"The Little Mermaid" by Act One.

Iveshead Theatre, Shepshed.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 "Out Of Focus" by Peter Gordon.

Beeston Players.

Round Hill School, Beeston.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Production Manager is Nina Tunnicliffe.

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

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

 "A Thousand Splendid Suns" By Ursula Rani Sarma. Based on a novel by  Khaled Hosseini.

Nottingham Playhouse.

Eleven years ago I saw "The Kite Runner" at the Nottingham playhouse and was blown away by the beauty of that story, so much so that afterwards I sought out the book, written by Khaled Hosseini, bought it and read it. This is the sequel.

Like "The Kite Runner", "A Thousand Splendid Suns" deals with the experiences of individuals under the Taliban and the rich history of Afghanistan. It tells the story of two women, Laila and Mariam, who both end up marrying the same man, Rasheed, after Laila is orphaned and finds herself with nowhere to go.  

Her neighbour, Rasheed is quick to come to her aid, pulls her from the wreckage of her home and opens his door to her. He is married already to Mariam and soon takes Laila as his second wife. Mariam has no choice but to accept her younger, and now pregnant, rival. As the Taliban take over, life for all of them becomes a desperate struggle against starvation, brutality and fear, and the two women find themselves unlikely allies.

Rina Fatania plays Mariam.  Hosseini describes Mariam as "isolated in every sense of the word. She is a woman who is detached from the day-to-day norms of human existence. Really, she just wants a connection with another human being". There's a scene in the second act that brings to light the horror for women, who are classed as second class citizens, as she is beaten within an inch of her life for helping Laila.

Kerena Jagpal plays Laila. Compared to Mariam, Hosseini noted, she "had a much more fulfilling relationship with her father, her girlfriends and her childhood friend, Tariq. She expected to finish school and is looking for personal fulfillment. These are two very different representations of women". Well, that's all until Rasheed decides that he is going to become the centre of her universe, and woe betide Laila if she does not fall into line with what Rasheed tells her to do. There's an horrific scene, again in the second act, where Laila is about to give birth to her second child, Zalmai, by Cesarian section, but without any painkillers, as they are reserved for the men's hospital.

Jonas Khan plays Rasheed, who is deeply misogynistic, often subjecting his wives and "daughter" Aziza to frequent physical, mental and emotional abuse. In spite of his behaviour toward women, Rasheed shows real love toward his son Zalmai, on whom he dotes. Rasheed is one evil person who uses fear to control, and you really feel an intense dislike for the man. This of course is testament to Jonas' acting skills to make you feel hatred for the character he plays. 

Jonny Khan plays Tariq, Wakil and Driver. Tariq suffers many tragedies in his life including the loss of his parents and spending time in prison after being set up. Tariq is the complete opposite of Rasheed and offers a lifeline to Laila and her family, and we do get a happy ending.... of sorts.

Noah Manzoor plays Zalmai, the legitimate son of Laila and Rasheed. Zalmai is a mix of the old and the new Afghanistan male. He has been, almost brainwashed in the way that men treat women by his father, but he also has the softer influences from his mother and Mariam, as well as external influences. He is a more romantic person, being influenced by films like "Titanic" and the character of Jack from the film.

Peyvand Sadeghian plays Nana, Fariba and Doctor. Nana's life trajectory greatly changes after "the jinn enters her body" shortly before marriage, causing her to have a seizure. This leaves her unmarriageable, and she eventually becomes a house servant for Jalil. She has an affair with Jalil, leading to the birth of her daughter Mariam. The scandal of the affair brings dishonour upon Jalil's wives and legitimate children, causing him to remove Nana and Mariam from his household and relocate them.

Fariba is Laila's mother. She is a cheerful character who briefly meets Mariam when she first arrives in Kabul. This cheerfulness changes quickly after her two sons, Ahmad and Noor, leave their home to fight and are later killed in the Afghan-Soviet war.

Tahir Shah plays Jalil, Abdul Sharif, Interrogator and Militia Man. Jalil has three wives and nine (later ten) legitimate children, in addition to Mariam. His actions indirectly cause Mariam to lose her mother, and his decision to send Mariam away creates a permanent division between the two that is never resolved.

Humera Syed plays Young Mariam and Aziza. Aziza is sent away by her mother, mainly to make sure that she is safe and away from the anger and hate from Rasheed, as well as getting a covert education, as girls and women were forbidden to receive an education, as well as just about everything else including singing, dancing and reading books. Aziza is spirited, but she's not daft, and knows that her being sent away to this place is not for the reasons that Laila and Mariam are telling her.

David Ahmed plays a variety of roles including Babi, Mullah Faizullah Zaman and Militiaman.

Directed by Roxana Silbert. Roxana brings the power, the horror and fear to the stage. I was quite shocked by several of the scenes, especially the violence dealt out by Rasheed to his wives. It also presents a really beautiful picture of friendship and having each other's back.

Set Designer is Simon Kenny. The whole of the back of the stage is like one of those giant Asian carpets, apart from a part which lets in the skyline and the world outside, allowing the audience to see the flashes caused by the explosions. This "carpet" also includes secret portals which allow the actors to appear swiftly for the "flashback" scenes.

Matt Haskins' lighting design manages to bring the horrors of war to life with the explosions in the first act.

The sound design is by Clive Meldrum and you quite get the feeling that you are in the middle of the scenes that the play presents by the soundscape.

The original music has been composed for this play by Elaha Soroor, whose voice you can also hear singing, and is incredibly atmospheric as well as very soothing.

The Co-Composer and Arranger of the music is Giuliano Modarelli, who's also the guitarist.  The accordion is played by Josh Middleton.

Musical inspiration drawn from Afghanistan’s 1970s musical heritage, including works by Ahmad Zahir and Abdul Rahim Sarban.

This is one of the most powerful pieces of theatre that I've seen, and I've seen some brilliant productions just recently, and in contrast it's also one of the most beautiful pieces of theatre.

"A Thousand Splendid Suns" is at the Nottingham Playhouse until Saturday 24 May.