"Oklahoma" by Gatepost Theatre Company.

May Hall, Trent College, Long Eaton.

"Oklahoma" was the first musical written by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II. The musical is based on Lynn Riggs' 1931 play, "Green Grow The Lilacs". 

"Oklahoma" tells the story of cowboy Curly McLain and his romance with farm girl Laurey Williams. A secondary romance concerns cowboy Will Parker and his flirtatious fiancée, Ado Annie. There's a "box social dance" that night, which includes an auction of lunch baskets prepared by the local girls to raise funds for a schoolhouse. The man who wins each basket by pledging the highest bid will eat the lunch with the girl who prepared it. Curly asks Laurey to go with him to the dance, but she refuses, feeling that Curly has waited too long to ask her, and wants to teach him a lesson in keeping a lady waiting. Laurey accepts the invitation of the hired hand, Jud Fry, but Jud is not the man she wants to be with.

It doesn't matter how many times you see a musical, or play for that matter, every Director will create a slightly different vision of the piece of theatre from the production you may have seen before, and this is no different. If it's the first time that you have seen this musical, you can enjoy it for the marvellous classic that it is with the score still sounding as good as it did back in 1943 when it premiered. For theatre goers who, like myself have seen this show several times previously, watch out for a few subtle amendments, all of which add to the joy of "Oklahoma".

Curly is played by Ewan Waddell, and his is the first voice you hear as he strolls along the back wall of the set singing "Oh What A Beautiful Morning". When you think of the stars who have done the same thing on stage, Howard Keel and Josh Groban being among them, here on a local level we have a man who doesn't have to live up to the standard of vocal ability as the aforementioned singers, because his vocals are just as pleasing to hear open this musical. 

Every time you go to se a live show, you see a slightly different version, because no two shows are ever the same. This was opening night and one song in, the sound disappeared just after the start of "The Surrey With The Fringe On Top". Ewan carried on, not missing a beat, to finish the song acappella. Whatever was going through Ewan's mind did not show on his face and the audience kept the rhythm for him, showing that they were behind him all the way. This was the only hitch in this wonderful feel good, yet suitably dark show; but it showed the mettle of the actors, Ewan, Arfaa and Carrie-Anne on stage at that time.

Aunt Eller is played by Carrie Anne Corner. This is one of my favourite roles in this musical because Aunt Eller is one spunky character; who else would break up a full on bar room style fight by shooting into the air with one hell of a big rifle and put herself smack bang in the middle of the fists flying? I've been a fan of Carrie Anne's for many years now and seeing her back on stage playing such a fun character as Aun Eller epitomises just her personality to a tee. A lovely fun woman who you wouldn't want to mess with - with or without a gun. 

Laurey is played by Arfaa Butt. The casting of this musical is absolutely spot on when it comes to the actors V characters, and this one is another brilliant piece of casting. A lovely clear voice, fun personality but can get serious within a role when required.

Gary Heap plays Will Parker, who has just returned from Kansas City, ready to wed Ado Annie, but that flirty Annie has managed to reel in another suitor in the guise of Ali Hakim. But enough about Annie and Ali shortly. Gary is a seasoned comedy role player and Parker is another one. There are a couple of scenes where he loses what would have been called a dowry centuries ago, $50 in this story to give Annie's father. There are some lovely comic exchanges regarding the loss of the money and how he managed to get it back, bit by bit, enabling Will to finally marry his betrothed. As usual with Gary, great vocals and that lovely comic timing makes this character great fun to watch; and that's all down to Gary.

Ado Annie is played by Rachelle Bragg. A lot of productions will depict Ado Annie as an airhead with a voice like she has been inhaling helium. That's not the Ado Annie we see in this production. Rachelle plays the role of a gal who likes to have fun, but she is no airhead and the voice does not reflect that character description either. The accent alone is enough to put a smile on your face, because every accent in this show is brilliantly maintained, but when Rachelle sings "I Cain't Say No" the richness of the accent lends itself so well to the song and the personality of the flirtatious Annie simply blossoms.

Ado Annie's father and local judge, Andrew Carnes, is played by Jon Dawkins. You know that I love a good accent, and there are so many in this musical, but Jon's country bumpkin style accent is outrageously good; he made me smile every line he delivered with that accent. And some excellent physicality in Carnes character I noted, which added to the comedy in the voice.

Josh Birchall plays Ali Hakim and here is another amendment to the character that I for one have seen done in the same way most of the time. Ali Hakim is stereotyped in so many musical versions of this story as some kind of Persian trader, often with a stereotypical Indian style accent. Not here! Josh plays Hakim as an almost Cockney Del Boy character in a suit. Hakim has some brilliantly comical lines, especially as he tries to wheedle himself out of getting hitched. The scene with Ali and Curly where Laurey sets on Gertie, who is announced as Hakim's new wife, and wanting to stop Laurey from beating up on Gertie is a slice of comedy gold when Ali tells Curly to "mind his own business". Josh is a fantastic character actor and like every other piece of casting in this show, just perfect.

Christie O Connor plays Gertie, who gets her spouse in Ali Hakim - finally! I really couldn't remember that part in other productions, so maybe this was a more pronounced staging of that particular scene. What I really loved about this casting, and the character was her laugh. The most infectious laugh on stage for a while, and a role that I'll definitely remember.

Jud Fry is played by Kheenan Jones. As soon as I knew that Kheenan had been cast in this show, I guessed that he would play Jud Fry. Jud, for those who do not know this show, is the dark element in these characters. He practically runs the ranch as the handyman and lives in a small hut on the ranch. There are dark secrets surrounding his previous jobs but all he really wants is a woman to love. In this time of mental illness and depression, this character would be in there and this production highlights the way that people are treated when they appear different from the rest. Kheenan is such a fun person but he is so good at playing dark characters - who could forget his portrayal of The Monster in Encore's "Frankenstein"? 

Another dark element in this show concerning Jud Fry is when Curly, who sees Jud as a rival to his affections for Laurey, goes to visit him, trying to put ideas into Jud's head to hang himself, as that would show Jud how beloved he would have been by the townsfolk. This is all played out with the song "Poor Jud Is Daid", where we also get to hear Kheenan's rich vocals duetting with Ewan's. The ending of the Jud Vs Curly scene is also played out differently.

The large, and extremely energetic ensemble consist of Sam Bunting, Jude Cliffman, Emma Kelvey, Steph Dennett, Ben Gray, Alana Grummitt, Ellie Heap, Lottie Lodge, Jim Mavin, Jordan Neary, Phoebe Owen, Alison Russell, Kiah Smith, Laura Stone and Claire Webb. They made the show look even more fun in the choreographed sections.

Directed by Chris Collington, so we all knew that this show would be a success, even though I know the last few weeks have been stressful for Chris as the Director, as well as everyone involved, hoping and praying that the show would go on. The production is very pacy where it should be, but there are sections where the silence and the gaps really added to the tenseness of the scene and the story, and that also gave this production an extra edge. Chris has never been one to Direct a show without adding that Chris Collington touch, and you can see the little amendments and changes in this production that have made it even more interesting and relevant than it was back when it was first performed.

Choreographed by Lottie Lodge, and like Chris, Lottie is never one to just use the choreography and information out there. The choreography is classic "Oklahoma" but there are sections that have been extended and even more choreography has been added, all performed brilliantly by this cast. the "dream sequence" section was quite balletic in parts, and another section that I couldn't remember from other productions.

The fight sections were choreographed by Kheenan.

I have one very small nit picking moment with the fight sections, which may not have anything to do with the choreography, it may have but I don't know enough about this area to say. When the punches were thrown there was a stamp on the stage, which I assume is to show impact of the thrown punch. In reality this would be skin and bone connecting with skin and bone. This would make a different sound, like a clap sound or a dull thud, not a stamp sound. I know that the punch connection sound can be made by the one throwing the punch timely hitting his own chest with the opposite hand, or so I have been told by a fight co-ordinator. I don't think it matters so much in a musical, and certainly no one would have noticed, you know how pedantic I can be in my reviews, but visually the fight scenes were great fun to watch and timed really well.

Musical Director is Martin Lewis, who is a man who knows how to get the best out of a performer and highlight the individual's talents. From those first notes from Ewan to the rousing finale of "Oklahoma" the work and the direction of how to deliver these songs have been worked on; and I think I also noticed a couple of different arrangements of a couple of the songs, and all that keeps the show fresh for someone who has seen the show a few times.

Set Design is by Mark Green and Mark Russell. A static set that is able to be slightly adapted quite simply, which means that those changes can be done while being masked by a song, a dance or other performance and still move the story and setting along without any disruption at all. Loved the back wooden fence look, especially as the light filtering through the slats from the back created a whole new atmosphere.

Props are manyfold and supplied by Tilly Bedford.

The costumes are thanks to Tessa Raum and all of them help to create this period piece of musical theatre. From the cowboy suits to the dancing tiller girl/can-can style outfits, they provide visual fun.

Smoothly stage managed by Mark Russell with DSM being Mark Green.

Sound Design is by Lewis Reid and Lighting Designer is Steve Greatorex. 

"Oklahoma" is one of those timeless classic musicals which isn't performed that often; the junior version was performed early in 2024 at The Duchess Theatre, and prior to that I last saw the show in 2017, so if you like the classics, then this is the one to get your tickets for this week. It's great fun, the score is iconic, the choreography will leave you breathless or may make you want to take up line dancing (or the can-can) and the characters are full of character, plus there's that deliciously dark underbelly to this story. Gatepost are doing more than fine, surely you cain't say no to this show!

"Oklahoma" is at May Hall, Trent College, Long Eaton until Saturday 11 April.

 "The Cher Show" by KTco.

Duchess Theatre, Long Eaton.

Cher is quoted as saying “All of us invent ourselves. Some of us just have more imagination than others". As history has proven with Cher's amazing career, this is quite true. Just look back at the hair styles and costumes that this woman has presented. People have mentioned Madonna and Tina Turner with re-inventions of their career, but Cher is also a name that must be up there with the best of them.

From the off, let me state that I have been and probably always will be a massive fan of this lady and her music. From the jangly folky style 1960's pop classics like "I Got You Babe" with Sonny Bono through the 1970's "Dark Lady" period and the first venture into disco with her "Hell On Wheels" period - let's not forget that Cher recorded the original version of the Sophie Ellis-Bextor hit "Take Me Home", through the rock chick 1990's of "Walking In Memphis" and "If I Could Turn Back Time", again re-inventing herself as a disco diva in the nineties and noughties with "Believe" and "Strong Enough". And apart from the music changes, there were the incredible outfits and wigs for each genre.

She had an incredible movie career with smashes like "Moonstruck", "Mask", "Witches Of Eastwick", "Mermaids", "Come Back To The Five And Dime", as well as her cameo in "Mamma Mia 2, Here We Go Again", which also spawned an album of Abba covers by this chameleon of music.

"The Cher Show" tells of the meteoric, trail-blazing rise to fame; the people who she was influenced by, the men who she battled with who under estimated her, her husbands, Sonny and Greg, as well as her battles against convention to become the powerful, talented and beautiful woman she still is today at the age of 79.

Helen Perry, Beth Denham and Natasha Cartwright all star as Cher in different sections of her career; portraying her in the 1950s and 60s ("Babe"), one for the 1970s ("Lady"), and one for the 1980s and 90s ("Star") respectively. In my eyes all three ladies are stars and......well, I don't want to appear misogynistic, but you know exactly what I mean! They bring a certain uniqueness out of the three stages of Cher's career, all of which blend like a wonderful Cher smoothie.

Cher has one of those voices that is instantly recognisable, with or without autotune, and this trio of Chers have obviously worked incredibly hard to get that tonal timbre in their voices for the various stages of Cher's career path. They all have great power in their voices but if you shut your eyes, which I did for a minute, it was almost as if Cher was in the room when Natasha spoke and sang.

I loved the various Cher costume stages, the many iconic clothes were paraded by our three stars, and the wigs transformed all three into this icon. 

Needless to say that the acting was stupendously good. They brought out the wit and the humour, as well as the sadness and heartache of Cher over the years, and the scene where Sonny has passed over was beautifully and achingly private as well as sad.

Aaron Murray, who I last saw last year in Loughborough in "The Producers", plays Sonny Bono. I have mentioned the obvious work put in to sound like Cher, but Aaron also seems to have done a lot of tone matching in Sonny Bono's very distinctive nasal vocal style. And once again, the costumes and wigs department have nailed the look for Bono.

Cameron Trail plays Gregg Allman, Cher's second husband. The long blond wig completely transforms Cam into character.  Cam also pops up as the host of Top Of The Pops as well as John Southall, the man that Cher called Daddy.

Matt Powell plays Bob Mackie, Cher's costumier and fashion designer. I don't know that much about this particular character but what fun Cher must have had with Mackie in her life. Flamboyant would be the best word to describe him, which is the perfect role for the wonderfully flamboyant Mr Powell.

Rob Camilletti, Cher's boyfriend when she hit forty, is played by Luke Grainger. Luke also doubles as the fiery Phil Spector at the start of Cher's career. Two very important people in her life, and two very different roles.

Debs McPherson plays Georgia Holt, Cher's mother. What a firecracker this character is and you can see just where young Cherilyn, or Cheryl as she was originally named, inherited her no nonsense attitude from.

The other named roles are played by Darcy Cole (Bridget), Callie Egan (Colleen), Alana Fay Moran, Soleil Quarless and Millie Seymour (Booth Singers at Spector's studio), Georgina Anderson, Lydia Thacker, Sophie Lowe and Abbie Faulkner (Girl group), Megan Singleton, Sandy Lane, Reema Rose and Jane Magee (Goldie & The Gingerbreads), Sophie Lowe (Dark Lady Soloist), Louise Curd and Sinead Parkin Various Production Roles), Max Fuller (Bob's Assistant), Jake Lightbown and Soleil Quarless (Entertainment Tonight Hosts).

The ensemble are made up of Lydia Thacker, Max Fuller, Megan Singleton, Reema Frost, Sandy Lane, Sinead Parkin, Millie Seymour, Soliel Quarless, Sophie Lowe, Alana Fay Moran, Callie Egan, Darcy Cole, Georgie Anderson, Harrison West, Jake Lightbown, Jane Magee, Louise Curd and Abbie Faulkner.

Directed by Alysha Gomes who, obviously along with Tash, Beth and Helen, has managed to catch every side of this superstar Goddess perfectly. The show is so fast paced, which it needs to be to fit in all of the many sides of Cher. Alysha has done the same as well with all of the other characters that Cher had in her life over the years, bringing them all together in this gorgeous stage biopic. I saw the touring production of this show a few years ago and this production has the same energy that the professional show had.

The show is produced by Millie Gilks which in my mind is always an underrated role in theatre and involves a lot of hard work, strategy and planning. Millie is also the Stage Manager

Choreographed by Kristian Cunningham. I love the choreography for this show, mainly because there is so much of it. It has energy, it has spirit, it is sexy, and there's one section that I adored. One of my favourite Cher songs is "Dark Lady", which in this show is sung by Bono and Allman, but I completely forgot all about the duet when watching the choreography for this section. It is absolutely beautiful choreographed and performed with such skill and tenderness. Another one of my favourite pieces was for the rock rework of "Bang Bang". There are also flashes of Fosse in certain sections, and who doesn't lobe a sophisticated flash of Fosse? Everything about the choreography is stunning, but what do you expect when you have Kristian Cunningham at the choreographical helm?

The set design is like I have not seen before with the ensemble using the large transport cases that are used for lighting etc as transportation for the cast, which give a feeling of people gliding in and out of Cher's life, but also provide an almost cinematic sliding doors effect as well as acting as a multi-level staging set. The four large letters on the back wall reminding us all the while of just who the star is. And this is just what's on stage. Below the stage area, which was opened up we see more transport cases and more disco balls with separate under stage lighting, almost extending the stage area. the steel deck is courtesy of Roydon Charlesworth.

The costumes, as you may guess are wonderful, and all thanks to Costume Supervisor Amy Wicks and Seamstresses Abbi Burns and Jan Brockhurst. We all know Cher's style over the decades and those changes in fashion are all here.

Another fashion accessory that Cher adores are wigs and there are all of those wonderful style of wigs on stage.

Just take a look at the amount of props that are involved in this show and that will give an idea of the work that has gone into this area of production, thanks to Carol Lawson.

Lighting Operator is Lauren Polimos. This area created that concert feel of the show being as bright and colourful as Cher herself.

Sound Operators for the show are Stephen Greatorex and Phil Holland. There were a few missed mic cues, but there are a lot of bodies on stage with radio mics, and being as picky as I always am on sound, nothing could take away my enjoyment of this production.

Musical Director is Dave Dallard, who also played keyboards as part of this ten piece band, creating a powerful backing to the powerful vocalists on stage. From the sound of the gypsy violins and folk melodies to the stomping dance floor anthems of "Believe" and "Strong Enough", just everything about the music side of this show was fantastic; it was almost like being at a Cher Show!

The band consist of Dave (Keys), Gabryl Oleshko (Keys 2), Chris Renshaw (Guitar), Tim Yearsley (Guitar), Dave Shipley (Drums), Dawn Bratby (Reeds), Jeff Widdowson (Bass), Joy Gravestock (Violin) and Phil Reckless and Rob Murray (Brass).

There's an incredible array of songs performed in this epic jukebox musical including "The Shoop Shoop Song", "Believe", "Little Man", "Bang Bang", "All I Ever Need Is You", "I Got You Babe", "I Found Someone", "Strong Enough", "Just Like Jesse James", "Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves" and among all of these, two of my favourites from her early 70's songs, "Living In A House Divided" and "You Better Sit Down Kid", all wonderfully arranged and performed.

Because the subject of the jukebox musical is the artist who sang the songs featured, the songs will have been a reflection of Cher's life, so this is not a case of fitting the song to a section of the musical journey. The song is part of the musical journey, so every song feels natural in its' placement.

Cher has always been one of my favourite singers, and I expect that this will be the closest I'll ever get to seeing this icon on stage. It's an excellent retelling of Cher's life, from childhood to her late 1990's resurgence. With all the songs any fan should know and a brilliant finale, I went home with all these songs going round my head and in seventh heaven. Everything was marvellous, so much so that I could ask for three chers for the three Chers! (Sorry).

An absolute must see for anyone who loves glitter, glam and glorious music.

"The Cher Show" is at the Duchess Theatre, Long Eaton from Tuesday 7 April until Saturday 11 April.

 "Macbeth : Hell Is Murky" by William Shakespeare.

A Derby Theatre, Hull Truck Theatre and Octagon Theatre Bolton Production.

Derby Theatre.

The darkest, spookiest and bloodiest of Shakespeare’s tragedy plays, and also the most exciting. It’s the story of the lust for power and greed and how this all comes at a deadly price for those who seek it.

Three witches envisage that Macbeth will be the King of Scotland, and once this prophecy has been received by Macbeth, he decides to make sure that this vision becomes a reality, and that means getting rid of a few people that stand in his way. Ambition and drive though can come with terrifying consequences, as Macbeth and his family discover.

One of the greatest tragedy plays ever writ by one of the best playwrights ever. This play has everything you want from a great tragedy where the key is fear and power. 

Shakespeare’s plays lend themselves to adaptation really well, which is why you can see several versions of the same play and not see the same play… you know what I mean. This particular production is, once again, very different, due to the infight of Director Mark Babych. There's such a lot to see in any Shakespeare play but there were things I spotted in this production that I honestly could not remember seeing in any of the many other productions that I had seen over the years. One particular thing happened during the banquet scene where Macbeth spies the ghost of Banquo; I won't say what I thought was different to the other productions, but it certainly surprised me, and also resulted in a manic scene with the Macbeths.

The opening with the Three Witches scene was another very different interpretation which looked amazing with the Witches' visual images, pushing on a hospital trolley with a "corpse" on it, through large flaps of plastic sheeting, almost as if they were coming through a cold storage area. With the stage smoke billowing through the plastic strips, it certainly added a sense of mystery.

There's also a scene at the start of the second section, just after the interval, concerning the three Witches and Macbeth which includes the manipulation of three dolls which was really creepy.

It's one of those productions that you will find very difficult shifting your eyes from the stage; you are impelled to watch due to the sheer power of the acting and direction, not to mention of course that brilliant script, which includes many of Shakespeare's most famous lines.

The Fight Choreography is split second with it's timing and I found myself wincing, especially in the scene where Macduff's family are killed. The various sword fights between all of the main characters do not mess about with the energy put into the strikes. Haruka Kuroda is responsible for this area of the production.

Oliver Alvin-Wilson takes on the title role and is a powerhouse of an actor. The spiral into madness is a visual one, leaving you in no doubt of the mindset of Macbeth throughout the story.

Lady Macbeth is played by Jo Mousley, who I've had the pleasure in seeing in various roles and in various plays at Derby Theatre. this role is very different to any of the previous roles, but then again, there are not too many characters like Lady Macbeth, are there? Leading up to the interval, the banquet scene, ends with a scene with Lady Macbeth on stage on her own in a very memorable scenario.

Malcolm is played by Cayvan Coates. The scene between Malcolm and Macduff after the interval particularly stayed with me, mainly due to the exchanges between the pair. This scene appeared to be longer than I could remember from other productions, or maybe it was the intensity shown between the pair that completely drew me in to this pair. Yet another magnetic scene created by two fabulous actors.

Livie Dalee is Donalbain, Malcolm's brother, as well as one of the Witches. The latter role gets more stage time and, as I have already stated,  a witchily wonderful trio.

Colin Hurley is Duncan, who is killed early in the play, establishing the theme of corrupted power. Colin also plays Porter, the brilliant gate keeper who adds much of the comic relief to the play. 

Simon Trinder is Macduff. Another very powerful piece of acting. just look at Simon's face to get the full register of emotions, especially when he is told about his wife and children having been slaughtered; there's a fire in his eyes and a complete hatred of Macbeth on his face.

Josie Morley is Lady MacDuff, as well as one of the Witches. Two opposite roles and both played out with excellence. When she is struck in the face you hear that slap, once again making you wince yourself. 

Benjamin Wilson is Ross, the crucial messenger and witness throughout. Benjamin is a blind actor who has worked with Ramps On the Moon in the past. There's a small scene asking Ross if he had seen a certain something, which turned into a nice comic moment in a scene that I couldn't remember having a lighter moment at that part. Saying that, Benjamin manages to bring a few comedy moments to this play.

Daniel Poyser is Banquo. You remember that I mentioned in particular about the banquet scene and how Banquo did something that I hadn't seen in other productions? Well, part of that is the way that Banquo looked as a ghost. The lighting just for this scene gave Banquo a different appearance and combined with Daniel's physicality and his facial expressions, it provided an uneasy eeriness about the scene.

Deborah Pugh is The First Witch. And talking of eeriness Deborah, Livie and Josie also provided a visual unease; you wouldn't want to meet this trio in the Derbion car park late at night!

There are two young characters in the show, and sometimes you see young actors, especially with Shakespeare accurately reciting the lines but with not so much feeling behind those words. Not in this production, it was if the language of Shakespeare was native to them. You have to understand the language first and then the meaning behind the words to fully deliver the lines and make the audience believe what is being said.

The role of Young Macduff is shared by Jack Pass and Alexandras Argyrakis, with Alexandras on stage on Thursday evening.

The role of Fleance is shared by Henry Buckley and Harry Carter. Harry was on stage on Thursday evening.

Directed by Mark Babych with a very modern staging. I veer more to the side of purist Shakespeare, especially when it comes to this, my favourite Shakespearian tragedy, but this production doesn't go over the top and keeps the story and settings totally believable. At times it's as if it is based in an industrial mental hospital where the lunatics are in the process of taking over the asylum, and that fits in so well with the storyline and Shakespeare's characters.

Set and Costume Design is by Rachael Canning. get there a little earlier so that you can have a really good look at the set because it is really good. Set on two levels with action at times going on, on both levels. This is where the dark industrial atmosphere stems from; the sort of set that Depeche Mode would have filmed their music videos on.

The costumes are what tells you that this is a modern retelling of the story. the soldiers are decked out in smart army gear, the Witches' outfits are bordering on steampunk and the other costumes are smart casual.

Lighting design is by Sally Ferguson and Sound design is by Annie May Fletcher. A combination which finishes the whole dark and dangerous feel. At the end of the act leading into the interval the use of Muse's version of "Feeling Good" was almost a warning of the danger and destruction to come after the interval.

This production has every element you want from Shakespeare's "Macbeth"; a dark foreboding that grows like an approaching menace in the night, giving you an air of uneasiness. It's a modern production but never wanders far from the darkness of Shakespeare's original.

Is this a success I see before me? In every way in my opinion!

"Macbeth: Hell Is Murky" is at Derby Theatre until Saturday 18 April.

 "A Murder Is Announced" by Agatha Christie.

Your Chance Productions.

Duchess Theatre, Long Eaton.

An ad in the personal column of the local newspaper announces that someone will be murdered on Friday 13th October at 6.30pm at Little Paddocks, the home of Letitia Blacklock. The lady of the house is convinced that it must be a joke but the village of Chipping Cleghorn, including Miss Marple, turn up to see what all the fuss is about.

Set in the 1950's where afternoon tea and servants are the norm for a well to do lady, everything takes place in just the one setting, so there's no scene changes, which keeps everything simple for the audience.

Now I am not going to give anything away here because I love the books, films and plays of Agatha Christie, but I've never been any good at working out whodunnit. This play is no different, thanks to the many twists and red herrings in the storyline. And even having seen the play a couple of times over the years, I still couldn't remember whodunnit! Within the first twenty minutes or so we get a body and a murder, so the advert came true. But all is not as it seems as we try and discover who the murderer is, and why the person who was murdered, was murdered.

Jane Marple is played by Philippa Buchanan and I have always secretly thought that Philippa would make a brilliant Miss Marple or Jessica Fletcher type of character, and now that has materialised. Philippa absolutely looks the part and has all of those special foibles and expressions that the more mature female crime fighters have; in short everything that we love about Christie's female supersleuths. 

Samantha Badman is Letitia Blackstock. First off, the costumes for Letitia are spectacular and very of the time period. One thing that I have grown to love about Sam's acting skills is that she can morph into every character she plays, as she does with this one.

Dora Bunner, Miss Blacklock’s childhood friend, is played by Gill Cook. Gill is always fun to watch on stage, and I know that I have said this in other reviews, but she plays the eccentric characters so well and Dora Bunner is a fabulously eccentric role. Gill has a brilliant facial repertoire range which is used to great effect with Bunny.

Paige Kimberley is Julia Simmons, a difficult but beautiful young woman studying pharmacy. There are some lovely sibling moments with her brother where they both try to get the upper hand in certain argumentative situations that all brother/sister relationships experience. But this isn't quite like every other brother/sister relationship as they seem very close, when they're not bickering!

Patrick Simmons, Julia’s brother, is played by James Taylor. I love just how camp Patrick Simmons is and just how marvellously James plays up to the role, and it's that character playing that, maybe, belies what lies beneath their typical sibling relationship. Patrick, we soon discover has a secret of his own, but where does the secret fit in with the murder plot, if at all? I loved James' facial expressions throughout the play, something that Agatha Christie specialised in with many of her characters.

Emily Burgess plays Phillipa Haymes, a young widow working as a gardener, and from the moment she stepped on stage, you got the feeling that something felt as if they didn't fit in with the rest of the characters. Could this be a red herring though to throw us off the trail? Haymes is a very confident character who's not afraid to speak out and comes over quite boyish, but then again that strength od character could come from working in, what was at that time, a male dominated job as a gardener. That again though is in contrast to the wonderful clothes Haymes wears inside the house. A fascinating character, played by a talented actress.

Mitzi, Miss Blacklock’s dramatic and suspicious housekeeper, is played by Chantelle Ruston. Here's another character that I love; Mitzi is over the top in her speeches, rants and tirades she delivers in that Middle European accent. Mitzi manages to get a few phrases wrapped around her neck, like being a "bucket-washer" as opposed to "bottle-washer" and when she was going to walk out advised Letitia that she was "giving her the sack". Mitzi provides quite a bit of the comedy, as well as a some of the twists! And listen out as to how she ends many of her sentences, as after hearing it for a few times almost becomes like a catchphrase noise for her. I can imagine that Chantelle had an absolute ball playing Mitzi.

Martin Weston is Inspector Craddock, the police detective assigned to the case. First off, let's acknowledge the wonderful projection that Martin has, his vocal skills would have been heard right to the back of the theatre

Edmond Swettenham, Clara Swettenham's bolshy and cynical writer son, is played by Oli Watts. Now we all know that by a certain age, no son wants to accompany their mother to an evening soiree, unless there is some reason for him to be there. Is he just being a good son, or is there another motive?

Alison Martin-Jones plays Clara Swettenham who seems to be a tad over interested in the ad in the paper, and the scene just before the closure of the first act seems to indicate that there may be something more of an interest, or maybe I'm reading too much into that entrance and the honey?

Wil Morgan-McLean doubles up as Rudi Shertz, who works at a hotel, but why does he turn up at 6.30 at the house, after all he isn't family nor is he friend? Sergeant Mellors is Inspector Craddock’s assistant.  

Directed by Jessica Morgan-McLean who manages to capture the feel of that 1950's style Agatha Christie murder/mysteries absolutely perfectly. There was just one little thing that niggled me when I first saw it, but then the reason for "it" fell into place for me. Patrick and Julia smoke but the cigarettes were false so there was no smoke with the pretence of smoking a cigarette. It also meant that lighting the cigarette wasn't there. Now, I was thinking, unless there's a reason for the siblings smoking why wasn't those sections where they smoked just left out; but the fact that they did need to smoke to be part of the storyline was made clear as the play went on. Jess brought out every bit of comedy from Christie's script and also kept the secret and suspense and also made sure that all of the red herrings were all made very clear parts of the story. A marvellous job.

The costumes, as you've probably discovered from the earlier part of this review, were yet another high point of this show; an area that Jess and Philippa Buchanan has obviously paid great attention to, and that attention to detail paid off.

The set design is by Philippa Buchanan, Katie Bird and Adam Guest. With the colourful lighting, which made the walls as colourful as the characters, the style was not flashy or posh, but this plain background for the walls gave a nice canvas for the props and furniture on set which indicated a more well to do image.

Talking of props, I loved the fact that the food was real, as was the coffee in the posh coffee dispenser and the other liquid refreshments and the remaining props were many and varied.

Sound and Lighting is by Dave Martin. there were a few odd sounds that maybe should not have been heard, like the sound when a message comes through on your computer or a pop up noise, but that aside the visual red and blue lighting indicating the arrival of the police lit up the whole stage and the sound through the three microphones at the front of the stage gave out a bit of a hum but that was only because I notice things like that, probably going unnoticed by everyone else. With good projection from the stage actors, they were probably not needed anyway. 

I started off by saying how much I love a good murder/mystery, especially by the Queen of Murder/Mysteries. I had seen this play before but I never tire of seeing a good production of Christie's plays, and this production was a marvellous production filled with mystery, comedy, suspense and fun, delivered by a wonderful cast. What a brilliant start to the week. Get your tickets for Tuesday as soon as you can and see if you guess who the killer is, and who is in the firing line, and why!

"A Murder Is Announced" is at the Duchess Theatre in Long Eaton until Tuesday 31 March.

 "Miss Saigon" by Claude-Michel Boublil and Alain Schonberg.

Nottingham Theatre Royal

"Miss Saigon" is an epic, stunning adaptation of Puccini’s opera, "Madame Butterfly", by the writers behind "Les Miserables", Boublil and Schonberg. In the dangerous days before Saigon’s fall in 1975, Chris, an American GI, and Kim, a destitute Vietnamese orphan working her first night as a prostitute, fall in love. Listen closely and you'll hear whispers of "Les Miserables" in several of the songs, and that's no bad thing!

This production has the explosive thrills of "Mad Max" or "Die Hard" with the romance of "Titanic" mixed with the tragedy of "Romeo and Juliet", all wrapped up in one tear-jerkingly beautiful staging.

When the city falls, the lovers are forced apart, and each must find their own way, alone. Three years later Chris is able to return to Vietnam and brings with him an American wife. Kim, who has waited for Chris, has raised their son, Tam, who is “bui-doi”- a term for a child conceived during the horrors of war. With so much devastation behind them, Kim, Chris and his new wife must decide how to move forward. 

The musical has a sung-through score and tour-de-force roles for actors.

The Engineer is played by Seann Miley Moore, whose name may ring a bell with fans of "The X Factor" as he burst upon the UK entertainment scene with his version of Queen's "The Show Must Go On". A decade on and he is ripping up the stage with his version of The Engineer. I have seen several Engineers over the last twenty years or so, but not one comes close to the entertainment value provided by Seann. There's so much sauce in his performance that it makes you want to run out and get a hot dog to slaver that sauce onto. The Engineer is extremely naughty, but very nice, but apart from that and the campness, there's an amazingly versatile voice. "The American Dream" sequence is entertainment at its' very best on stage and Seann rides that wave like a seasoned Aussie surfer. What a performer he is!

Kim is played by Julianne Pundan. The whole story of love and loss is all there with Kim. She is forced into prostitution by the Engineer, is "bought" for Chris by John while in Saigon and she falls head over heels for Chris. She sees Chris as a ticket out of Saigon to America but that was just not on the cards when Chris had to go back home. Three years down the line in 1978 we discover that Chris a little of himself behind in Saigon in the form of Tam, the son borne by Kim that Chris didn't know about. Julianne has the most amazingly expressive and emotive voice and acting ability. The song I always think of when I think of this musical is "The Last Night Of the World"; I have loved that song from the first time I heard it, and sung by Julianne and Daniel it brings to the fore a hunger and sadness in song. It is a song of yearning, reaching out to be mended; it doesn't just pull at the heartstrings, it rips them out and ties you up in knots with them. Another amazing song is "I'd Give My Life For You" which she sings to Tam. The ending scenes with Kim still gets me every single time.

Chris Scott is played by Daniel J Brian, and when you talk about emotional vocals, this man almost cries emotion on stage. I had never really taken that much notice of the song "Why God Why?", but tonight I really took notice due to Daniel's emotional delivery of this song. He is an incredibly emotional actor, for when we see him to start with, compared with his final scenes, through the scenes with his wife in the hotel room, Daniel must come off the stage absolutely spent of emotion as he leaves everything on stage - and this he does at every performance he does.

Dominic Hartley-Harris plays John Thomas, an American GI stationed in Saigon during the Vietnam War alongside Chris. As Chris' best friend, John becomes instrumental in the development of Kim and Chris' relationship as well as their reunion later. Another expressive set of vocals throughout but you really get to her the quality of Dominic's voice in another one of my favourites from the "Miss Saigon" score, which comes at the start of Act Two "Bui Doi", which heralds the search for Kim and her child.

Ellen who, after Chris has left the Vietnam conflict, becomes his wife, and is played by Emily Langham. Chris has not told Ellen about Kim, but when Chris finds out that he has a son with Kim, he has to bring Ellen up to date. There's a most beautiful song that Emily gets to sing after the hotel room confrontation called "Maybe", again one that I hadn't paid that much attention to in the past, but with vocals like Emily's, who could fail not to notice yet another emotion packed song?

Thuy, a Vietnamese man who is Kim's cousin and betrothed and is played by Mikko Juan. After learning of Kim's wedding to Chris, he gatecrashes the ceremony, verbally abusing her and warns her that she will be cursed for it. Years later he finds her again, but is not aware that she now has Tam, which doesn't make Thuy a happy chappie, forcing Kim to make a rash decision that comes back to haunt her later in life.

Gigi Van Tranh is played by Thao Therese Nguyen. Gigi is perhaps the most prolific show girl in Dreamland working for The Engineer prior to the arrival of Kim. Gigi, like all the other girls in the bar, dreams of having a better life away from the war in Vietnam through the American soldiers who come to the club, hoping one of them would take her as his wife. On the outside Gigi is a tough, streetwise woman, but you see the more mellow side of her when she is around Kim.

At Wednesday night's performance the role of Tam was played by Favian Costales. There are eight young actors between the ages of five and six sharing this role, and Favian is the cutest little thing ever.

The cast is completed by Aaron Teoh, Jamil Abbasi, Aaron Aisoni, Ann-Marie Craine, Luoran Ding, Ben Fenwick, Aaron Gonzales, Owen Johnston, Evita Khrime, Caleb Lagayan, Rayhan Lee, Zina Lin, James Mateo-Salt, Shania Montevalde, Riko Nakazono, Ryan Ocampo, Julius Sahr, Tonny Shim, Kerry Spark, Aimee Yue and Carmen Zhu.

Directed by Jean-Pierre Van Der Spuy. This is the best production of this incredible musical that I have seen; it even has the helicopter that rescues Chris and John from Vietnam hovering and lifting the pair into the Vietnamese skies, something that this musical is well known for, but sadly something that isn't always seen in the productions.

Choreographed by Chrissie Cartwright and Carrie-Anne Ingrouille. This show has such a large cast and the choreography is stylish and smooth, also incorporating at times the moving on and off of the scenery and props into the routines. The show is exciting and full of thrills and that is also highlighted in the choreographical side of the show.

The orchestra was under the baton of Ben Mark Turner, who is also the Musical Director. It was lovely to hear the subtle changes in the musical arrangements in the score, which keeps everything fresh, but this score is so gorgeous I could listen to it for hours on end.

The Set and Costume Design is by Andrew D Edwards. Both areas are absolutely breath-taking. The Costumes range from plain working girl costumes through to the army apparel and on to the eye boggling costume worn by The Engineer in the "American Dream" scenes. That set design is as mind boggling as the costumes for everyone involved in that scene. The rest of the set design one of the best designs for this musical I have had the pleasure to see. Parts of the set are on a revolving circular section of the stage with parts of the scenery gently sliding towards the back of the stage. There is so much to take in when it comes to the set design as well, but everything in this part of the production only seems to make the stage seem even bigger than it is. 

Sound Design is by Adam Fisher. The orchestra bring the intensity of the war to life but there's also sound effects that also drive home the horrors of war, combining to deliver a sensory experience that will make your jaw drop. I did hear a couple of people saying that it was at times too loud, but not for me as I love to feel the power of a big orchestra and a soundscape that makes you tremble.

Lighting designer is by Bruno Poet. I don't think I could cover this area fully if I stayed up all night and morning because there is so much to describe lighting wise. Needless to say, it matches every single section of the production team by being the best design for this musical ever. It draws you in closer at the darker parts and creates a celebratory atmosphere in the big dance numbers.

The cast are exceptional, and while I have seen this show several times over the years, they made it feel as if I was watching it for the first time again. The standing ovation at the final bows was always going to be a given due to the quality of this production. It really did seem as if the West End had uprooted itself and found a new resting place in Nottingham.

If I were one of those people who gave stars to show the quality of the show, I'd give this one six stars out of five. Grab your tickets and don't forget your hankies as well!

"Miss Saigon" is at the Nottingham Theatre Royal until Saturday 4 April.