"Cinderella" by Alan P Frayn.

The Watson Players.

Landau Forte College, Derby.

Before I start I just want to say that I have had the best night out on Wednesday night, not only with this wonderful pantomime, but also with some of the loveliest people involved in local theatre, and we all sat on the front row at Landau Forte College in Derby.

Alan P Frayn's script combines the traditional story we all know and love with "Cinderella" and blends it with some brilliantly funny, and topical lines, as well some lovely old chestnuts like the potato clock sketch; this blend of traditional, new, topical and those jokes that you can see coming a mile off but still find very funny make for a fantastically funny pantomime. But a script is just words on a page until you get a cast who know how to deliver a funny script and make it side splitting. And that's where I start....

Abbi Pritchard is our Cinderella, kind hearted and innocent with a lovely voice which brings out an almost Disney Princess vibe about Cinderella. Abbi makes you want to root for the character and win over her two nasty step-sisters because of that niceness she brings out of Cinders. With sitting right on the front row I also got to see something that I had seen many times before, but never the secret of how it was done. The scene where Cinderella twirls around and her rags magically turn into a gorgeous sparkly ball gown. This change was performed very subtly but I had never realised how it was done, and if you don't know how the magic works, I'm not telling.

Ciara Beighton is Prince Charming, and charming this Prince is. Love the traditional sly flapping - sorry thigh slapping - and the chemistry between the Prince and Dandini. Ciara is another class act when it comes to pantomimes. I have seen some Princes in Cinderella portrayed a little on the dense side but Ciara delivers a realistic Prince which makes the character feel more modern.

Dandini is played by Wayne Perry. The first sign you get of just how much fun this Dandini was going to be was with the swapping of the sash when the Prince and Dandini decided to swap places to allow the Prince to meet "normal" girls. You may not get to see the fun that the simple sash swap brought about unless the decision to keep that fumbling about in. Wayne is a master at comedy so panto is the perfect vehicle for his visual comedy talents.

Jessica Baird-Swinburn is Buttons. What a fun portrayal of this panto stalwart and Jessica brings out the playful character perfectly. Buttons is always the one in this panto who gets the audience going; not the easiest of jobs in the cast, but she eventually got the audience to the level of excitement and participation needed for the cast to feed off. Another comedy gold, one off section involves Hagan the horse and one of his coconuts and Buttons.

Hagan the horse was a real hit with everyone in the audience. Jake Perry was at his playful best with his cheeky hoofing around and his flirty, knowing looks and smiles to the audience. A fun version of "Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life" was like a new awakening in the auditorium as people at that stage started to warm up and really became more audible in their appreciation of the show that they were watching. Jake certainly looked as if he was having a marvellous time on stage, he only stopped smiling to pull a funny face before returning back to grinning away. I am sure there was even a touch of ad lib acting with the hoof mishap which may have thrown a lesser experienced actor, but not Jake.

Our comedy double act Bodget and Leggett are played by Liz Woolley and Karen Jones. Beautifully cast comedy coupling and looking like a pair of Mario Brothers, complete with Italian accents. There are some very funny association scenes, stringing together many TV DIY/Home move programmes - well there are so many to count on. This particular scene is relevant as Bodget and Leggett are builders, complete with a form of transport that looks like it has the ability to traverse the potholes without spoiling either the wheel or suspension. Both Liz and Karen are naturally funny ladies so the decision to pair them up is a lovely decision.

Patricia Church is Grizelda and Sally Tickner-Mellor is Gertrude, the "Ugly Sisters". Another marvellous decision in casting this pair as the step-sisters. Grizelda has been given comedy teeth which really transform her face and Gertrude looks like Linda in the sit com "Gimme Gimme Gimme" with those glasses and the hair. This pair of sisters are comical to watch and as soon as their banter starts they become even more hilarious. There's less evilness towards Cinderella but I think that is in their favour. A great duet between Grizelda, Gertrude and Cinderella just after they first meet with a mash up of "Sisters" and "Sisters Are Doing It For Themselves". Kate Jones's make up made them look as gorgeous as they do. Patricia and Sally are another classic comedy pairing.

Fairy G (odmother) is played by Yvonne Baird and straight from the off, Yvonne made you feel like smiling because of that gorgeous smile that she has. Fairy G oozes loveliness and fun, and who wouldn't want a good fairy like Fairy G watching over you. 

Gina Repton is The Baroness. This is possibly one of the most glamorous pantomime Baronesses I have ever seen, but that ties in with the extremely glamorous actress who is playing the Baroness. Love the slight haughtiness air instead of going over the top haughtiness that I have seen in some portrayals of the Baroness. I have always thought that Gina's humour is sometimes underestimated, and that is because she has a brilliant poker face. That talent is used to great advantage with this character, which made the Baroness a warmer character, despite her only marrying the Baron for money, who was also marrying her for the same reason.

Jack Woolley as Baron Hardup. I don't hear Jack venturing too often into the accent box, but he gives Baron Hardup a posh accent which really suits the character. Visually Hardup's wig automatically makes Jack look older, so the whole physicality and visual image of the Baron is completed accurately for what you'd expect a Baron to look and sound like.

Chambers, the Lord Chamberlain, is played by Gary Rowley. This is only a minor role but even in a minor role Gary managed to make the part his own, especially in how the delivery of the script was done. I don't know if there are directions on how the script for characters is supposed to be done and sound when companies receive the scripts, in the same way notes are received on scenery etc., but if not, whoever developed the way Chambers sounded has created a memorable role.

The Ensemble and Dancers are Lexie Hicken-Moss, Adam Thornewill who is an incredible dancer who has so much energy and never once looks out of breath, James Ash, Alice Deegan, Lisa Griffin, Georgia Barkes who is the Dance Captain, Mel Pugh and Bayleigh Watson. I know I mentioned Adam, but they all leave you quite breathless just watching in some of these choreographed pieces, especially "The Fast Food Song" by the Fast Food Rockers which was an out and out cheerleaders performance.  

Directed by Angela Swift. What a fast paced pantomime this really is, hardly any room to catch breath. I don't need to mention what a brilliant pantomime this is again and how good Angela as a Director is because everything that I have said about the actors is proof, in part, of just how good a job Angela has done with this cast. I say "in part" because it's also the cast individually who have injected the fun and comedy experience into every minute of this show.

Musical Director is Jo Baird-Swinburn. The usual mix of pop tunes from various decades which certainly kept my toes tapping and hands clapping. From the opening song "Apt" which segued nicely into "Mickey" to introduce Bodget and Leggett to the stage, via "Bibbidi Bobbidi Boo" and "Come Alive". 

Choreographed by Sharon Stringer. Well, I've already stated just how energetic the dance routines are, but in contrast to the high energy routines is the majestic "Cinderella Waltz".

Costumes are something that I always look forward to checking out with The Watson Players because I am aware if The Crafty Ladies who create and make the costumes; well they did not disappoint in this show. They look like they have been hired in by a professional theatrical costumiers, but I know that many long hours have gone into sourcing materials and the various costumes have been brought to life by this group of talented people who go by the name of The Crafty Ladies. Patricia Church  has designed the costumes for this show.

There are a lot of people on this stage and are all stage managed by John Woolley and Brian Hartshorn, along with the Stage Crew Angela Barradell and Mike Moss.

The Set Designers are John Woolley and Brian Hartshorn.

Sound effects design is by John Woolley with the Sound Operators being from Landau Forte College.

Lighting design and operation is by Lee Hartshorn. the show is a colourful one with all the characters being colourful and the lighting design match these characters for the colour flood.

I have mentioned just how good the characters are and I noticed in the programme that this pantomime has a Character Coach in Graham Swift, who has obviously worked his panto magic in this area.

I have a feeling that this is my final pantomime (I may be wrong) for the Winter period, and you know that saying "save the best for last", well I think that may be true for this production.

Great fun, great company and a great time was had by all, especially in the front row.

"Cinderella" is at Landau Forte College in Derby until Sunday 22 February, and I can promise you that it won't just be Cinderella who will have a ball!

 "Sunny Afternoon - The Kinks Musical"

Nottingham Theatre Royal.

Unlike some jukebox musicals, this musical's storyline has a strong story and the songs meander along perfectly throughout the two hours and twenty minutes the cast are on stage. Never setting out to mimic the singers you get to see four actors who just happen to be able to play their instruments brilliantly and have the raw energy to belt out the wonderful back catalogue of one of the best bands ever. They also prove that the Gallaghers from Oasis were not the first brothers to rip chunks out of each other, verbally and physically.

Based on the formation and career of The Kinks, this is their tale of their rise from the dead end streets to rock stardom. It’s set against the background of political and social change of the 1960s and examines the early years of the Muswell Hill based group. After initial failure, the band's lead guitarist Dave Davies experimented and created a distorted power chord sound on the group's third single, "You Really Got Me". The song, written by Dave's older brother Ray, went to No 1 in the charts and preceded a string of hits.

Woven into this 2015 award winning new musical are the themes of the Davies brothers' sibling rivalry, management problems, their sister's untimely death, Ray's doomed marriage and their subsequent banning from the United States following a dispute with the musicians' union.

All the biggest and best hits are here, “You Really Got Me”, “Days”, “Dead End Street”, ”Dedicated Follower Of Fashion”, “Stop Your Sobbing”, “All Day And All Of The Night”, “Tired Of Waiting”, "I Go To Sleep", “Waterloo Sunset”, “Lola”, "Sunny Afternoon" and so many more. It also includes one of my guilty pleasures favourites "I'm Not Like Everybody Else" which was only a "B" side of "Sunny Afternoon".

This show combines the adrenalin rush of being at a live concert with the whole theatricality of a stage show and the whole rebellious spirit of the 1960s. Bringing the primal sound of rock ‘n’ roll to the “lardies” (lah di dah-upper class people) can be an uphill struggle and not without physical oppositions.

It’s always nice to see those on stage actually playing their instruments, bringing an air of realism to the roles of the fine musicians that are the Davies brothers and the band, with only a couple of drafted in musicians to fully flesh out the sound.

The arrangements of Davies' songs when stripped back show what beautiful words and melodies he produced. It also highlighted the excellent voices the actors have.

Danny Horn plays Ray Davies, the more sensible one of the Davies brothers. It shows the initial hunger of the brother which then turns to one of those "be careful what you wish for" moments. He shows the homesick side of Ray, longing for his wife and baby, tired of all the legal Union wrangles in the States, which then turns again when he gets back home, also showing the faith in the people he has around him in the band and management. Danny also shows what a fine rock voice he has in these songs, as well as a very soulful set of vocals in the stripped back versions of some of their songs. there's also a really sensitive side to Ray shown near the end of act two with his brother.

Oliver Hoare is Dave Davies, the clown of the band who liked to dress up in outrageous clothes, an almost child like behaviour who liked to throw the odd tantrum if things didn't go the way that he wanted; all of which manifested in a magnetic character which the groupies clearly found attractive. One of the opening scenes sees the Davies brothers working on chords for a song in their bedroom. They ramp up both amps to eleven and then practically destroy one of the amps to cause a raw distortion. The noise that came from that stage sent vibrations through the seats in the auditorium; I am so pleased that the sound department did not scrimp on the volume, my glasses nearly vibrated all the way down my nose!! The musical also shows the level of inter band altercations with one between Dave and Mick ending in a bloody stage fight. There's a sentimental brotherly love understanding near the end where confessions were made by both brothers.

Harry Curley is their bassist Peter Quaife. I had quite forgotten about Quaife wanting out of the band in 1966 because he didn't think that the rest of the band liked him, even though Quaife and Davies had been the best of friends at school and practically created the school band between them. He also showed the fear of what might happen in the band if he didn't get out. Thankfully Quaife changed his mind and returned with a walking bass line that became the intro of one of their big hits. Even though I have seen this musical before, I had forgotten just what a fragile character Quaife is portrayed to be and Harry brings that fragility to the fore.

Zakarie Stokes is Mick Avory, the Kinks' drummer. What you don't get to appreciate so much with the Kinks' songs was the level of excellence Avory had. In the second act there's a scene with Avory running amok on the drum kit, moving from jazz styles to out and out rock drumming and then to a softer Latin style rhythm. Zakarie Stokes is an incredible drummer and percussionist and lays it out there on stage in one of the best drum solos I have seen performed live in a musical. the driving rhythm section of Curley and Stokes replicate the sound that made the Kinks's rhythm department the powerhouse that they were. And when you throw into that mix the guitars of Ray and Dave, you get that unmistakable rock sound.

Returning from the original Hampstead Theatre and West End companies are Ben Caplan as Eddie Kassner and Tam Williams as Grenville Collins and, from the original UK Tour are Victoria Anderson as Gwen, plus Victoria was Dance Captain, Deryn Edwards as Mrs. Davies, Joseph Richardson as Robert Wace, Lisa Wright as Rasa, Ray's wife, and James Hudson.

The company is completed by Alicia Ally, Morgan Burgess, James Chisholm, Phil Corbitt, Alasdair Craig, Dominic Gee-Burch, Kristian Jacobs, Robin Johnson, Sorrel Jordan, Jada Langley, Timothy Roberts, Georgiana Wainwright-Jones and Emily Whitby-Samways. 

Alex Ward is the additional guitarist.

Brilliant costumes, make up and wigs, especially for Dave Davies, are thanks to Carole Hancock. The costumes bring back memories of watching old editions of "Top Of The Pops", "Beat Club", "Shindig" and other pop music shows from the Sixties on TV, when they used to show them back in the Eighties on Cable TV. And all of those brilliant wigs for both men and women!

An amazing light show and powerful sound really made you feel as if you were at one of their live concerts, creating an all round electric atmosphere. 

Directed by Edward Hall and perfectly paced. All thriller and no filler.

Choreography is by Adam Cooper and we get to see an amazing array of Sixties style dances, and dancers.

Musical Supervisor is Elliott Ware and Musical Director is Michael Cullen. Associate Director is Christopher Chase Carter. They made sure that the Kinks music sounded just as it did back in the day, but with an added freshness that modern technology enhances. There are some brilliant arrangements of these songs. the stripped back arrangement of "I Go To Sleep", sung by Lisa Wright over the phone to ray when he was at his lowest ebb is truly heart wrenching. It really got me!

Design is by Miriam Buether and the first thing that hits you about this production is the stage set. Three walls floor to ceiling of various sized speakers with a recording studio booth window at the back. 

Fight Director is Terry King.

Great entertainment as well as educational, an amazing back catalogue of songs, a fantastic history lesson and a crazy, mixed up, shook up world of sixties pop culture. These songs will have you singing for days after the event as you walk off into your own Waterloo sunset. And listen out for some wonderfully ironic lines in the script.

 "Sunny Afternoon" is at the Nottingham Theatre Royal until Saturday 21 February, so whatever you do, don't take all day and all of the night to decide to get a ticket. Get them now while you can.

 "Jane - England's Nine Day Queen" written by Kim-louise Sparks

by Prism Theatre.
Sawley Memorial Hall Community Centre.

This is a completely new, never seen before piece of theatre written by Kim-Louise Sparks about Leicestershire born Lady Jane Gray. It's quite a rarity for me to see a completely brand new shiny musical, but here it is.

"Jane" is the story of Lady Jane Grey who reluctantly became Queen, but for only nine days due to a conspiracy where she was forced from the throne, in favour of Mary Tudor, and executed, along with her husband for treason. That's the potted history of Lady Jane Grey but the story line through the musical is very detailed as it's all done via this sung through piece of musical theatre. Kim-Louise, who wrote the songs as well as the storyline has obviously delved deep into the history of this woman, and those surrounding her, on both sides, and has created a history lesson in song that educates and entertains all at the same time.

I love that the music covers various styles and has so many catchy hooks running through it. Twenty six new pieces of music that will sound great on a soundtrack recording, especially with these singers, mixing classic musical theatre style tracks with toe tappers, and there's even a touch of rap going down on one of the tracks. I was very privileged to have heard four of the songs from "Jane" - "What Now", "Still I Stand", "Tudor Pawn" and "Her Name In Stone" - a few weeks ago which really whet my appetite for the rest of the songs, but there are many more standout songs here like "The Pieces Move", "Jane", "For England" and What Will Remain"; but it's really difficult to pick just a few of my new favourites.

I've seen all of this cast in various pieces of theatre over the years, so I don't need to tell you how good they are acting wise or vocal wise, and they bring their amassed talents to these new roles and the new songs. They all manage to keep your attention, especially those like me who don't know a lot about Lady Jane or this historical happening. There are also no standout performances for the main reason that all of the performances stand out.

Louise Potter (Lady Jane Grey), Matt McAuley (Lord Guildford Dudley/Thomas Wyatt the Younger), Dan Bates (Prince Philip of Spain/ Thomas Brydges, the Tower guard), Rebekah Dean (Lady Mary Tudor), Graham Buchanan (John Dudley/Henry Grey - Jane's father), Philippa Buchanan (Frances Grey - Jane's mother), Hannah Gorton (John Feckenham/Sir John Brydges), Grace Deakin (Katherine Grey), Emma Kerrison (Mary Grey), Alistair Langton (King Henry VIII)*, Brooke Meadows (Queen Consort Anne Boleyn)*, Penelope Dean (Princess Mary Tudor)* and Everley Meadows (Young Mary Tudor)*

Directed and choreographed by Kim-Louise Sparks, who also sourced the brilliant costumes, and I must say I loved Frances Grey's boots. There's a song, which may have been "Tudor Pawn" where there was some brilliant fanography going down. Kim-Louise also created the wonderfully informative programme which has many historical facts included as well as everything else you could want from a programme.

The set is basically a bare black backdrop with several props brought on and taken away, but who needs a full set when the story behind the musical is such an interesting one.

Production Assistants for the show are Rebekah Dean and Matt McAuley. Matt is also responsible for the Tech and Lighting design.

Vocal Coach is Emma Kerrison.

Graham Buchanan is the Fact/History Checker.

Martin Lewis is the Performance Technician - he is  in charge of the sound and lighting and video operation. Two free standing microphones picked up the majority of the speech and vocals, but this cast are well versed in projection. Sound wise it was nice to note that Martin listened to the sound mix of the backing tracks and the live vocals and at times adjusted the backing so as not to drown the on stage vocals. Lighting wise was a nice mix of colorful flooding and more intimate shades and spotting. 

Andrew Chick was responsible for sourcing props for the show as well as the videography - there was a slight technical hitch with the video, so we didn't get the full effect of this on opening night, but I am sure that this will be sorted out for Saturday's performance.

I must also mention two of my favourite people who were Front Of House on Friday night; Beth Yearsley and Becky Morley - lovely to see you both.

I noticed online that tickets for Saturday are dwindling, so if you want to get in there at the start of something so fresh and original, grab those remaining tickets while you can. As I said at the start, it's quite rare to see a musical that is completely new, and especially written by someone with as much talent, and love of history, as Kim-Louise. It's also a chance to see a collection of talented performers that make up this cast.

"Jane - England's Nine Day Queen" is being performed at Sawley Memorial Hall Community Centre in Sawley until Saturday 14 February.

*These parts were pre-recorded on video.

 "The Beekeeper Of Aleppo" by Christy Lefteri.

Adapted for the stage by Nesrin Alrefaai and Matthew Spangler.

Nottingham Playhouse.

This beautiful play was last at the Nottingham Playhouse in 2023 and now it's back with a few new additions to the cast, but the story and the history behind this play has not changed. It does though give someone like myself, who saw it the last time it was here, a chance to notice more of the story that we may have missed while we were concentrating on the main storyline of the refugee issues and how people are treated. This time around it felt fresh and simultaneous storylines leapt out from the stage, making this viewing even better than the first time.

The play’s narrator and protagonist is Nuri Ibrahim, a man from Syria. He and his wife Afra have fled from Syria due to the violence of the Syrian Civil War. After a long journey, they have managed to reach London. They are living in a lodging house with other refugees, as they wait to learn whether or not they will be granted asylum.

The main storyline focuses on Nuri and Afra’s journey, which is told in a series of flashbacks as he goes through the immigration process. They lived a peaceful life in the Syrian city of Aleppo. They had a seven-year-old son named Sami, and this time around I was more focused on what happened to Sami through Nuri and Afra's eyes. Nuri worked as a beekeeper, which he found very fulfilling. His partner and mentor in this business was his cousin Mustafa. After violence of the war began to spread and to affect Aleppo, Mustafa sent his wife and daughter out of the country. Later, when Mustafa’s son was killed, Mustafa decided to flee the country as well.

At the end of the play, Nuri and Afra reunited with Mustafa and his family. Nuri and Afra have not yet been granted asylum, but they remain hopeful. They also hope that they will be able to return to

a peaceful Syria one day.

It's a beautifully written, powerful play full of compassion, love, loss and hope and will not fail to touch you. This is a story that will be topical forever, unfortunately for the people involved in the migration and immigration process.

This really is an ensemble piece of theatre, so I am going to mention the whole cast on the same level of excellence.

Adam Sina (Nuri), Farah Saffari (Afra), Joseph Long (Mustafa/ The Moroccan Man), Aram Mardourian (Nadim/Fotakis/Ali) whose parents grew up in Aleppo, Alia Lahlou (The Immigration Officer/ Doctor Farouk/ Dahab), Dona Atallah (Mohammed/ Sami), Princess Khumalo (Angeliki/ Lucy Fisher) and Mohsen Gaffari and Helena Massoud as the ensemble. Aram and Joseph were in the 2023 production.

There's a different Director for this production with Anthony Almeida taking over; the original Director being Miranda Cromwell. I managed to spot a few little details in this production that I hadn't seen in the original. Whether this is because they are new to the production, or maybe I just hadn't noticed them in the 2013 production. It's an incredibly touching story and the whole stage direction is excellently done.

The Set Designer is Ruby Pugh. This is a multi-faceted set which is really well utilised, with windows, hatches, a chair and a bed all incorporated into a Syrian style landscape, and also includes a poppy garden towards the end of the play.

Ben Ormerod's lighting design defines the high and low points of their journey, which combined with the video design, which is projected onto the set itself, creates an atmospheric feel throughout. The Video Designer is Zsalt Balogh for Palma Studios. 

Sound Designer is Tingying Dong. The playhouse auditorium is a wonderful capsule for sound, whether it be for live bands or a theatre production, musical or otherwise, and the richness of the music flows from the speakers and engulfs you. That clarity and quality is also in the soundbites we get to hear along the way, especially in the flashback sections of the play.

The gorgeous original music has been composed by Elaha Soroor, transporting you to Syria, London and Yorkshire all with the same authentic style of music.

When you see and hear what Nuri and Afra went through to escape probable death; their battle to find a safe place to live, you can't help feel a variety of emotions, including human guilt at the way these people were treated in several stages of their journey. You also feel a sense of hate in at least one part of the play. Another theme of the play, which is revisited several times is Nuri's loss and his guilt which, in my mind, is reflected in his interactions with Mohammed, as he comes to realise the loss of his own son, Sami. There's quite a ghostly feel surrounding this area, which doesn't quite become apparent until later in the play.

This is a piece of theatre which will make you think long and hard about the world we live in, and the way some of us treat our fellow man. And a lesson we should all learn by way of this superb production. It also brings the political side of the story more up to date with certain names being thrown into the mix; another small way that the Director has managed to refresh the narrative, and also to point out that thirteen years on from the last time "Beekeeper" was on this stage that, maybe not an awful lot has changed and that this story is ongoing in 2026.

I also love the lesser narrative of just how important bees are to our environment, and while we still have bees, we still have a future and we still have hope.

"The Beekeeper Of Aleppo" is at the Nottingham playhouse until Saturday 28 February.

 "Ladies Down Under" by Amanda Whittington.

Arcade Players.

Duchess Theatre, Long Eaton.

Here's a play that I've seen a couple of times before and this production reminded me just how much fun it is and how funny the script by Nottingham's Amanda Whittington is.

"Ladies Down Under" is the follow up to "Ladies Day", this is the story of four ladies, Pearl, Jan, Shelley and Linda who have won half a million pounds at the races and they decide to take the holiday of a lifetime to Australia. It's a voyage of discovery for all four and they all discover something about the others and themselves. The other play in this series is "Ladies Unleashed".

Karen Robbins is Pearl who has to make the journey and discovers all sorts of new things while down under. She has just discovered something personal about herself which is the reason why she had to make this particular trip.

Caroline Byatt as Jan, is due to meet Joe, her boyfriend, at the airport in Australia and when he doesn't show up, Jan believes that she has been dumped, which couldn't be further from the truth.

Rheema Orme-Hawksley is the designer label loving Shelley who's also on the look out for a fella on this trip. She has a complete turnaround by the end of the four week holiday and she has grown into a whole new woman, and there's a surprise for her at the end as well.

Linda, played by Ellen Horton, also comes away from the trip a changed woman. At the start of the trip she is like a little mouse who wants to please everyone. At the end there is a distinct change to her whole appearance and attitude after meeting Koala Bare and Bondi Bitch!

Alex Chalk plays Bill, one of the airline stewards, along with Nick Hallan as Ben. Both Bill and Ben are very camp characters and both actors deliver a gem of a scene before the take off commences. You wouldn't want to fly with them!

Nick dons a set of high heels and frock as Bondi Bitch, And a very convincing drag queen he makes as well! Pair Nick up with Alex as Koala Bare and you have a dynamite drag duo, Alex's outfit is very Kylie "Showgirl" outfit with skyscraper heels making him tower over the other actors, although to be fair Alex is tall in the first place. Bondi and Koala, along with Pearl, Jan, Shelley and Linda do a wonderful version of the camp classic "I Am What I Am" at the city's Pride carnival, which get the whole audience clapping along. A real class act!

Jason Parker plays beach bum/surfer Shane who runs into these ladies down under, as well as Tom, the heroic fireman who has to deal with a bushfire which opens the play.

Ali Langton plays Joe, who she has come over to visit but discovers that he is not easy to locate.

Gary Lever plays the role of Danny, the outbacker who befriends Joe and also does a bit more befriending by the end of the play.

Charlie is an old "hippie" character who is friends with Shane. A wonderfully British person who plays the bongos, and is another great character filled performance by Nick Hallam who, with the help of additional props, looks nothing like his other two characters. 

Produced and Directed by Rob Byatt, it is slick, it is funny, it runs the whole gamut of emotions; mostly humour and happiness, but Amanda Whittington is just so good at injecting a dose of slap in the face melancholy, and then turns it around for more humour. Only one scene, near the end kept us waiting with an empty stage, but that was due to costume changes for our four ladies from the big scene prior to the closing airport departure lounge. It gave the audience a chance to settle back down from the rigorous hand clapping and whooping of the Pride scene. Rob also had several cast members enter the auditorium handing out Pride flags to wave in the carnival scene, and danced and paraded rainbow scarves at the front of the stage, creating even more of a fun atmosphere.

Set designer is Rob Byatt and Damon Pipes, who was also the Stage Manager. A full wall video backdrop which changed scenes from the airport to the outback to the city scenes, moving the action on and also letting us know where the scenes were taking place. The Stage Crew were Roberta King and Terry Thornhill, who did a great job of moving the props on and off stage smoothly, among the other parts of their job description.

Sound and Lighting is by Mike Beedham and Dave Martin. Not that much need of mics in this show and the cast showed how good their projection was and on the whole the mic'd section was good also. Great lighting, especially during the Pride section. The lighting also added to the  time of day scenes for the evening and dawn lighting around the campfire.

There were some great props, and quite a few of them as well. From surfboards and bongos to various luggage, departure lounge seats and a very realistic campfire and barbie with, from what I could see actual snacks on the barbie! These were thanks to Beverley White and Mina Munns.

A wonderful wardrobe selection as well as make up, especially for Nick and Alex's drag scenes. the make up was thanks to Hannah Reason, Heather Weaver and JJ McCormack, who was also the Drag Consultant.

The singing section also used the talents of the vocal coach, Rita Thornhill and those scenes were choreographed by Rheema Orme-Hawksley. Both the singing and dancing were great fun and certainly got my toes tapping.

I've mentioned it probably in a few other reviews but I am a big fan of Northern humour and this is proper Northern, as is the humour and the accents - apart from the Aussie accents of course. It's an absolute joy to watch comedy done as well as this and so naturally delivered and performed as well. It took my mind off the rain and the potholes and the diversions and the roadworks on the way to Long Eaton and set me in the right frame of mind to drive back home.

"Ladies Down Under" is at the Duchess Theatre, Long Eaton until Saturday 14 February.

Photographs courtesy of Nicola Tuxford.

 "Double Indemnity" by James M Cain.

Nottingham Theatre Royal.

It looks like the weather outside had been ordered especially for opening night for this show (Tuesday) because the misty and rainy evening created halos around the street lights providing that uneasy feel, which continued on stage. The unease, not the mist and the fine rain!

This adaptation has changed some of the names from the original film, but they do not protect the innocent, nor the guilty.

The classic Hollywood thriller has been adapted for the stage by Tom Holloway. Los Angeles, 1930’s and amidst the wreckage of the Great Depression, Walter Huff, a sharp-eyed insurance salesman, has built his career spotting scams. But when he meets the dangerously seductive Phyllis Nirdlinger to discuss her husband’s life insurance policy, he finds himself drawn into a web of lust, greed, and betrayal. Together they plot the perfect crime: murder the husband, cash in the policy, and disappear into the Californian sunset..... but how much faith and trust do they have in each other?

I've never seen the film from 1944 which starred Barbara Stanwyck, Fred MacMurray and Edward G Robinson. Widely regarded as a classic, Double Indemnity is often cited as having set the standard for the "film noir" genre and as one of the greatest films of all time. The title refers to a "double indemnity" clause which doubles life insurance payouts when death occurs in a statistically rare manner.

Phyllis Nirdlinger is played by Mischa Barton, who makes her UK stage debut in this play. Without knowing the story or seeing the film, you can just tell that Phyllis Nirdinger is a bad un by her physicality and how she speaks. Obviously, or so it looks, Mischa Barton has studied this character well and possibly the film noir genre because that is the whole vibe she projects. I'm probably in the minority as being one of the few men who has not seen Mishcha previously; I haven't see "The O.C." as I don't watch that much TV, but she has the ability to demand that all eyes should be on her while on stage.

Ciaran Owens plays the part of Walter Huff, the insurance man who, along with Phyllis really believed that they could carry out "the perfect murder" and then run off into the distance with the big payout. Wonderfully creating those old scenes that we see in this style of 1940's detective movies, Owens also nails the quick speak method of addressing the audience and the other characters in the play.

Barton Keyes, Huff's boss who works out that Nurdinger couldn't have intended to commit suicide by leaping from the train, even with a fractured leg and crutches to get the insurance policy payout, suspects Phyllis and an accomplice was responsible. Keyes is played by Martin Marquez. Love the accent and the gruffness and the doggedness of the character.

Gillian Saker plays Usher, Waitress as well as Nettie, Huff's secretary.

Joseph Langdon is Mr Norton - the overall boss of the claims office, Nino - Lola's boyfriend - and Joe Pete 

Oliver Ryan is Mr Nirdlinger, Jackson - the man who claims to have seen Nurlinger on the train - and Jack Christholf.

Lola Nirdlinger, Phyllis' step-daughter who suspects that Phyllis has something to do with her father's death, is played by Sophia Roberts.

Simon Victor, Estelle Cousins and Patrick Fleming make up the ensemble.

Directed by Oscar Toeman, this is an interesting one because you don't get to see that many plays of this genre, and you try and think what you would do in the role of Director. What I really liked about the direction of "Double Indemnity" was the creation of the feel for the era; you really got the feel of the 1940's, and not just by the costumes and scenery style, it was just something about the whole feeling and look. I also liked the way that the phone calls were conducted between the characters. The sound was created live to make the people talking on the phone actually sound tinny, as they would by phone. This effect was used brilliantly without the use of physical telephones, keeping the actors free to roam the stage and be unhindered by additional props.

The Set and Costumer designer is Ti Green. Costumes straight away placed the characters in the era required and the set, sparse as it was looked great. there's part of the Hollywood sign almost acting like a shield at the back of the set which had a metallic and industrial feel. The props were almost skeletal; the car and the train both created the setting and physical appearance of the object but were easy enough to transport away from the stage with ease.

Lighting Designer is Josh Gadsby and Sound Designer and Composer is Dan Balfour. I often combine these two areas as one because they are the equivalent of the bass and drums creating the rhythm section of a band. The sound and lights are what creates the rhythm of a play, and they blend so well together here to create an almost creeping atmosphere to the play.

Now, I don't know how the film closes, as I haven't seen it, but I was expecting a rather different, and possibly more dramatic ending. I say more dramatic because nothing actually happened; the lights faded to blackout and someone at the back of the theatre started the applause. I won't say what was the lead up to the faded blackout but after such a dramatic performance throughout, I half expected there to be either a gunshot or a splash but.............

"Double Indemnity" is at the Nottingham Theatre Royal until Saturday 14 February.

 "Things I Know To Be True" by Andrew Bovell.

Lace Market Theatre.

Here's another play that I've not seen before, but will never forget.

Bob and Fran Price have four adult children: Pip, Mark, Ben, and Rosie. Each child has his or her own unique struggles and secrets that they try to keep hidden from their parents, but Fran has a knack for knowing what is true in each of their lives. Over the course of a year, the children try to redefine their lives separately from the hopes and dreams of their parents, what is real and genuine in the Price family falls apart under scrutiny, and Bob and Fran must redefine their relationships with their children and with each other. 

It’s a story about growing up, letting go and learning that the people we love most are often the ones we understand the least.

I'd had a bit of an insight into what the play was about by chatting to Director Jonathan Cleaver, so I knew that it was going to be a production very different to so many plays produced by the Lace Market Theatre, but I didn't realise how emotional the story was going to be, and how personal the story was to me.

It has a very different feel to so many other plays with the closest comparison I could come to was "The Curious Incident Of the Dog In The Night Time" in the way that the choreography of the piece is played out. Developed by The Frantic Assembly, the Frantic Method is "direction through movement and promotes an acute physical awareness that can be implemented in moments of stillness just as it can be in the physically spectacular", something I certainly have not seen at the Lace Market Theatre before.

Bob is a gentle, retired father, steady and reliable, who finds solace in his garden and rose bushes. He struggles to adapt to modern life and his children's changes, representing traditional, possibly rigid, values. Played by Frazer Wanless he shows Bob to emotionally surf through life, but towards the end of the play there's an emotional explosion with one of his children. There's also a surprise revelation for him, but this in turn reveals that he was more savvy about what goes on within his family than is seen from the outside. The final scenes are heartbreaking. This is probably the most emotional role that I have seen Frazer play, but he also brings a great deal of laughter throughout the story.

Fran is a nurse who has sacrificed her happiness for her children. She harbours deep regrets, often taking her frustrations out on her eldest daughter, Pip. Fran is manipulative as well, particularly in enabling her son Ben, but is also deeply loving which goes to creating a somewhat conflicting character. Fran is played by Sarah Taylor and as with Frazer, this is the most emotional part I have seen Sarah play. What happens at the end to Fran is completely unexpected and comes like a punch to the gut.

Pip, the eldest daughter, is a successful but stressed-out education bureaucrat who feels trapped by her responsibilities as a wife and mother. Pip is played by Charlie Osborne who straight away, due to the physicality Charlie brings to her character, enables you to see that something is not quite right; like a coiled spring you can see and feel the tension. When she reveals to her parents what her future intentions are, there's an explosion of fury and disbelief from Fran, which as we discover later in the play is completely misplaced.

Mark is played by Jude Hodgson. A character who undergoes a significant transformation in the play. Mark's storyline highlights the parents' lack of understanding and emotional support. You can understand their ignorance because of their background and their own family past. They initially think one thing and brace themselves for Mark's admission, but they are way off the mark with what Mark has to reveal, and that causes a big family rift with Fran. This is Mark's first stage role for about six years and this marks Mark's debut for the Lace Market Theatre. Incredibly powerful role which is sensitively presented.

Ben is played by Louis Harrison. He is the youngest son, portrayed as reckless and restless, possibly seen as spoiled and babied by his mother. He engages in dangerous, illegal activities to fund a lifestyle he cannot afford, showcasing a desire to escape the mundane life his parents lead and to engage better with his work peers. Louis is a recently joined member of the Lace Market Theatre, which gives the theatre, and the audience, two new male actors who prove to be well versed in emotional acting. Louis makes you feel pulled between several emotions, and you find yourself siding with both his father as well as his mother's reactions as Ben.

Rosie is the youngest child, who serves as a lens for the audience to view the family's secrets and struggles. Rosie is played by Rosie Randall. Rosie, the character, is the first to provide her monologue to the audience. This in itself shows as a big thing, back story wise, but is quite insignificant when you hear everyone else's. I say that  but of course, with being the youngest child will seem a major issue. I love that Fran, on being surprised by Rosie's early return home, straight away believes something is wrong; well she is right, to an extent.

Directed by Jonathan Cleaver, he brings such an achingly beautiful piece of theatre to the stage; I can see why Jonathan is such a fan of this play and why he was desperate to direct this gorgeous piece of theatre. Jonathan and the cast create wonderful humour, and then can have you in tears. This is proven by the young woman on my row visibly and audibly sobbing at the closing scenes. He brings out the lightest of scenarios, and then throws you into the darkest pit.

Andrew Bovell, the writer, shows everybody the inner workings and thoughts of every parent, especially a parent of a certain age, as with Bob and Fran. He shows the love, the anger, the frustration and the disappointment when one of the family doesn't turn out the way that they would like their child to be. It also shows that the children have their own minds and the secrets that they keep from their parents. It shows that we, as parents, don't know everything about our children and how difficult it can be  for a child to speak to their parents, and we don't know the ins and outs of our kids' minds.

The set design is by David Babington and effectively shows the turning of the seasons by the six rose bushes, which you'll understand when, and if you can get a ticket for this production. There's also a tree in the set which is important, especially the roots of the tree which can be seen on stage, but significantly reminds us of our own family roots. Or am I being too deep?

Lighting by Hugh Philip, Allan Green, Phil Hogarth and Amy Bermudez and is extremely important and effective in this show. Strands of lights drape the stage which flicker quite a bit, and they are supposed to, maybe to indicate the flickering emotions of the whole family. It's quite difficult to explain just how effective the lighting is for this particular show, and is best seen for the effects they conjure up.

Sound by Simon Carter is also an extremely important part of the show. the reading of a letter which incorporates and highlights a special memory and feeling from Pip to Fran is spine tingling. The rest of the soundtrack heightens the emotions incredibly, reflecting how the characters are feeling.

I mentioned the movement side of the play and I adored the synchronicity in this area. Sarah in one section shows a lot of trust in the rest of the cast.

Stage managed by Kathy Bobkowska and Melanie Marriott.

The costumes are thanks to Sharon Phillips.

There are so many parts of this play that fell into line with my personal life, which in a way was slightly unnerving, but maybe I am just like many other people all over the world who has gone through similar situations as Bob has. It will give you plenty of things to talk about after the play has ended, and may give you a clearer understanding of your children, or your parents. For me though, you know that Roberta Flack song "Killing Me Softly With His Song", well this was the play version of that song for me., even if some of the situations may have been different, that's how it made me feel. That's how Jonathan and the cast made me feel.

"Things I Know To Be True" is at the Nottingham Lace Market Theatre until Saturday 14 February and is a must see for anyone who loves emotional theatre or simply great theatre.

Contains strong language and adult themes.