and starring Kirsten Dunst, Eddie Izzard, and Edward Herrmann. The film I've not seen, by choice, because I wanted this out to be my first vision.

Weekend guests include Charlie Chaplin, who has been carrying on with movie star Marion Davies, a secret known to Davies' paramour, the married, and much older Hearst, and movie mogul Thomas Ince, who is hoping to revive his flagging fortunes by forming a partnership with Hearst. Playing with fire, Ince tries to convince Hearst that he can handle both Marion's movie career... and her private life as well.

Jealousy, infidelity and gossip is followed by good old fashioned Hollywood cover ups, bribery and oaths of silence after thirteen become twelve!

The storyline lends itself so well to celluloid, and I'm sure that I'm not the only one who loves to lift the lid of the squeaky clean and lovable stars of the day, whether that is today or back in the 1920's. and discover who and what they are really like behind the image projected to their adoring fans. Lasting just two hours, with interval, there's no slacking in relation to the lead up of what happens, the characters, what is thought to have happened and the aftermath; and this fleetness of story telling had me hung on every word and action of these characters.

Micah Darmola plays William Randolph Hearst. I actually didn't recognise until about a quarter of an hour in thanks to the wig and his accent. Brilliant characterisation of the hard-nosed Hearst who believed that he could either frighten anyone into silence or buy their silence, for whatever reasons he required. I am sure that it's only the size of his cheque book that his younger, glamorous arm candy, Marion, was interested in when deciding between him and Chaplin. A nasty tongue on Hearst who often derided his guests, especially the guest of honour, and we get to see a dangerous jealous streak, brilliantly built up by Micah.

 

Mark Anderson portrayed Tom Ince, the birthday boy, and the reason for Hearst to throw his party aboard his vessel. Ince was known as the "Father of the Western" and had a big reputation in the movie industry, and his idea was to keep getting bigger, with a little help from Hearst. Like every actor in this classy ensemble piece of theatre, Mark played an absolute blinder with this role.

Will White plays George Thomas, Ince's Business Manager, who also acts as an escort to Margaret Livingston.

 

Holly Cooke portrayed Marion Davies, Hearst's mistress. Glamour is the order of the day and boy did Holly get to wear some glamorous costumes in this role. The "will she", "won't she" situation with Chaplin had you on tenterhooks throughout, feeding the notebooks of the gossip columnist on board and enraging a certain other person into the bargain.

 

Alison Hope is Elinor Glyn, the novelist and scriptwriter. Alison is one of so many highlights in this play as she acts as narrator with some gorgeously juicy lines - thanks to the author - delivered in a way that she showed exactly what she was doing, Elinor that is, and the effect that the lines would have on certain people, all delivered with a twinkle of the eye and a wry smile. I am a big fan of Alison's and this is on a par with her portrayal of  Florence Foster Jenkins in "Glorious" back in 2017, which I simply adored.

 

Jake Black plays Charlie Chaplin. I have learned so much about Chaplin from talking to Jake and watching him play "The Tramp", a term he also dedicates to one of the characters in this play, maybe for a different reason, methinks! Chaplin was not the lovable character he portrayed in his movies, in fact the complete opposite, and this play highlights what a B*****d he was behind the persona on screen. On his entrance most of the audience will see him from behind in silhouette, and you instantly know his character, something that you may have taken longer to surmise when he got to the stage due to something we all know Chaplin for. It takes a talented actor to evoke either good or bad feelings towards a character, and this shows Jake to be a marvellous character actor.

 

Rosie Wallace plays the gossip columnist Louella Parsons, or "Lolly" to her friends. Wonderfully portrayed, especially when you see some of the tactics that she brings into play to extract juicy information from some of the guests. Louella really wants to have her own gossip column in Hearst's paper, and she sees the perfect chance to get what she wants, completely without scruples. Looks like times have never changed with media folk!

 

Ksenia Tsymbal plays Margaret Livingstone, the silent film actress who wasn't as silent in her real life dramas. Margaret is having a secret affair with one of the characters on the boat which does not stay secret for long. 

Paul Spruce played Joseph Willicombe, Hearst's right hand man when it came to clearing up messes, or getting the message across to people who thought that they could cross Hearst. Paul certainly looked the part as this menacing character.

Bernard Whelan plays Dr Goodman, the screenwriter and physician. Always handy, you'd think, to have a Doctor on board a sailing vessel, especially where patient confidentiality is concerned!

Linda Hoyland doubles her roles as Mrs Goodman, wife of the good doctor - who by the way has a few great lines in the play, and Mrs Ince who we see in the second half of the play, and wife of Tom Ince.

Chloe Davie is Ceilia Moore and Chloe Martin is Didi Dawson who make for a lovely pairing, who also love a good bit of juicy gossip. along with delivering some juicy lines themselves.

Directed by Charlotte Hukin. This is a labour of love for Charlotte, she was telling me a few weeks ago, and it shows. The play, and the characters hold your attention every second that you're watching, making this short piece of theatre seem even shorter.

The set design will take your breath away, especially as at the start the majority of the set is hidden while Elinor delivers the opening lines, setting the story and scene so perfectly. I am not going to give any spoilers, although you'll see part of the set in the photographs accompanying the review. Think "Anything Goes" and you'll be in the right area. The Lace Market Theatre have had some gorgeous sets, designed by some immensely talented people, and this is right up there with many of my favourites. Guy Evans has designed the most spiffingly perfect set, and when fully revealed I can guarantee an intake of breath at its' beauty.

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• Lighting Design is by Amy Bermudez. There are several sections that the lighting is really important for directing your attention to what is being said and by whom. Great job.
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• Sound Design is by Fred Baker and Jude Skeet. The soundscape places you well and truly out to sea with the nautical sounds. plus there's those wonderful Charleston rhythms to get your toes tapping.
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• Stage Managed by Jae Marriott with assistance by Laurence Bembridge, Andrea Pykett and Rachel Barlow, who were also suitably costumed while moving items and props (Fayde Judd, Lesley Brown and Wendy Silver) to and from the set.

  

  
  
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• Wardrobe is thanks to Amanda Pearce and Max Bromley. Yet again another incredible set of costumery (is there such a collective name for costume), which immediately placed you in the era of style and glamour. The monochrome costumes were perfect to compliment the set design as well.

A mention also goes to Chris Sims for his role in this production. I won't say what role he undertook, as I don't want to give any spoilers to one particular scene!

This is what ensemble theatre is all about where story telling and character acting is so to the fore that it is in danger of toppling off the stage. 2026 is going to be an amazing year for local theatre if what I've seen locally in the last week or so is anything to go by. Congratulations to all involved in this production, it's a definite must see for anyone who loves great theatre or just peeling back the onion layers of celebrity to discover what lies beneath.

"The Cat's Meow" is the dog's dangly bits and is at the Nottingham Lace Market Theatre until Saturday 17 January.

Photography by Kathryn Edwards.

 "Cinderella" by NUH Pantomime Society.

Squire Performing Arts Centre, Nottingham.

This has to be the best pantomime that I have seen this year! OK I may seem flippant with that remark, but this production is seriously good, especially when you think that everyone performing in this show work inside Nottingham's hospitals. They get together once a year to put on a show in order to raise funds to buy items for the hospitals that standard funding doesn't cover; items that are suggested by specific areas of the NHS which will improve patient experience whilst in the hospital, and they've been doing this for around 30 years. When you hear just how stretched the National Health Service is at this time, these people give up their time to write, produce and put on a show in order to help make patients' lives just that little easier.

Thois is a mix between traditional "Cinderella" and a fresh twist on some of the characters, like Fairy Knapweed, who has to make Cinders and The Prince fall in love before she gets her wings, almost like "It's A Wonderful Life" but with a wonderfully funny Fairy instead of a heavenly guardian. Anyway. you all know the Cinderella story, so I don't neeed to go into the storyline, do I?

It's a large cast, with an even larger "behind the scenes" crew, so let's get on with the praising!

If I refer you back to my first comment, the show is packed with such feel good vibes and energy and has several marvellous characters and performers who really drive the story, humour and audience participation with such gusto that you you can feed off of the energy and fun for a long time after the show has ended.

Cinderella is played by Megan Kearney and she adds a nice modern twist to the character. It's sometimes hard to register that these performers are not regular stage performers and by doing what they do, we also see the talents that they have outside their normal 9 to 5 jobs. That can be said of Megan's voice and we get to hear some lovely vocals from her. From the gorgeous "When I Need You" to the raunchy "Shut Up And Dance With Me", she takes you from one level of emotion to the opposite end with the story behind the song choices.

Prince Charming is played by Evie Alliott and again a really modern feel to this character, while still keeping to the traditional Prince feel and story. A real groover on stage and she has some great songs to groove to as well.

Angie Springhall plays Dandelion, one of the two evil Step Sisters. This is one half of a brilliant double act with Angie's facial expressions really creasing me up. Dandelion's snorting when laughing is another trait that you just can't resist finding funny and her childlike tantrums are another comedy point. 

Dandelion's sister is Burdock, played by Colin Mudd. I remember so well Colin from last year's production he is that memorable, and he is just as memorable in this role. Colin is one of those actors who are vital to any group for driving the show. Straight away he was addressing the audience to boo, ooh and aah and ramping up the audience participation. Colin is a natural comedian and he feeds off the love that he receives from an audience. Hr has described himself as a natural "show off" and that is sometimes what you need in theatreland, but he never goes over the top, well not for me anyway. He is a natural dame in the old style of Dan Leno, especially with his added sauciness and facial recognition of things that he has said, similar to how Sir Ian McKellern plays a dame. Great entertainment and one of several "show drivers" in this production.

Ross Levy is another important show driver who keeps those energy levels sky high in his role of Buttons. This version of Cinderella doesn't have Buttons fawning over Cinders with unrequited love, but instead shows a brother/sister liking for the other, which allows Buttons to be a funnier character. Buttons is all team Cinders where the bullying by Dandelion and Burdock are concerned, but you also see a bit of affection for the step sisters in parts. I think the last time that I saw Ross on stage was last year performing Shakespeare on the Theatre Royal stage, if I remember correctly, in a community staging of "Hamlet" and seeing him here just shows the flexibility of his acting skills.

Teresa McDonnell gets her fair share of boos as the nasty Baroness Hardup. Wonderfully evil as she stands up for her daughters, addressing the audience and putting down her Stepdaughter, Cinderella. I did however hear a wolf whistle though when she came on stage dolled up to the nines in her ballgown, and I will admit, she looked the bees knees! A nod to the wardrobe department there.

Elizabeth Eastham was Dandini, swapping his cloak (and moustache) to allow the Prince to mingle unnoticed among the commonfolk. Loved the fact that Dandini always came up with a cunning plan which was then picked up as a brilliant idea by the Prince, just seconds later, and Dandini's reaction to this.

Fairy Knapweed is not a character that I had seen before, so may have been a novel character written in by the pantomime's author. In order for this punky character to get her full wings, she is assigned the task to make Cinders and The Prince fall in love. Collette Wong gives a brilliantly energetic performance as this rebel looking fairy with attitude.

Claire Pavier, as Fairy Snapdragon, is the fairy who allots the task to Fairy Knapweed and is a great leveller to the fiery fairy's gung ho methods and a lovely leveller as your archetypal panto good fairy. The pair's images also reflect thier temperaments as well, and again, another nod to the wardrobe department for both costumes.

Baron Hardup is played by Martin Orrell. This character starts out under the Baroness's thumb, but a task that he has to perform near the end of the pantomime gives him kudos, especially in the eyes of the bossy Baroness.

There's a running joke throughout the panto regarding mice, and two especially as we are kept hanging on for the two main mice, Bubble and Squeak, played by Lucy Crocombe and Amy Flatman. The mice being Cinderella's friends love to dance, and Buttons keeps putting off their big dance section right until the end of the show almost, where they perform to "A Windmill In Old Amsterdam" - which I have been unable to get out of my head ever since the panto finished!

There's two other duos in the panto, the first being a pair of gardeners, Old Bert, played by Emily Giles, and Young Ernie, played by Victoria Wilkinson-Smith, and then Andie Gooding and Andrea West who play Quicksilver, the pantomime horse. I can imagine that the latter role may have taken a bit of time and rehearsals with the pair to look as natural in motion as they did as a horse; it's all to do with co-ordination I was once told, and this pair certainly had that.

The final main cast role is that of Herald, who was played by Helen Lester.

The chorus of Villagers, Lords and Ladies, Ghosts, Skeletons and Ghoulies are played by Emma Brown, Lucy Crocombe, Amy Flatman, Andie Gooding, Helen Lester, Richeldis Malkin, Sharon Martin, Emma Reid, Maria Rotsidi, Alison Towner, Andrea West and Sophie West. Some of the ghost outfits are the best that I have seen, yet another pat on the back for the wardrobe team.

Directed by Kat Crookes, Barbara Eastham and Hatty Hunt-Blow. This show is very fast moving with scene changes done with fine pace and covered by the band so that there was never a moment when there was not anything to focus on aurally or visually.

Produced by Steve Eastham.

Technical Support was by Jonthan Pykett.

Barbara Eastham wrote the script and I will admit that I don't remember hearing any of the jokes anywhere before, and they were funny as well. A fresh script that blended traditional panto with a new feel and that kept my attention all the way through just waiting for the next humorous line. Additional script material was by Martin Orrell and Elizabeth Eastham.

The choreography for this show was also very good and obviously played to the individual strengths, showing the hard work put in by Choreographers Kat Crookes, Elizabeth Eastham, Emma Reid and Alison Towner. Wonderful ensemble numbers like "It's Raining Men" and "Get the Party Started" completely filled the stage.

The live band sounded great under the musical direction of Rowena Wood (drums) consisted of Christine Cripps (oboe), Anita French (clarinet). Phil Hughes (bass), Michael Johnson (guitar), Sam Uveges (trumpet) and Catherine Williams (piano).

Vocally this troupe were on every number combining the actor's natural vocal abilities with the vocal coaching provided by Teresa McDonnell and Sam Uveges.

I now get to let you know who is responsible for the brilliant costumes for this production. Under the guidance of Wardrobe Mistress, Elizabeth Paling, were Wardrobe Team Suzy Thornton, Emily Giles and Grace Miller. These costumes were such a high point of the show.

Of course, there's a few people who work their butts off that you never see as an audience member, but without the Backstage Crew,  a show like this would not run as smoothly as it does. These unsung heroes are Barbara Eastham, Peter Knowles, Debbie Croves and John Crookes as well as Backstage manager Steve Eastham.

Keeping the flow of audience members happy are the Front of House team, again all volunteers, and they are Sarah Flatman, Alison Rigby, Dylan Steele and the NUH Panto Family. Again, unsung heroes in any drama group that should be acknowledged.

Sound and Light crew, I imagine as there's no mention in the programme, belong to Squire Performing Arts. Absolutely no issues with either.

Normally people associate pantomime with the Christmas period, and I suppose January/February is still, technically, winter, and I have a few more pantomimes to go, but NUH pantomime have set the bar high for quality for pantos for early 2026.

"Cinderella" by the NUH Pantomime Society is at Squire Performing Arts Centre from Tuesday 13 January until Saturday 17 January with a Saturday matinee but check the SPAC website for the start times of the various performances.

 "Northanger Abbey" by Jane Austen.

Your Chance Productions.

Duchess Theatre.

I've never really read much Jane Austen. Like most people I knew "Pride and Prejudice" and "Sense and Sensibility", but "Northanger Abbey", her first novel, is not one that I can recall, and you know I love expanding my theatrical education, and this education blends the Austen humour with a Gothic backdraft.

So for the uneducated, where Jane Austen is concerned, this is what the play is about...

"Northanger Abbey" is the coming-of-age story of a young woman named Catherine Morland. She has grown up in the countryside, the eldest daughter of a parson in a family of ten children, and is obsessed by Gothic novels of the time, something that influences her mindset later within the play.

She has been invited on a holiday to Bath by her neighbours, The Allens, where she encounters the Thorpes and the Tilneys. During balls, she befriends Isabella and fancies Henry. Soon, Isabella gets engaged to James, but starts flirting with Captain Frederick. 

Catherine visits Northanger Abbey, on the invite from Henry and expects a Gothic mansion. Instead, she is received in a lovely house. However, there are mysterious rooms she cannot enter and her imagination starts to run away with her.

Catherine's visit ends when a furious General Tilney rudely sends her home. It turns out that John Thorpe has lied about Catherine's family being dirt-poor. What could possibly happen now? Is this the end of a beautiful friendship? Unless you have read the book or seen the film, there's only one way to find out... go along to the Duchess Theatre and see what unfolds!!

The wonderful thing about the Duchess Theatre is that it's incredibly popular with many different theatre groups and booking in for a run of a play is something that needs doing there many months in advance. That also means that rehearsal time on the stage that you're going to perform on is very limited, and that is something that this production would have benefitted from, more rehearsal time on that stage, and that doesn't just mean for the actors but for the sound and lighting department to make sure that they get everything, if you'll pardon the pun, spot on.

Not knowing the story of "Northanger Abbey", and I didn't want to watch the film or look tto deep into the synopsis of the story, I wanted this production to tell me everything I needed to know about the plot and the characters, and that is where my first niggle was. Halfway back in the auditorium and I had trouble hearing some of the actors. When they turned away from the audience their sound was lost, sometimes when they faced the audience, I couldn't hear what was being said, so I became lost to the characters and part of the storyline. There were mics, five of them set up, three at the front of the stage and two above the stage, but projection was not strong enough from a handful of actors, while others, when projecting didn't need any electrical magnification.

With not having access to the theatre for rehearsals there was also, so it seemed to me, a lack of blocking for lighting purposes and several times the spotlight meant that the actors heads were in darkness while everything from the neck down was illuminated. I did find out that there had only been time for just one technical rehearsal, which will be frustrating for the lighting team, actors and Director. I know though that, with this being opening night, notes will have been made and points will be refreshed all round. I know that because I know the Director and most of the cast and know the work ethic they have when they strive for the standard of work that they always aim for. And I know for a fact that it's only due to the time available over the last couple of months, getting the cast together for rehearsals and the limited stage time available to them that niggly things like the lighting, the vocal projection, the repetition of a couple of the lines and maybe a few missed lines all crept in there. Monday was only day one though and Tuesday and Wednesday are other days to smash this play!

It's not all negativity though because there is a lot of extremely positive points to tell you about....

The costumes are wonderful. There's no credit in the programme but the gowns for the ladies are full of colour and style, and the men's suits were perfectly periodic and brought such class to the proceedings. A lot of work has obviously gone into their creation to look the part.

I loved Alice Goodall's choreography in the ballroom sections, again so of the period. The music was magical, possibly Mozart, all added to the Austen-esque feel of the era.

What I also liked was the narrative of the story and characters by breaking the fourth wall, all the while moving the story along.

The dramaturgy was another thing that I enjoyed, and let's be honest who does not love it when a play gets very dramatic, especially in the second half with General Tilney's speeches!

There were several sections where we are taken into the world of Catherine's Gothic obsessions when the stage was flooded in blood red lighting and masked characters invaded the stage, breaking forth from Catherine's imagination, enough to bring on nightmares! The masks and the set by the way was the work of Philippa Buchanan.

The cast are Samantha Hempsall (Catherine Morland), Darren Taylor (Henry Tilney),  Rachel Augustsson (Isabella Thorpe), Martin Weston (John Thorpe), Alice Goodall (Eleanor Tilney), James Taylor (James Morland), Rachel Bates (Mrs Allen/ Annette), Dan Bates (General Tilney) and Kourtney White (Mrs Thorpe/Mrs Morland). All to be applauded as this kind of play isn't performed very often at all and getting the right feel for the era as well as the physical attributes of the characters is also not an easy ask, or getting the language the way it should sound.

Directed by Jessica Morgan-McLean, this show is a big deal and with all the time restraints put in her way, I honestly think she did a really good job of getting this play seen. I also know, as I said earlier, that there will be some tweaking done overnight to tighten up the production. It's a cracking story and I for one am really pleased that I got to see this story performed on stage, and by Your Chance Productions.

Lighting and sound is by Dave Martin, again I know that the one combined tech and costume rehearsal would have frustrated him like anything getting the sound and light cues just right for opening night, but I did notice a tighter combined technical show in the second half.

I've never liked the title of "critic" because it gives rise to the term "criticise", something that I don't like to do, well maybe with professional/touring productions where the cast have months to get everything right and are paid to get it right. I prefer the title of "reviewer" where the job is to give an honest review of what is seen on stage, so please do not think that I am criticising any area of this production, because I know so many of the actors on local stages and I know the hard work and love that they pour into what they do on stage, and do for the love of theatre. I also have been told by so many local actors that they are very rarely satisfied with their performances, even when an outsider to the stage like myself sees a great performance, and reports on what he sees.

I know that Tuesday's and Wednesday's performances are going to going to be up there where they should be; I know because I know this group, and not something like a shortage of stage rehearsal time is going to stop any of them, on or off the stage, from giving you their best performances.

"Northanger Abbey" is at the Duchess Theatre only until Wednesday 7 January, so you'd better hurry up and get those tickets for this often overlooked Jane Austen classic.

 "Aladdin" by Flying High Expressive Arts CIC.

Bonington Theatre, Arnold.

This year theatrically has been an incredible year from a reviewer's point of view. This will be my last show of 2025 to review and my 165^th review of the year, so I must thank everyone who has asked this lad in to review their shows.

This show has recently returned from the Edinburgh Festival Fringe where it won the award for the "Best Young Cast". Based on the original story from The Arabian Nights, this one-hour long show includes five original songs and has been written and directed by Carrie Bird.

The story is set against a wonderful backdrop of an Egyptian village scene, straight away setting you right in the heart of the story and at the market place where we meet Aladdin and his friends

Aladdin, the handsome street urchin and hero of the story is played by Finlay Foote. A really confident leading man and, like every other young person on that stage, a fine singer.

The Genie is played by Harrison Bird, and what an energetic young man he is; bringing a smile to your face every time he appears on stage.

Amelia James plays The Spirit of The Ring, and once more, a very energetic, as well as athletic performer Amelia is.

Nasira the Nurse is played by Lily Smith.

Lana, the Sultana's companion, is played by Macey Shepperson.

Princess Yasmin, a very modern Princess, is played by Poppy Ogburn.

Princess Samara, Yasmin's sister and a martial arts addict, is played by Ellie Pickering.

Yusef the Vizier, who is trying to marry off his son to Princess Yasmin, is played by Daniel Holdstock.

 Amir, Yusef's son is played by Ash Byrne.

Jack Bridgmount plays Bashir, the Magician, who tells the family that he is Aladdin's Uncle, provides a character filled performance. 

The Sultan Raheem is played by Danny Mitchell and The Sultana, his attitude filled wife, is played by Ella Flewitt. They say opposites attract which may explain why the Sultan and Sultana were attracted. The Sultan holds himself with regality throughout, and both parts acted fabulously by both.

Aladdin's Mother is played by Liv Ali

Mrs Rachid is played by Ophelia Johnson, and doubles up her roles as the Narrator and Market Owner.

Tim Burns, Willow Evans and Oscar Straw play Kareem, Farah and Jamal, Aladdin's friends.

One thing that struck me about this cast, which is an ensemble cast, even though Aladdin is the main character, is the joy on these young people's faces as they perform, and how easily they fall into character. The songs are all ensemble created with some of them giving solo lines, especially the song about the Princess being traced via France, Great Britain, Australia and Egypt - and there's some nice accents in there as well.

Directed by Carrie Bird, assisted by Sophie Hatton.           .

Costumes  and the backdrop are by Aaron Belcher. The costumes add to the whole feel and atmosphere of the show.

Sound Designer is Jack Quarton-Manuel, who also wrote the infuriatingly catchy songs that are performed by this marvellous cast.

Lighting Designer is Peter Hodgkinson.

It comes as no surprise that this cast won the "Best Young Cast" award this year in Edinburgh. I missed last year's Christmas Show that Flying High did, so there was no way that I was going to miss out on seeing this award winning show.

"Aladdin" is at Bonington Theatre until Tuesday 23 December, 2pm and 5pm.