"Critical Care" by Stacey Moon-Tracy.

Lit Theatre Company.
Create Theatre, Mansfield.

A new play to me and possibly one of the most emotive plays I have seen in quite some time.

We've all been through Covid-19 and we have all, more than likely lost love ones through this period, whether as a direct result of Covid, or just in the same period from one thing or another. This play will take you right back to that time. In the period that Covid-19 was active, I lost my mother, my father and my wife to non Covid infections, and the issues raised in this very important piece of theatre just makes you think, as it did me tonight.

It's a very lonely period in time; I remember going into the University Hospital as often as I dared, face mask, scarf etc covering my face and seeing next to no-one in the hospital, making the place seem a very sad and cold, lonely place. Getting two buses there and back, keeping plenty of space between you and the next person in the queue and then trying to find a safe space to sit on the bus, many of the seats cordoned off by the bus companies. Work meant be separated from your work colleagues by desks out of use until things were put into place to be able to work from home, almost being kept prisoner in your own home, shopping, unless you got it online, almost being like a military procedure with shops only allowing so many people into their stores at one time.

Not being able to visit your parents inside their homes, which was even worse if they were actually in a home where nurses cared for them. Unable to be able to hug them, Birthday parties, weddings and any celebratory occasions were cancelled, and we all thought the end of the world was nigh. But most of us are still here to bear witness to what the Covid years were like.

But what was it like for the nurses inside hospitals who had to deal with patient's lives.....and deaths on a personal level. This play gives a real incite into those very special people.

The play developed between 2021 and 2023 in collaboration with NHS nurses across the UK. The script draws on first-hand testimonies gathered through Stacey's doctoral research at Coventry University and challenges the standard "hero or angel" public narrative, showing the human reality of ordinary people navigating trauma, fear, exhaustion, and personal sacrifice.

The play follows four ICU nurses. There is Frankie, who is newly qualified and excited about her future  in the medical world, Morgan, a new mother who cuts short her maternity leave to help her fellow nurses, Sam, a senior nurse caring for her elderly mother, and Alex, an ICU Sister holding the team together, as well as her own life and family under the pressure caused by this disease. All of their lives change overnight as the Covid-19 pandemic hits.

Frankie is played by Georgia Conlan, and you get to see the slow crumbling of her work life, especially after the first death she witnesses to Covid. You can see the pressure build in her and even small things that may seem quite petty to the outsider becomes a major issue to Frankie. Georgia really relays emotion in this character, and you just want to go and give her hug, and then you remember she is just telling a story, and then you want to just go and give her a hug. And in this role, she looks so much like a teenager, and you just know that it's so wrong for someone so young to have so much pressure at the start of her working life, Frankie that is, not Georgia.

Morgan is played by Mercedes Assad, who is a former Redhill Academy student, who I last saw as part of the cast of "Red Ellen" at the Nottingham Playhouse. Morgan has the energy of a horse and really fires the troops up on her entrance, the sort of person that you need working with you in situations like these. There are two areas in ICU, the "Green" area and the "Red" area, pretty self explanatory where medical grades for patients are concerned, and because Morgan should still have been on maternity leave, she was placed in the "green" area. But just how safe is green? As the play progresses we see another side to Mercedes' acting skills.

Sam is played by Hilary Greatorex. Being isolated from her elderly mother really creates strain and worry for Sam because she can't be there for her, her only contact is by phone, and Sam's mam is not as tech savvy where mobile phones are concerned, which causes Sam even more worries. Hilary also plays Frankie's mother, who is quite an opposite character to Sam's mother, and I loved the way that TV shows of the day were referenced as reasons for not being able to spend more time chatting to her daughter, Frankie, outside of the house with safe distancing. Near the end there's also another change of emotion and character with Frankie's mother.

Alex is played by Susan Earl. There are four different ways with these four medical heroes that show how Covid-19 affects them, and with Alex being the "mother hen" of the department, she carries her team's responsibilities and the responsibility to look after them and keep them all safe. But then there's her life outside of work, her family, her husband, so her worries are many fold, and you can see those stresses building up within her as well.

There's also quite a bit of comedy in this story as well, especially getting used to all of the PDI scrubs, masks, headwear etc, and that comic side of the job probably kept every nurse who worked through the pandemic relatively sane. You'll also find that people who work in the funeral trade or perform autopsies all have that dark sense of humour; it gets them through.

All four actresses have extensive theatrical CVs which also include TV and radio work, as well on stage.

Written and researched by Stacey Moon-Tracy, this is such a special piece of theatre. I have always said that theatre should really be educational as well as entertaining. This play certainly taught me a lot about the medical side of life, as well as gave me plenty to think about and to recall from my own experiences with life. I wouldn't say it's a play that I enjoyed watching, because I don't think it was a play that was written to be "enjoyed", it was written to show another side of the people who most of the time we take for granted and just assume that "it's their job"; it takes you behind the emotional side of the medical world.

The best thing is that Stacey has used the facts and stories from real people, and while these characters in the play are all fictional, the stories are not.

Directed by Orla O'Connor. The stories are all there to be told, but it's how you tell those stories that add the final ingredient to any production, and Orla has given us a play that touches every emotion possible. Hatred of the disease, sadness for the loss of life, empathy for these four life savers who must feel so disappointed when they fail to do that despite every effort, but love for the characters. 

Derek Nisbet is the Composer and Sound Designer for the play. What I was not expecting was for these four brilliant actresses to start and close the play with songs. the lyrics are incredibly moving and the incidental music throughout also adds another layer of melancholy to the story.

Janet Vaughan is the Set and Costume Designer. The costumes are not glamorous, but you wouldn't expect scrubs to be, would you? The set though looks fairly simple, apart from the hospital bed, but what you notice as the play commences is that the set has been designed to house many of the props etc, as well as to give that clinically clean image of a hospital.

Alice Williams is the Producer.

Stage Manager is Ali Bakewell.

The show has just started touring various venues in the East Midlands with the next stop being Derby Theatre on November 13, and then the Belgrade Theatre in Coventry on November 25, where there is also a post show Q&A session. Catch this if you can.

The production will also be supported by Matthew Dunster, Director, Actor & Playwright known for "2:22 A Ghost Story".

 "Flippers" by Kyle Eaton and Daryll Sidney.

Nottingham Arts Theatre (Studio).

"Flippers" is a new play which marks the return to the stage for comedy duo Kyle Eaton and Daryll Sidney, performing live together for the first time in over ten years. The sixty minute play made its' debut at Brighton Fringe 2025 and is now a part of the Nottingham Comedy Festival 2027

Lodgers Karl and Gary have just landed a once-in-a-lifetime deal from their elderly landlady, Evelyn, to renovate her crumbling London home, flip it for profit and split the cash.

Gary, played by Daryll Sidney, is a micro-managing control freak and very down to earth. He has recently split from his wife and kids, and more emotional is the fact that his ex has sole custody of their dogs. For three years he has been renting the place across the way, within binocular sight of his old home.

Kyle Eaton, who is Karl, has already spent their non-existent budget on scatter cushions, posh egg holders and exotic pets. Energetic and a cheeky character, in fact a lusty gay man who is missing his old flame, and when I say old, I mean mature in years! He is the complete opposite of Gary, but don't they say that opposites attract?

The banter between these two opposites land really well with me ,which makes the hour quite a rapid one, making you wish for an extension to the stage time. I could see this is a saucy gay sit com, and as I was sat watching the fun, I imagined the incidental music as the show's theme tune, and this as the pilot show.

Now, was it just me having a well tuned sense of humour, as I got all the subtle, and the not-so-subtle camp gags (sorry, I couldn't resist), and even knew where "rings I'm on" was heading for, which nicely brought the jokes full circle for me, but often I could hear just my chuckles, or possibly some of the audience didn't understand the naughtiness of the jokes; that may be just the top and bottom of it, who knows? But I loved the campness of the show and could see this as a late night sit-com, or podcast.

With a script so strong and full of double entendres and wordplay, you didn't need a big set or loads of props, although there were quite a few props to take note of, especially the wine bottle which had been near a radiator, which will teach Karl a lesson with his alcohol intake. The script actually set this joke up perfectly.

The frame for the scenery and set was used really well to move you around the house and garden, and even at one stage of scene changing there was a slight error, Kyle got out of the miniscule delay with an impromptu joke, showing how a touch of improvisational comedy can bridge that very small gap of rearrangement. Likewise, with Daryll and his comedy asides when, again the props didn't want to play ball; a sign of excellent comedy actors who can think on their feet.

Apart from being a very funny piece of theatre, it shines a spotlight on loneliness, chosen family and the chaos that comes when two very different people team up on a joint project, and have different viewpoints of the end project.

Directed by Adam Colborne this is one of my favourite styles of comedy theatre, and with it being new, I did not know what was coming, or what to expect, so the jokes and the "Carry On" style of slapstick - and talking of slaps and claps, I loved the running joke with the lighting. But, do this pair get to the bottom of what is causing that strange smell, and where it emanates from?

A wonderfully refreshing piece of comedy theatre that has legs aplenty, which I am sure would spread, the more people saw it.

"Flippers" was at the Nottingham Arts Theatre Studio space for just the one night stand.

 "Priscilla, Queen Of The Desert"

Masque Productions.

Mansfield Palace Theatre.

Welcome to camp Priscilla as the big pink bus rolls into Mansfield, and you don't get any camper than this!

This is one of my favourite feel good and fun musicals and it’s back in town. Packed with a ton of toe tapping hits from the 60’s, 70’s, 80’s and 90’s. This is probably my tenth time that I have seen this musical and one that I always look forward to seeing again, and it never disappoints.

Based on the 1994 film, it takes us on the epic journey of three friends - two drag queens and a transgender woman - across the Australian outback. Boarding their battered tour bus 'Priscilla', they set out to put on the show of a lifetime, a mission full of fun and laughter, but one with a very serious reason behind it.

Heading for Alice Springs, Tick will finally get to meet his six-year-old son, Benji, the pals find themselves fighting, sometimes literally, against the homophobic locals, and have to repaint their bus, pink, to cover up the anti-gay graffiti daubed on it. The reunion of the father and son is wonderfully played out with a lovely stripped back arrangement of “Always On My Mind”.

Matt Charlton plays Tick/Mitzi Mitosis. Tick has a wife and six year old son, Benji, who he has not yet met. Tick/Mitzi is a two part character and he is nervous about the two being exposed to his son, as he wants to make a good impression. True fact: Tick shares driving Priscilla with Bernadette and Matt is also a bus driver in real life!

JJ McCormack plays Adam/Felicia Jollygoodfellow and the loose cannon of the three characters, but it's the change from the spunky outspoken Felicia to the beaten and emotional Adam that shows the human side of the character. Adam is like a besotted puppy a lot of the time but has a great line in "catty" remarks for his fellow passengers.

Nia Alston-Holmes is the gorgeous Bernadette Bassenger who has a heart of gold, but a tongue of acid when called upon. 

These three Queens have a multitude of years of experience performing in drag, so they know what they are doing when it comes to performing in heels and a frock! Vocally they all know how to deliver a song as well as deliver the fun with cutting insults.

There's also a scene near the end of the show where the trio are performing at The Casino in Alice Springs which shows segments of the various songs sung in their "concert", along with some nifty costume changes, and I must commend the timing in this section of the show, also thanks to a little bit of theatrical magic.

Young Bernadette is played in flashback by Brooke Spedding as Bob reminisces of the era of "Les Girls" and what starts the fine romance between Bernadette and Bob.

This musical provides many great social messages and the reaction of Benji, the role shared by Oliver Brennan (Saturday Evening and Sunday matinee) and Chester Froggatt (Friday night and Saturday matinee), just shows that kids will accept anyone and anything for who and what they are, and prejudice is not inbred. On Thursday night I saw a very confident Oliver, who also seems to have quite an ear for accents, especially the Australian accent. Love the duet of "Always On My Mind/ I Say A Little Prayer" mash up that Oliver and Matt performed.

Marion is Benji's mother, and ex husband of Tick, and decides that it's time that Tick met Benji, so pulls in a favour, asking him to perform at the Casino, the club that she runs. Played by Hannah Breedon.

Bob, the mechanic who saves the day by getting Priscilla back on the road, and finds love on the way is played by Simon Brickell. We all love a happy ending, and Bob and Bernadette certainly seem to get their happy ending.

Cynthia is Bob's wife who has an eye-popping performance that turns out to be a hard act to follow. Great fun but so politically incorrect and played by Jade Hallam. Not so much "ding dong" as "ping pong". The scene which really features Jade is quite a technical one to create the full comical effect.

Linda Turner plays Shirley, one of the local hostelries characters. Shirley's version of "I Love The Nightlife" is always a joy to hear in this slowed down version, and combined with some raunchy choreography, Shirley is a big hit with the locals.

Andis Senkans Coupe plays Farrah, one of the tallest drag queens I have seen! Farrah is Mitzi's straight talking fellow drag artist who he confides in before his decision to go to Alice Springs.

Miss Understanding is sauce on legs, and what legs! She jokes with the audience at the start and releases her over the top Tina Turner moves with her number "What's Love Got To Do With It" and played by Garry Richardson. I don't think that I can remember Garry playing a role like this previously, and is quite an eye opener!

The Three Divas, Lily Hewitt, Connie Fletcher and Kelly Marsh, as the Lead Diva, have incredible soul voices and look amazing as well. They really get the party started with an explosive "It's Raining Men" and what an exciting entrance they make. Great costumes, great voices and great fun!

Jimmy is the character who is showing a party of tourists the Outback when they meet the broken-down bus travellers of Tick, Adam and Bernadette. Played by Oliver Ward, this is a brilliant cameo comedy role.

James Hallam played Frank, the man in the bar who took quite a shine to Felicia, until he discovered that he might have got more than he bargained for! This scene also delivers one of my favourite lines from the show from Bernadette as she rescues Felicia from Frank; a line that I can't repeat, but always makes me smile. James also takes lead vocals on the opening number for the second act, "Thank God I'm A Country Boy", bringing the party once again.

Another wonderfully comical scene is when they are about to bury Bernadette's toyboy lover "Trumpet" - it will put you off dunking your ginger nuts for ever when you discover why he is called "Trumpet". Anyway, I digress, the scene is to the Harold Melvin song "Don't Leave Me This Way", a great song for a funeral. The service is performed by the Pastor, played by Gavin Harper, who also plays the role of Errol.

The ensemble, Joe Butler, Sophie Coates, Ann-Marie Connolly, Ann Colgan, Jan Hodgetts, Jane McBride, Ruth Morris, Paula McCrory, Amy Gunter, Karen Richards, Andrea Caulfield-Smith, Chrissie Smyth, Brooke Spedding, Hannah Winterton, Vicki Walton, Justine Wells, Kay Thomason-Vardy, Brian Brooks, Gavin Harper, James Hallam, Oliver Ward, Steven Ratcliffe, Andis Senkans Coupe, Joe Gallagher, Garry Richardson and Adrian Toon work their butts off with some high-kicking and energetic choreographed pieces by Lynn Roberts.

The Principal Dancers are Caitlin Brennan, Kya Cairns, Alexandra Ferto, Adelphie Fleet, Lauren Herbert and Ella Salter.

The Ensemble Dancers are Connie Armstrong, Liz Brennan, Rachel Fletcher, Sarah Herbert, Louise Stupple and Ella Wragg.

Produced and Directed by Andrew Wolden, this is such a massive show which has a massive cast which rolls along smoother than Priscilla does. The fun is ramped up to the max, and although there are a few things that need tightening up, this is another big hit of a show for Masque. Andrew also designed the programme, which is well worth buying for all the information enclosed.

Musical Director is Roger Holland, and I didn't even realise that there was a live band in the pit, the music was so good. The score is like being at your all-time favourite retro parties; “It’s Raining Men”, “Finally”, “I Will Survive”, “Hot Stuff”, “Colour My World”, “I Love The Nightlife”, "MacArthur Park", "Pop Musik", "Can't Get You Out Of My Head" the list goes on.

Elizabeth Wolden is the show's Performance Track Technician.

Choreographed by Lynn Roberts, there's so much work that has gone into the choreography side of the show. With so many people to choreograph and so many different pieces to choreograph as well, Lynn must have poured everything into the show, and that work invested was really appreciated by Thursday night's audience.

The fabulous costumes are co-ordinated by Kay Thomason-Vardy  and designed by Carry On Costumes Ltd. I love all of the big and beautiful costumes in this show, with so many various styles. My favourite must be the ones for The Three Divas and the ensemble dancers with the "MacArthur Park" sequence, a tasty scene that made my diabetes levels spike.

Make up and Dressers are thanks to Cora Machin, Natalie Midge, Naomi Shaw and Yvonne Wright. A very important quartet as this show has many quick changes for the cast, especially our trio of Matt, Nia and JJ. The show would not be as slick as it is without help from these four.

Set Design is thanks to UK Productions, and Priscilla is quite a magical mode of transport.

Sound Designer is not credited in the programme, and although the clarity was mainly excellent, I personally would have preferred a reduction in the music volume while the characters were performing their lines as the incidental music slightly made the lines a bit difficult to hear; and there are a load of very comical lines in this script.

Lighting Designer is also not credited but this area was excellent, creating a wonderful artiste's palette of colour on stage, which definitely coloured our world. 

Stage managed smoothly and slickly, and this is a big role in this musical, by Eddie Ratcliffe.

It's a heart-warming tale of courage, self-acceptance, and new beginnings, all delivered with a ton of attitude. But let me come back to the music for a second. You can hear a song delivered and enjoy it. You can then hear it sung with a different arrangement, in a different situation and sung by the opposite sex of what you're used to, and the message comes across very different. That is what I love about this musical. It makes you think about the lyrics, how it is delivered and by whom and can turn those feelings and meanings on their head.

Listen to Cyndi Lauper's "True Colours" in the different context in this musical and it will have you welling up. The same with "Always On My Mind" and "I Say A Little Prayer".

Despite all the laughs though, there is the very real message surrounding homophobia and bigotry, which is eventually overcome by tolerance and compassion. But it still reminds us that the LGBTQ community still have a battle on their hands with small minded people. Being different is something that should be celebrated and not hidden or beaten down.

You will leave this show on a high, thanks to the story and the soundtrack, but also thanks to the high energy feel from the whole cast, especially in the finale medley, so if you can, get yourself a ticket and be prepared to party.

"Priscilla, Queen Of The Desert" is here and ready to shake your groove thing and paaartaaay at Mansfield Palace Theatre until Sunday 8 November.

 "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" by Ian Fleming.

Good Companions Musical Theatre - Derby.

Derby Theatre.

One of the first films I can remember seeing as a child was "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" and remember the film being completely magical. Decades later, all those feelings of magic flooded back with this latest stage production by Good Companions.

The story, for those who are new to this musical, is of inventor Caractacus Potts, his two children and his father, Mr Potts senior. Caractacus saves an old racing car from being sold to the scrap man and works his magic and creates a car that can float and fly. Meanwhile news has spread to the Baron and Baroness of Vulgaria and they send their two hapless spies to retrieve the car for the Baron.

The spies Goran and Boris mistake Potts senior for the inventor and skylift him over to the Baron, followed by Caractacus, the children and Truly Scrumptious in Chitty, to Vulgaria, a place where children are banned and caught by the evil child catcher. With the help of the Toy Maker a happy ending for all is promised with just a little team work, to make the dream work.

Depending on which performance you attend will depend on the cast that you see as there are two teams; Team Scrumptious and Team Potts. I saw Team Scrumptious, and knowing the quality of the actors in Team Potts, I just know that whichever performance you go to, you'll see a brilliant show.

Martin Counter plays Caractacus Potts. This is a role that has a lot of energy attached to it and Martin brings that energy to Caractacus. There's a really nice chemistry between Potts and Jeremy and Jemima, and the chemistry between all three of the Potts family and Truly. The scene with "Me Ol' Bamboo" highlights Martin's dance skills; this piece of choreography is crammed with fun and the whole ensemble with Martin make this one of the highlights of the show for me. But there are many highlights in this brilliantly fun musical.

Steve Dunning plays Grandpa Potts. There's a lovely feel of eccentricity with Grandpa and all the while that Steve was on stage I could not get the voice of Professor Stanley Unwin out of my head, because that is who Steve reminded me of.

Jeremy and Jemima Potts, Caractacus' children, are played by Ava H and Evan G (Team Scrumptious) and  Ebony C and Flynn G (Team Potts). There are so many incredibly talented child actors and here's another pair, Ava and Evan (I'm certain that Ebony and Flynn are of equal talent). The confidence, the choreography, the songs they sing, they have it all, and their duets show a well blended set of vocals.

Tom Banks plays Coggins, the man who runs the scrap yard where Chitty is first discovered to be in a bit of a state, just waiting for Caractacus and the children to rescue it for the princely sum of thirty bob.

The Junkman, who visits the junkyard to purchase scrap from Mr Coggins, and makes an offer for Chitty, is played by Morgan Hemstock.

Lindsey Greasley plays the very aptly named Truly Scrumptious. A beautiful voice and that scene as the doll on the music box took me straight back to the same scene in the iconic film.

Lord Scrumptious, Truly's father who owns the sweet making factory, is played by Jake Perry.

Miss Philips, the woman in charge of making appointments for Lord Scrumptious at the candy factory, is played by Ru Kniveton. 

Brian Counter is the Turkey Farmer, with a recognisable name, well, to people of a certain age, who provided the money for Caractacus to buy Chitty by buying the haircutting machine from him at the fair, so that he could use it to pluck turkeys. Another lovely bit of comedy wordplay in this scene.

Benjamin Winsome and Louise Simcox team up as the Baron and Baroness Bomburst, rulers of Vulgaria. This pairing of actors is also a brilliant directorial decision because they bounce off of each other so well. The accents are excellent, the costumes for this pair are wonderful, and I love the line that Ian Fleming may just have left out back in 1964 when the book was written, regarding introducing toys into their marriage!!

Rob Chilton is The Captain and Gary Rowley is The Soldier at the court of the Bombursts. There's a comic scene which includes the Baron accidentally injuring one of his soldiers, which I couldn't remember seeing in other productions. Now, that may not be the case, and I may have seen the scene previously, but in this production the comedy was much more prominent in the scene.

Heidi Hand is The Chef. 

Boris and Goran, the super spies of Vulgaria, are played by Ali Watkins and Jack Bayes. Brilliant comedy and wonderfully over exaggerated accents, especially in the song "Act English". At the risk of repeating myself, here again is just the perfect pairing for me. If I hadn't known that Jack was Goran, I certainly would not have recognised him due to the black wig and a comic moustache, which matches Boris's tache. This pair, who keep popping up all over the place are hilarious with some of the jokes pitched at a slightly higher level than kids' humour, creating a panto style couple.

Phil Stanley plays the Toy Maker. I have seen Phil in so many shows over the last few years, and finally got the chance to chat to him at this year's Eagle Awards, where he was presented with one. This role is another very different role to much of what he has played before, showing what a versatile actor Phil is. Great accent and I am so pleased that he didn't try and play the role like Benny Hill did in the film, making this role unique to Phil.

Lauren Adams is the evil Child Catcher, a role that gave me shivers when I first saw this film, it still makes me feel uneasy today! From Lauren' first appearance in this musical, which by the way is not actually on the stage, the Child Catcher made my flesh creep, which by the way is a compliment because again, I was transported back to being a kid and seeing this eerie, spindly, dark, almost spider-like character on the big screen. Lauren really brings this character to life on stage especially with the look and the physicality of the character. As expected, Lauren received a torrent of booing when she came on for her final bows, showing that she had done a good job with the role.

Owen Williams is Sid, the man who was practically bullied by wis wife into having his Samson like locks removed by Potts' haircutting invention. Violet, Sid's wife, is played by Lucy Slaney. 

And there's no way I could forget to mention Hugo Parkin who plays Edison the four legged member of the cast, who just looked so happy to be on stage with everyone, in fact I could swear that at one bit Edison was practically moonwalking! I think just about everyone fell in love with Edison.

The ensemble were made up of Amy Frost, Angela Plant, Brian Counter, Callie Egan, Cat Howourth, Charlie Torry, Charlotte Bennett, Charlotte Hanser, Claire Jarman, Debs McPherson, Dom Primrose, Ella Mallinson, Eva Moss, Freya Primrose, Gary Rowley, Harriet Basile, Heidi Hand, Helen Perry, Jake Perry, Liv Thompson, Lucy Slaney, Morgan Hemstock, Ollie Hand, Owen Williams, Phil Stanley, Rachel Wallace, Rob Chilton, Roxhanna Tucker, Ru Kniveton, Sydney Hemstock and Tom Banks.

Team Potts consist of Caleb W, Callie B, Edith D, Edith N, Elise F, Eliza Jean P, Harrison B, Khaleesi B, Lilly O, Liv B, Maisie N, Orla T, Orla F, Sophie T, Sophie G and Phenix D.   

Team Scrumptious consist of Bella H, Billie-Rose G, Chloe E, Ella W, Finley J, Florence W, Imogen I, Jess S, Lexi W, Libby B, Lily W, Lola G, Lottie W, Millie S, Owain J, Verity W and Willow M.

You can catch Team Scrumptious on Wednesday 7pm, Friday 2pm, Saturday 1pm and Sunday 6pm.

Directed by Phil Simcox, assisted by Scarlett Winsome. The pace of the show is so smooth that I really couldn't believe the time elapsed when the curtain came down for the first act. It's one of those shows that you would go back and see again. 

Musical Director is Dave Adey. "Chitty" has one of those classic overtures that really get you in the mood for the show, and it's lovely to feel that excitement rise in the pit of your stomach, preparing you for the magic that will unfold onstage. 

The soundtrack is packed with great songs. Apart from the wonderfully tongue twistingly title track, there's the gorgeous "Doll On A Music Box", the whimsical "Truly Scrumptious", the energetic "Me Ol' Bamboo", the sleepy "Hushabye Mountain" and the cheeky "Chu Chi Face".

Choreographed by Lisa Scott-Savage. Scenes like "Me Ol' Bamboo" and "The Bombie Samba" were packed with energy while "Doll On A Music Box" was simplicity personified. Don't take this as "simple" because I imagine that lots of time and effort is put into making something look simplistic.

Heath Parkin is the Technical Manager.

Head of Wardrobe is Carole Pratley and when you look at just how big the cast numbers are, there are a lot of costumes to manage. Everyone looks brilliant and I really enjoyed the various costumes for Goran and Boris. Ali Watkins, Scarlet Winson and Charlotte Hanser are the Costume Co-Ordinators.

Wigs are by Wigs Up North

The prosthetics for the Child Catcher are done by Cat Howourth and looked suitably creepy.

Set Design and Props hire are by Chitty Hire, Scenic Projects and David Tunks. The car looks as magnificent as ever.

Head of Props is Kate Evans. 

Sound is by Harry Greatorex, and as I've said on so many occasions, the acoustics at Derby Theatre are some of the best and Harry creates that overall excellence in sound.

Lighting is by Jamie Vella who delivers another exciting design.

Deputy Stage Manager is Dan Miller and the Stage Crew consist of Josh Allsopp, Chris England, Neil Jones, Robin Knott, Simon Knott, Dave Macalister, John Miles, Scott Mill, Ken Owen, Heath Parkin, Richard Poole, Henry Pratt, Ross Trail, Abbie Tricklebank and Ian Tricklebank.

There are a lot of people who make this show the entertaining and fun show that it is and I hope that I have not left anyone out because every single person deserves to be credited in such a classic piece of musical theatre.

There are also BSL shows on Saturdays and Sundays, signed by Sebastian Probert.

"Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" will fly out of Derby Theatre on Sunday 8 November with just a few tickets left for the Sunday matinee and Friday's matinee performances, so you better hurry for the other performances to avoid disappointment.

 "High Society"

Nottingham Theatre Royal.

Based on the play "The Philadelphia Story" by Phillip Barry, the musical follows glamorous socialite Tracy Lord as her wedding plans unravel thanks to an ex-husband, Dexter Haven, a persistent reporter, Mike Connor, and a cascade of champagne-fuelled complications. It has to be the most glamorous and classy of touring productions.

I have never seen this musical before but what a musical this is! I remember watching the original 1956 film starring Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra and Grace Kelly with my parents, sat on the settee on a Sunday afternoon, after dinner as a child. so this brings back some lovely memories for me, and the storyline of the musical follows the original film story, with a few additional scenes. The musical is fleshed out with songs from other films and musicals that Cole Porter have written, making this, in reality, a Cole Porter jukebox musical, and let's face it, Cole Porter is one of the masters of writing musical theatre classics, which is why his songs are performed still today.

Tracy Lord,  a Long Island socialite, is played by Helen George, who you'll recognise from one of my favourite TV shows, "Call The Midwife". Helen has a gorgeous voice which does not go unappreciated by the audience on Tuesday night in the duet with Julian of "True Love". Helen is no stranger to the stage, which shows in the confidence she exudes throughout. There's also a love of dance  with Helen, and that shows in this dance heavy musical.

David Seadon-Young plays George Kittredge, who is engaged to Tracy and is Tracy's Father's accountant. A wonderfully geeky performance who was great fun to watch.

Freddie Fox plays the reporter Mike Connor. I've only seen Freddie in dramatic roles on TV, so it comes as quite a nice surprise to hear that he can also carry a tune on stage, and dance remarkably well. A really charismatic performance and really nice to see another side of this talented actor.

Julian Ovenden is Dexter Haven, a well to do and rich yacht designer, who was once married to Tracy. Here is another brilliant character driven role by Julian, who I last saw four years ago in "South Pacific". Julian, like Freddie, really know how to present a character to an audience. Pair that with the triple threat element of acting, dancing and singing, and these two leading men make a musical like this fly. 

Nigel Lindsay plays the party loving Uncle Willie, who brings that joy with the fun "Now You Has Jazz", backed by an onstage six piece band. An exciting and explosive way to close the first act, and what a masterclass in musical theatre choreography for this scene.

Malcolm Sinclair is Seth Lord, the father of Tracy and estranged husband to Margaret Lord. There's a lovely case of forced mistaken identity with Seth and Uncle Willie near the beginning, almost as if in a Shakespearian play, which allows another comedy section between Malcolm and Nigel. There's also another lovely section near the end of the show with Seth and Margaret where they nearly become "un estranged"

Mother Lord, Margaret, is played by Josefina Gabrielle, who is all in favour of her daughter's engagement to George. This is a brilliant character, portrayed brilliantly by Josefina; great fun to watch.

Dinah Lord, Tracy's younger sister who disapproves of the engagement, is played by Naomi Pacquette. Oh what a performance, and I loved the scene as a French mime artist along with Helen. 

Carly Mercedes Dyer is Liz Imbrie, a photographer for a newspaper. What a voice this lady has, particularly well highlighted in "I've Got You Under My Skin", which gave me the tingles again.

James Hume plays Chester, who is the butler of the Lord family. A nice little vocal section for James in "I Love Paris".

This is a big musical, and, rightly so, has a large ensemble made up of Bethany Adamson, David Austin-Barnes, Jabari Braham, George Bray, Andrew Coshan, Jordan Crouch, Frances Dee, Aarn Elijah, Tosca Fischer, Jacob Fisher, Heather Jackson, Aoife Kenny, Nell Martin and Isabel Snaas. 

Imogen Bailey, Maddie Harper, Thomas Inge, Robin Kent and Lucy rise make up The Swing with Thomas and Lucy also being Dance Captains.

Directed by Rachel Kanabaugh this show is a powerhouse of a show. Thanks to the rapid scene changes, this musical rips along at a great pace. All of the characters are really well defined, which makes the story so easy to follow.

The choreography is by Anthony Van Laast. For a musical fan like myself, the choreography is one of the things that I look for, and from the big ensemble opening number of "High Society" to the closing ensemble of "Let's Do It" the choreography zings, it's typical Metro Goldwyn Mayer magic. 

Musical Director is Stephen Ridley with arrangements by Gareth Valentine and orchestrations by Larry Bank. What a joy as well to hear a live orchestra with this show.

With music and lyrics by Cole Porter, the score is truly iconic, including American Song Book classics like “True Love,” “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?” and “Well, Did You Evah!” from the original film soundtrack. Alongside these are other Porter classics to flesh out the score. Songs like "Be a Clown", "I Love Paris", "It’s All Right With Me", "Just One of Those Things, "I’ve Got You Under My Skin" and "Let’s Do It’ (Let's Fall In Love)" to name just a few.

Set Design is by Tom Rogers and consists of a double staircase that bears a strong resemblance of being marble, leading up to a splendid balcony. This is a static design with various other rooms, and a poolside scene, which is extremely realistic and impressive, shown by amendments of furniture to distinguish the individual settings. the set is the first thing that hits you and makes such an impression, enough to make a jaw drop.

Costume Designer is Jon Morrell. I would not expect anything other than stylish glamour of the period from the costume design, and that is exactly what I got. Gorgeous and colourful costumes for all actors, to highlight the Socialite scene.

The Wig, Hair and Make Up Designer is Helen Keane, another element of this Production Team that shines and takes you back to the heady 1940's. 

Lighting Designer is Howard Hudson and Sound design is by Adam Fisher, the complete package to bring the best visual excitement from this wonderful musical.

It's one of my favourite musicals, a lovely fun story, a classy score where I knew every single song performed, a great fun cast, excellent choreography and one of the best set designs for a musical.

"High Society" is the most swellagant, elegant party that you'll attend and is at the Nottingham Theatre Royal until Saturday 7 November.

 "Pride & Prejudice (sort of)" by Isobel McArthur after Jane Austen.

Nottingham Playhouse.

I first saw this show a few years ago and thought it was an absolute hoot, and still do,  so I'm really pleased it's back doing the rounds again, this time at the Nottingham Playhouse.

The plot follows the Austen novel, in a contemporary setting with modern, and fruity language. The all-female cast play multiple characters, both servants and gentry, re-telling the novel's events through the servants' eyes while also performing well-chosen karaoke songs at pivotal moments.

It’s the 1800s.  It’s party time.  Let the ruthless matchmaking begin.

Georgia May Firth, Eva Hope, Phoebe Marshall, Roxanne Morgan, Julia MurrayEmile Cruz, Grace Farrell and Anastasia Sims-Chin are the collection of multi talented actors who sing, dance, act and play instruments on stage, As you can imagine, by the length of the Austen novel, the action is very pacy.

 It's fast moving, the comedy is incredibly well timed and you can tell that these women really enjoy working together because the chemistry is electric. And for anyone, like me, who love accents, these ladies provide them in abundance, and naturally.

Written and Directed by Isobel McArthur, with Assistant Director being Finlay Glen, they have created a comic masterpiece for the stage from a romantic classic, beloved by so many.  

Set and Costume Designer is Ana Ines Jabares-Pita, a multi levelled set incorporating a sweeping staircase which was purely majestic. Classy set with modern touches, and look out for the in jokes with some of the props. The costumes are fantastic as well.

Lighting Designer is Ryan Joseph Stafford,  and keep an eye on the backdrop because the lighting design for the backdrop alone is rather special. There are also some quick blackouts which pave the way for some very quick changes on stage for the cast members.

Sound Design is by Michael John McCarthy, who is also the Music Supervisor, and Niamh Gaffney for Autograph. They combine karaoke with musical intervention using real instruments, as previously stated, played by several cast members. What versatility! 

Choreographed by Emily jane Boyle, assisted by Tash Holway. There's a lot of dancing in here, most of it typical of what you'd see on the dancefloor at Nottingham's Palais (other nightclubs are available) by a group of hen night members. This in itself provides many comic moments with the moves that are bust. It really is great fun.

If an evening out partly extracting the urine from a classic piece of literature with some classic karaoke songs like "Holding Out For A Hero", "Dedicated To The One I Love", "Every Day I Write The Book", "Lady In Red" and "Young Hearts Run Free", then this show is for you. It was definitely for me because I loved it to bits.

So, if you're in need of  being cheered up, or just want a good night out with the girls (or lads), this is the ideal evening out for you. These ladies, and this show, need to be prescribed for anyone feeling a bit low, or bored of the run of the mill entertainment. Who once said that "laughter is the best medicine"? It may not have been Jane Austen but she sure helps out in this instance. Go see this show; you will not regret it!

Quite possibly one of the funniest historical based shows I've seen, definitely the funniest all female comedy shows I've ever seen.

"Pride & Prejudice (sort of)" is at the Nottingham Playhouse until Saturday 7 November.

 "Fertile Soil" by Grace Deavall. 

Rebel Witch Productions.

Bonington Theatre, Arnold.

"Fertile Soil" is a 60 minute play telling the story of two 17th century women- accused of witchcraft- awaiting their demise on the gallows. The play has been a long time in the brewing with its' roots going back to the days of lockdown. Grace Deavall's script is bewitching with some very down to earth language, and I love the two styles of language, one for the elder woman, Alice, and the more modern language, and way of speaking of Maggie, the younger woman. It's also very natural and conversational.

The music as you enter the dark auditorium is enough to put you on edge, and you see Alice sat in a large circular section marked out on the floor. Maggie enters, or should I say pushed into the circular area and it's then that we see that these two women obviously know each other, and are obviously not friends. As the time goes by we discover that two young boys were drowned, but was it an accident or were they murdered? By the end of the play, it's still not clear what did happen and who was involved, but the one person left in the prison cell left us with a confident smile on their face! Is this because the guilty party got their comeuppance, or was there manipulation at play somewhere?

Grace Deavall plays Maggie, one of the witches while Sue Whyte plays the other witch, Alice Thornback. Two opposites in many ways and both ladies gave as good as they got with the verbal tennis, but I must say I loved the coarseness of Alice, as well her methods of descriptive banter. While Maggie paced around like a caged tiger, Alice gave a slower pace of movement, almost as if monitoring her new cellmate. And we get to learn the meaning of the play's title right before the close of the play.

Directed and Produced by Rebecca Head, this play is a little diamond of a piece. You were drawn into the two way banter very easily and the more you watched and listened, the more you wanted to know what had led up to the incarceration of these two women. It also has that lovely musty feel of Arthur Miller's "The Crucible". I also see from the programme that this is Rebecca's directorial debut in the world of theatre.

The atmospheric music heard in the play has been composed by Jack Fleming, who has also created the sound design for "Fertile Soil". Some great sound effects, which in a couple of places did actually make me jump - only a little - but that was because of my visual engrossment in the story and the acting, and when an aural distraction to the focused sense is introduced, it completely jars the other senses. In my opinion a brilliant use of sound and sound effects. 

An interesting lighting effect which gave the impression of some kind of window up above, and apart from that the set was surrounded with darkness apart from the circled area, and even that became dimmer in parts of the play. The combination of these things gave a really depressing, dank, and small enclosure for these two women; well I suppose it is a 17th Century prison. Great atmosphere created by the collaboration of the sound and light teams.

The set design is an interesting one as there doesn't seem to be that much on stage at first glance, but on taking a closer look, especially at the components of the circle, plus a very rustic stool, a couple of candlesticks and a typical looking broom, which is used in the fight section

This is the play's first outing in a theatre, but I do know that there are hopes to take the play out to tour in "site specific locations", but first the company need to raise the funds to be able to do this, which as anyone who knows anything about theatre and putting on a production, is not cheap. I really hope that "Fertile Soil" gets the chance to reap rewards for everyone involved and the money is raised to allow this captivating piece of theatre to be seen by an even wider audience. It's Deavallishly good!

"Fertile Soil" was at the Bonington Theatre, Arnold for one night only on Friday 30 October.