"American Idiot" by LEOS Musical Theatre Company.

Duchess Theatre, Long Eaton.

“American Idiot” is the story of three boyhood friends, Johnny, Will and Tunny, each searching for meaning in a post 9/11 world. The show features the music of Green Day with the lyrics of its lead singer Billie Joe Armstrong and book by Billie Joe Armstrong and Michael Mayer.

I'd read a couple of reviews of this production, something I don't normally do, and some of the things mentioned in the other reviews weren't that good. I can honestly say that whatever issues with sound and light occurred over the last two days have obviously been sorted out as I really enjoyed this production of the show.

I've seen the show several times before and have enjoyed every production I'd seen, and this one was not the one to make me change my mind.

For me, there have to be a couple of prerequisites to make it a success, and they are that it has to be loud and also to have raw energy. Well, that's two boxes ticked right away from the opening number, the title song. The show doesn't open, it explodes into life!

Johnny, played by Jack David, is the main protagonist of the story. On his journey, he experiences nihilism, drug abuse, and lost love with Whatsername. Jack just happens to be a singer in a rock band, away from the stage, so this role is tailor made for him. He looks like a rock star, he sounds like a rock star, he is a rock star (where have I heard that before?). What he also has is the ability to bring out the emotion in rock ballads like "Wake Me Up When September Ends", and Jack can play the guitar as well.

Tunny, played by Rhodri Denton, accompanies Johnny to the city, but soon joins the military and is sent to war. Tunny suffers serious injuries and during his rehabilitation, he falls in love with his nurse Extraordinary Girl, and she returns home with him. 

Will, played by Sultan Chaudhury, plans to leave town with the group until his girlfriend, Heather, reveals that she is pregnant with his child. Will stays at home in an alcohol and drug-infused depression, gradually spiralling to a very dark place.

All three main male leads have very different voices and that's what makes this show such a diverse project. Rock, and especially punk, doesn't suit everyone's voice, but it's that diversity that makes this musical such an interesting creature. The diversity of the voices really blend well and that creates even more emotion and passion from that rock base.

Whatsername is played by Megan Hill, Extraordinary Girl is played by Zoe Davey and Heather is played by Alice Goodall. This trio give brilliantly powerful performances, matching the attitude and passion of their male counterparts. Needless to say, their vocals are also powerful and, when required, full of attitude.

St Jimmy in this production is female, but of course this is a character who could be either gender, is played by Tessa Raum. In other productions St Jimmy has been overtly demon like in their attitude to temptation of sex and drugs and rock n roll, but Tessa has given the role a more human vision, which is probably an even more dangerous character.

Theo is another interesting character with a slightly devilish image, and played by Matthew McAuley. Matt has always had a really strong voice but has that tenderness in his vocals when called for. Both strengths are on show with Theo and the ensemble voices. 

Alysha is played by Carrie McNabb, who I can't remember seeing before on stage (apologies if that's not right), but what an impression Carrie made in this role.

Favourite Son is played by Andy Cattanach. This is a character that really exists in Tunny's imagination after watching TV ads and develops into an all singing, all dancing American soldier. There's a real glitz and glamour scene involving Favourite Son, complete with full on choreography for Andy and his backing dancers.

Something that is new, as far as I could remember, in this production is the introduction of the Seven Deadly Sins as an alternative ensemble set of characters. The Seven Deadly Sins are made up of Pride (Tassia Sissins) Envy (Nicola Adcock), Greed (Hayley Wood), Lust (Molly Parkinson), Gluttony (Joshua Read), Wrath (Charlotte Buchanan) and Sloth (Sian Hooton).

The ensemble consists of Laura Lawless, Eleanor Harvey, Mike Harvey, Tracy Hooton, Dan Bates, and Giacomo Ciccognani, fleshing out the stage perfectly and giving that extra vocal power.

Directed by Elle Bates and Assistant Director Becky Morley, they have slightly updated the period by setting the story in Trump's America. Along with only a few new touches, the story remains as powerful, raw and energetic as it ever was. Becky is also the Producer and, along with Elle and the rsst of the cast, responsible for the array of props used in the show.

Choreography by Sarah Lim Smith who really injects energy into these choreographed pieces. With this story being completely sung through, that also means that there is also a lot of choreography to go with the score, even the ballads. The choreography though is shared with various songs crediting other choreographers in the group like Tessa Raum, Meg Hill and Alice Goodall.

Musical Director is Ada Galen, who headed up the live band on  keys. The rest of the band consists of Ben Henderson (Bass), Herian Egan (Violin), Tim Yearsley and Tom Wakeley (Guitar) and Jack Hose (Drums). Green Day are a brilliant and exciting live band and that comes across on their recordings, and this band faithfully replicated that Green Day feel, and with Ada as MD also managed to strip back some of the musical pieces to create a simplistic and emotive score, which in turn really highlighted the lyrical value of Billie Joe Armstrong's songs.

The costumes have mostly been sourced from pre loved pieces, which is a great idea for a theatre company, cutting down the costs as well as recycling items that may have ended up in landfill. Sustainability is a core value for LEOS. They also match the feel of the era as well as the rawness of characters.

Sound is by Matt Haslam and was absolutely how I wanted to hear a rock jukebox musical, powerful and in your face rebellion style. The mix between the band and the vocalists was just right, even when you think back to the 1970's, with the birth of punk, the production of some of the records back then had the vocals slightly lower in the mix to get that rawness into the sound of the records. Take it from someone who was just a teenager when punk exploded.

The show includes the hit songs “Boulevard of Broken Dreams”, “21 Guns”, “Wake Me Up When September Ends”, “Holiday”, “Give Me Novocaine”, " Good Riddance (The Time Of Your Lives)" and the blockbuster title track “American Idiot”. Also included are several songs from Green Day’s 2009 release 21st Century Breakdown, and an unreleased love song, “When It’s Time”.

Lighting Design is by David Price and this was another exciting design and operation from David. The artist's palette of colour was splashed all over the stage at one point, almost taking on the image of a nightclub setting, raising the audience, and cast from the dark underbelly story of this show to a joyous and celebratory party.

Set hire is thanks to another theatrical legend from behind the scenes, Roydon Charlesworth. A triple tier stage set which allowed cast members to be above the stage floor, making the choreography look even more spectacular, and then on the top level, the band were situated.

Stage managed by the Queen of Stage Management, Katie Bird with Stage Crew of Vicky Palmer and Anakin Thain. Just having Katie on board promises to make scene transitions as smooth as silk.

Making theatre completely accessible is something that LEOS feel strongly about and there are several "helping hands", including a QR code in the programme to access the audio side of the programme and closed captions at every performance. There's also a touch tour and BSL Interpreted performance on the Saturday matinee, among other accessible things in place.

Throughout the run of "American Idiot", LEOS are also raising funds for their chosen charity, which is The Will Garvey Trust Foundation, a local charity based near Ilkeston (or Ilson, depending on where you hail from). The charity's aim is to prevent young suicide, and as September is Suicide Awareness month - why there is a month to highlight this I'll never know as it's something we should all be aware of 365 a year. So please give what you can to help such an amazing cause.

I'm not sure if Thursday was a special day, but as we walked into the auditorium, we were treated to an acoustic performance of some songs, not from the show, but a lovely way to ease the audience into the feel of the show, also to highlight the charity's cause.

"American Idiot" is at the Duchess Theatre, Long Eaton until Saturday 5 September with a matinee and evening performance on the final day.

Photography thanks to Ali Langton.

 "The Last Laugh" by Paul Hendy.

Nottingham Theatre Royal.

"The Last Laugh" is a fairly new play which started off at the Edinburgh Fringe and imagines three of the world's best comedians, Tommy Cooper, Bob Monkhouse and Eric Morecambe, together in a dressing room chatting about the secret of life, death, comedy and what it means to be funny. The play started off as a short film.

Looking at the three actors playing these iconic comedy stars, you probably wouldn't be able to guess which of the trio they play, and that is where the wigs and make up shine, because after the make up goes on and the transformation is complete, they really do resemble Cooper, Morecambe and Monkhouse, especially with those facial nuances and the voices in place, the transformation was spectacular, as well as spooky.

I grew up watching these legendary comedians on the box and they still are funnier than most of the comedians that are around today. Funny is funny, no matter how old the gags are. Christmas was not Christmas without the Morecambe and Wise show and their ultimate celebrity guest list. Who can forget Andre Previn, Shirley Bassey, Glenda Jackson and Angela Rippon?

Bob Monkhouse's list of TV gameshows; I loved watching "The Golden Shot" and "Celebrity Squares", classic Saturday night TV where the whole family gathered around the box, trying to answer the questions. Bob's ability to create a gag from any given subject left his audiences, from Grandparents to University students, rolling in the aisles.

Tommy Cooper's TV shows also provided an opportunity to show what a one off comedian he was. His magic was cleverly shown to be a disaster, but behind that image, Cooper was a master of the art and a member of the Magic Circle. I can remember watching his final appearance in 1984 on "Live From Her Majesty's".

I also grew up watching Paul Hendy on TV, and it was a big surprise to find Paul in the audience. Another surprise was to come in the Q&A section after the interval when Gary Morecambe, Eric's son, was involved in the Q&A, completing what was a very special night.

Damian Williams is Toomy Cooper, the comedian who all he had to do was walk onto a stage to get a laugh, even before uttering his first word, and sometimes even not leaving the dressing room for about twenty odd minutes, getting his son to prod the stage curtain while Tommy was getting ready and talking from a microphone in the room. All three of these legends are embroided into my childhood, my parents were massive fans of all three. Damian is a tall man and he is the first on stage, towering over us all, unmistakably Tommy. His alcohol weakness played out, as well as his obvious health issues, but joking all the way through. His infidelities are also highlighted. Damian, via Tommy's unbeatable and clever wit was explained in several backstage secrets, who else could make walking through a white gate comical?

Simon Cartwright is Bob Monkhouse. I've always been a fan of clever comedy, and Bob was an incredibly intelligent and prolific comedy writer; his jokes are honed, or as Monkhouse described it, "chiselled" to perfection. His timing has always been impeccable, and then there's his encyclopedic knowledge of comedy and rapier sharp memory. He could recall who were the authors of all the jokes and where they were first aired and by whom. What is just as impressive though was Simon's ability to look like Bob's twin, and that voice was like having Bob there himself; it was quite unnerving just how much he looked and sounded like Bob Monkhouse, and he had all the physical nuances.

Steve Royle is Eric Morecambe. Like Simon, the physicality is amazingly accurate, and of course we had a selection of some of Eric's classic lines and memories, especially from working with Little Ern. There were a few things that were brought to life that I certainly weren't aware of Eric Morecambe's hidden talents. One was that Eric played the ukelele, something that Steve had to learn for the role.

The evening is one of comedy and happiness but throughout there are slivers of darkness which also has a supernatural twist at the end, made all the more eerie by some spectacularly clever lighting effects, designed by Johanna Town.

The Q&A was hosted by Richard Hodder, who is also the Understudy for all three characters.

Directed and written by Paul Hendy, who as I mentioned earlier was in the audience. It must be lovely for the Director/Writer to actually see the reaction from an audience, a reaction that showed the love for all three of these legends of comedy and entertainment. It wasn't like watching a play, more like eavesdropping on three pals chatting away with a common denominator being bringing happiness to the people.

The Set Designer is Lee Newby. A static set which shows a dressing room from days gone by. One wall shows a plethora of old playbills, depicting shows gone by; the other a portrait gallery of comedy stars from their career peaks; stars like Tony Hancock, Sid James, Max Miller, Arthur Askey etc. I wonder whose picture has been removed, as shown by a cleaner square of wall where once a picture had been hung; well that question was answered at the close of the play.

Lighting Design is by Johanna Town with Sound Design by Callum Willis. As mentioned earlier, the lighting played a big part in this show which also dropped certain hints, and created the supernatural feel of the play. No spoilers though, but is incredibly affective visually. The sound levels and mix was perfect.

The Composer and Musical Arranger is Ethan Lewis Maltby. Four songs are featured in the show, which also highlighted Steve Royle's ukelele skills. George Formby's "Little Stick Of Blackpool Rock" brought the trio together for a rousing rendition of, "Following You Around" and the Tony hatch/Jackie Trent penned song, "Positive Thinking", as well as "A Funny Way To Be A Hero", which is an original song penned by Paul Hendy, Jemma Donnelly and Ethan Lewis Maltby.

Craig Forrest-Thomas is the Wig Designer and the creation of Simon Cartwright's Monkhouse wig was perfection, along with the make-up and those eyebrows. When all three of the cast came out after the interval, out of costume, you really could appreciate just how much wigs and make up can make to an actor, especially when portraying a person as recognisable as these three.

Costume Designer is Amy Chamberlain. The dinner jackets at the end of the show were typical class, which matched the class of the performers. Tommy Cooper's initial costume immediately brought guffaws of laughter without uttering a word, reflective of his stage shows of course.

This show is a beautiful homage to three of the most iconic and intelligent comedians the world has ever known. There have been no comedians that have come within miles of this trio for class, style and comedic value, and I don't think there ever will. They are all one offs who all deserve the label of "genius", and thank goodness there are people like Paul Hendy, Damian Williams, Simon Cartwright and Steve Royle who keep their joy and cleverness alive, giving us all who were not lucky enough to see any of them live on stage the opportunity to do just that.

"The Last laugh" is at the Nottingham Theatre Royal until Saturday 5 September, and then they'll be gone, just like that!

Photography by Pamela Raith.

 "Annie"

Nottingham Royal Concert Hall.

Annie has been left at an orphanage and is still confident that her parents are coming to collect her, one day. The orphanage is run by the nasty Miss Hannigan who sets them to work, sewing and cleaning from the early morning till late at night and feeds them "mush". Annie's life changes forever when she is chosen to spend Christmas at billionaire Daddy Warbucks mansion, something he does every year for one lucky orphan. Warbucks tries to find Annie's real parents for her by a radio appeal and that's when the greedy worms come out of the woodwork. Enter the nasty Rooster, fresh out of prison and looking to lay his hands on some easy money to allow him, his latest squeeze Lily, and Hannigan to live on "easy street". But we all know that in musicals, the bad guys never win!

Claire Sweeney stars as Miss Hannigan. I have seen several Miss Hannigans over the years and every actor brings just a little something different to the role. Aggie Hannigan is a real lush who is always just a little too merry to cause any harm to the orphans, mainly because they are all too quick in getting out of her way. Bring a man into the equation though and Hannigan turns on her womanly charm, putting her best assets out front and on show! 

I have been a big fan of Claire's for a very long time now and interviewed her about 21 years ago when she was in panto in Nottingham. Claire always has a twinkle in her eye, whatever role she plays, and it was there again tonight. She has a great voice, just listen to her album, and shows that she can hoof it with the best of them, especially in the reprise of "Easy Street" in the second act. In my eyes, whether on TV, in the recording studio or on stage, she can do no wrong.

Alex Bourne plays "Daddy" Oliver Warbucks, who I've seen in this role previously, and what a class act Alex is. The air of authority shines through the performance, and the way his character comes round to the idea that not all orphans are boys and warms to Annie is lovely to see. His singing and dancing talents are obvious and carries an air of Hollywood glamour with the role. I am so pleased that they eventually found him a phone, as in part of the show, a phone rang and he had no phone on the desk to answer, but carried on with the telephone conversation, almost as if ear-buds were around in the 1930's. A classy professional will overcome anything thrown at him in live theatre.

Annie is played by four young ladies, Sophia Saravanan, June Young, Victoria Alsina and Bibi Blossom Stockley-Webster.

Tuesday night's little star was June Young. This young lady has a belter of a voice and a great personality. Her choreographed pieces are spot on, it's always difficult waltzing with someone so much taller than you are, but June made it look like an everyday thing. I am positive that whichever Annie you see, they'll all be as good as June.

There are three groups of orphans:

Team Chrysler, who were Marnie Rae Warren-Baker (Duffy), Thandie Lalji (July), Dolly Ismail (Kate), Jemima Lown (Molly), Amber Koduah- Hutchison (Pepper) and Maddy Collings (Tessie).

Team Rockefeller, consisted of Myla Park (Kate), Rachelle Bonfield-Bell (Duffy), Blossom Rolston-Williams (July), Mollie Loran (Molly), Anna Deikalo (Pepper) and Khit Thakin (Tessie).

Team Empire who were Coco Chapman (Pepper), Olivia Brooks (Tessie), Sienna Culm (Duffy), Kennedy Mae-McLeary (July), Chloe Angiama (Kate) and Freya Beer (Molly).

The team on show on Tuesday night was Team Rockefeller and an explosion of energy they caused on stage, especially in numbers like "Hard Knock Life" and their version of "You're Never Fully Dressed Without A Smile".

Warbucks' personal secretary, Grace Farrell, is played by Tanisha-Mae Brown. Her voice is as beautiful as her face and as soaring as her personality, and can I also say that Grace's green outfit was simply stunning.

Elliot David Parks is Rooster, Hannigan's wayward kid brother in tonight's performance, replacing Christian Cooper. There's not a nice bone in Rooster's body, well it obviously runs in the family. A brilliant confidence-oozing performance who, if it were panto, you'd be booing whenever he appeared on stage, there were a few well meant ones as Elliot took his final bows. Once again, any scene that he was in with either Claire or Amber, or with both were sleaze filled but with some classic Hollywood style choreography.

Rooster's latest girlfriend is Lily, played by Amber Kennedy. Amber is a wonderful character actor and boy can she dance. Her high kicks are stupendous; I'm surprised her feet don't have acrophobia - fear of heights - they go so high. 

Michaela Stern plays Mrs Pugh, Warbucks' wonderfully over excitable chef/cook.

Harrison Burley plays Bundles, the man who collects the laundry from the orphan house.

Bert Healey, the radio presenter who gives airtime to Warbucks and Annie to help find her parents, is played with great charisma by Matthew Sweet.

The Boylan Sisters, the trio of backing singers on the show are played by Sophie Elmes, Zoe Canham and Issy Khogali.

Issy also plays Warbucks' Head Housekeeper, Mrs Greer.

Sophie plays The Star To Be, a young, aspiring Broadway actress takes centre stage during the big dance number "NYC" with some attention-grabbing choreography and vocals.

Zoe also plays Cecile, a French Maid, along with Sophie as Annette.

Drake, Warbucks' very British Butler is played by Luke Harley. This isn't a major role, but Luke's charisma in this role makes you take notice of this Butler.

Yujin Park play several roles including the Apple Seller, who can't sell an apple in The Big Apple.

Carl Sanderson is President Franklin Roosevelt, as well as Lt. Ward and Jimmy Johnson. As Roosevelt he delivers a pretty powerful version of "Tomorrow" sat down in his wheelchair, which when you think that it's always best to expand the lungs and abdomen, sitting down is not ideal, but a splendidly powerful voice Carl has.

The Ensemble are made up of Carl Sanderson, Sophe Elmes, Harrison Burley, Elliot David Parks, Issy Khogali, Michaela Stern, Yujin Park, Luke Harley and Zoe Canham.

Swings are Jack Buchanan, Jessica WrightBelle Kizzy Green and Matthew Sweet - Matthew and Kizzy are Assistant Dance Captain and Dance Captain, respectively.

Annie's dog, Sandy is played by two four-legged stars, Amber and Dizzy, and on Tuesday night it was down to the responsibility of Dizzy, who looked as if he/she were having the time of their lives, especially with that tail wagging in overdrive.

Directed by Nikolai Foster, and anyone who has seen productions at Curve Leicester or any of their touring shows will know just how good Nikolai is. It's pacy, no hanging around; for example, when we usually see Annie escaping in the laundry trolley near the start, we don't see this due to being diverted by the flagrant flirting by Miss Hannigan with Bundles. We only realise that she has gone when the orphans give the game away.

Set and Costume Designer is Colin Richmond, who did the same for the 2023 UK Tour, looking like a giant jigsaw which could also represent that the pieces of Annie's life are all coming together.

Choreographed by Nick Winston. From the wonderful "Hard Knock Life" buckets and mops choreography for the child actors to the high kicking "Easy Street" and the classy "NYC" routine, for anyone with a love of dance, they will be completely enthralled by this area of performance.

Orchestrator, Arranger and Musical Supervisor is George Dyer. Everybody knows "Tomorrow" from the soundtrack, but there are loads more earworms like "Maybe", "You're Never Fully Dressed Without A Smile", "Easy Street", "I Don't Need Anything But You", "Little Girls" and of course "It's A Hard Knock Life". Hannigan may be a lush but so are the arrangements and orchestrations for this show.

Lighting Designer is Ben Cracknell and Sound Design is by Richard Brooker. 

Wigs, Hair and Make Up Supervisor is Betty Marini.

Costume Designer is Chris Cahill. 

I love this musical; I am an utter fannie (fan of Annie) and every time I see this show, I love it more and more, whether it be a local production or a big, shiny touring production. You can see that everyone involved in this also loves it, and let's face it, what's not to like. The age-old triumph of good over the Hannigans. This show, if you've never seen it before, and believe me there are some rare specimens of audience member who has not, will leave you with a warm, fuzzy feeling in your middle regions as you exit the Concert Hall singing "Tomorrow, tomorrow, I love ya tomorrow" at the top of your voice. Or like me, just in your head on the bus home.

It still feels remarkably fresh, it's still funny and still retains the classy dance routines (I do love a good bit of hoofing). Whoever said never work with children or animals never envisaged "Annie" and I for one am pleased to say that this saying was completely ignored.

"Annie" is at the Nottingham Royal Concert Hall until Sunday 6 September.

Photos by Paul Coltas.

 "Seven Deadly Sins" by Niche Artefact.

Revolucion de Cuba, Nottingham.

Not having been able to attend the last two shows by Niche Artefact, I made sure that I was free for this one, named "The Seven Deadly Sins".

Niche Artefact are a creative collective, based in Nottingham. They curate bespoke art shows at different venues across Nottingham - featuring creatives of every medium. Niche Artefact are inclusive to the LGBTQIA+ community and all allies.

The shows are like no other production anywhere, being a cross between cabaret, theatre and performance art, covering several genres of music.

Throw into the mix exclusive artwork created by local artists, only revealed on the night with a chance to buy the art work on the night. This combination make presentations like this very special events.

The evening is co hosted by Founder and Director Robin da Silva and David Beer, both adding a very special flavour of humour and free flowing hosting skills. The evening is split into three sections of live entertainment, sandwiched with the art exhibition reveals with the artists giving background to their works and the creation of the art.

The performers present something very different to anything you might have attended before, unless of course you're a regular attendee and supporter of Niche Artefact.

Dani Magic (Drag Artiste), Priscilla Shona Krakow - The PSK (Drag Queen), Bobbie Dazzler (Drag Thing), Carrie On Love (Drag Artiste), Serena Eadon (Vocalist), Ro De La Monja (Drag Artiste), Jackie Paper (Performance Artist) and Milady Burlesque (Burlesque Artist) take the theme of seven deadly sins and present pieces representing these themes in music, performance and dance.

Opening the night is a Niche full cast performance to introduce the performers to the audience, which seems to get bigger every year.

There follows two wonderful classical sets involving Jackie performing "The Dance Of the Seven Veils" and Serena showcasing that gorgeous operatic voice she owns.

Last time I missed out on the introduction of Flippy The Flamingo, but Flippy made a return tonight in a splash of pink glitter and feathers.

What I love about shows like this is the fact that the show tunes are never quite the very well known ones, and tonight was no different. "Show Off" from the musical "The Drowsy Chaperone" was a perfect choice to close the first section.

"Money Makes The World Go Round" from "Cabaret", performed by The PSK opened up the next musical section and a perfect fit for the "greed" section of the deadly sins.

"If My Friends Could See Me Now" and "Stairway To Heaven" by Led Zeppelin by Milady Burlesque and the Niche cast was a surprise musical collaboration but worked strangely well.

These shows really are an education, as well as being incredibly entertaining and Carrie On Love's next section ticked both boxes with a track that I had never heard before. "For The Gaze" from the musical "Death Becomes Her" was an absolute treat, especially when the word "gaze" was used in a completely different context. Gorgeously over the top - no wonder I loved this performance.

A saucy version of "Whatever Lola Wants" performed by Bobbie Dazzler, and a section from "The Best Little Whorehouse In Texas" started as a performance piece but towards the end of rehearsals for the chosen song, "A Lil Ole Bitty Pissant Country Place", it became a tribute to Dolly Parton as news had broken about Dolly's passing. Great fun and a lovely tribute to the fun side of Dolly's recordings.

An acapella version of the brilliant "Mama Who Bore Me" from "Spring Awakening" and a song that I hadn't heard before sent shivers down the spine.

A duet from Serena and Milady Burlesque of another track I'd not heard before called "And Eve Was Weak" from the musical "Carrie the Musical" added even more to my education. What a blend of voices.

Closing the evening down was another Niche ensemble piece with Sam Smith and Kim Petras' "Unholy", showing that being sinful can create such pleasure.

You can always guarantee an evening of  brilliant and very different entertainment with Niche Artefact's shows, plus you could also walk away with an exclusive piece of art to hang on your living room wall, or wherever you want it hung.

At the end of the show, Robin revealed the theme to the next show on Sunday 29 November, "The Cult Of Judy"; the Judy in question being, of course Judy Garland.

 "Rent" by Jonathan Larson.

Spotlight Theatre.

Squire Performing Arts Centre.

Set in the East Village of New York City, Rent is about falling in love, finding your voice and living for today. Winner of the Tony Award for Best Musical and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, “Rent” has become a pop cultural phenomenon. with songs that rock and a story that audiences of all ages can connect with.

Based loosely on Puccini's “La Boheme”, Jonathan Larson's Rent follows a year in the life of a group of impoverished young artists and musicians struggling to survive and create in New York's Lower East Side, under the shadow of HIV/AIDS.

The physical and emotional complications of the disease pervade the lives of Roger, Mimi, Tom and Angel. Maureen deals with her chronic infidelity through performance art; her partner, Joanne, wonders if their relationship is worth the trouble.

Benny has sold out his Bohemian ideals in exchange for financial gains, forgetting the bond with his former friends. Mark, an aspiring filmmaker, feels like an outsider to life in general. The way these young bohemians negotiate their dreams, loves and conflicts provides the narrative thread to this musical.

I've seen "Rent" several times before, and as I say quite a lot, a Director can add or take away, or change some of the storyline, which makes watching any show a treat for someone like myself who has seen other productions; this is no different with changes to a couple of the main characters, which I am sure will become apparent later in this review.

The vocals from every single performer are incredibly good. The various ranges of vocals are also excellent, both solo as well as in duets and big ensemble pieces. I do have my favourites but that takes nothing at all away from the power and vocal style from anyone else.

Roger is played by Vivialyn Joynson. The relationship with flat mate, Mark as well as the romance with Mimi were totally believable. Just the sort of person you could take to the pub for a pint. I think the last time I saw Vivialyn was in "The Wedding Singer", where I commented on what a strong rock voice she has. That rock voice is to the fore in this show, a soaring voice that will send shivers down your spine.

Mark is played by David Page. who comes across in his character as someone you can relate to while still being that struggling artist. A magical duet with Joanne in the wonderful "Tango Maureen", and brilliant choreography for this one as well. David's vocal ability is such that whoever he sings with becomes the perfect recipe for a smooth sound.

Tom is played by Patrick McChrystal. What can I say about this man's voice. Every one of that cast can sing. This man can REALLY sing. Absolutely dripping with raw emotion as he sang the reprise of "I'll Cover You". The hairs on the back of my neck stood to attention. Patrick has a large vocal range, which he showcased in this role.

Angel is played by Lu Anthony. I remember seeing Lu play this role previously in Stapleford where she high kicked her way into every audience members' hearts, and in BIG heels at that. She is fun, exciting, their dance moves are incredible, including one in particular that brought a tear to a lot of men's eyes, but Angel will break your heart in their final scenes. Talking of which, the lead up to that scene was very different from what I have seen before.

Mimi is played by Erin Hanby. Mimi is an overtly sexual being, and Erin brought that trait out right from the off with her double entendre laden song "Light My Candle". It wasn't just that candle flame that was hot on stage!

Maureen is played by Eliza Hill. For anyone who has not seen "Rent" previously, there's a scene where Maureen, an artist, performs her show which features plenty of Mooing from an imaginary cow included in the feature song "Over The Moon". This part comic song allows Eliza to showcase the range that she has in her vocal arsenal.

Joanne is played by Laura McChrystal. Loved Maureen and Joanne's duet of "Take Me As I Am", in fact it's one of my highlights in this production because Laura's and Eliza's vocals were out of this world powerful and passionate, oozing raw sex appeal, especially when their eyes met throughout the duet.

Jenny, or to give her full name, Jennifer Coffin III, the hard-nosed owner demanding rent for the property and cutting their electricity, is played by Laura Thurman; it's been an absolute age since I've seen Laura on stage. Every time that I have seen the show in the past, the character has always been Benny, so it made a real difference to see a switch in the gender, in fact the hard-nosed attitude at the start was even more intense and spiteful towards Jenny's former flatmates. It may be one of those roles in the borderline "baddie" category but I love the way this character evolves, and gives Laura a chance to show a different side to her acting skills.

A big ensemble section who invade the stage at times from all entrances, keeping the audience on their toes and providing more meat to this already tasty stew. They consist of Hermione Cumbers, Theo Carey, Madelyne Pritchard, Katie Boswell, Sophie Benner, Scarlett Coleman-Smith, Sophie West, Sophia Goncearenko, Helena Cave, Emily Holder, Preston Nash, Hemi Lewis, Jess Sims, Brogan Haynes, Beth Duffy, Hilary Booth, Daisy Donoghue, Bethany Boswell, Daniel Ivan and Lucy Carey.

Many of the above also gave cameo roles, but there are a few of the ensemble that I'd like to mention, without prejudice to the rest of the ensemble.

I've been lucky to review Preston Nash many times over the last four years or so. This is his last show for Spotlight before he goes down to London. In those years I've had the pleasure of seeing his talent grow, as well as his self confidence and stage presence.

I also wish to mention Brogan, who I first saw and reviewed back in 2019 in "The Sound Of Music". This young man is an absolute all rounder, a very capable vocalist, a natural actor and also a wonderful dancer. He looks so at home with any dance style, but what impressed me this evening was his contemporary and his ballet, He has lovely turned out hands and manages to make ballet look light and easy, which I know is a difficult look for a lot of male ballet dancers.

Daniel Ivan is such a convincing drug dealer; his whole look morphed into a sleazy, shady dealer with ease, his ability to create a dangerous look just by his facial features was quite frightening.

Hemi Lewis is another dancer who you are completely drawn to with her perfect balletic stature.

I think that I have seen and reviewed everyone in this cast over the years, and this show is like watching a collaborative greatest hits of my favourite young actors; the equivalent of a K-Tel collection of chart hits, a "Now That's What I Call A Perfect Cast" for the local musical theatre collection.

The soundtrack is one of my favourites, including the gorgeous and harmonious “Seasons Of Love” as well as “I Should Tell You”, “One Song Glory”, “Cover You”, “Without You”, “Maureen’s Tango”, "Santa Fe" and “Take Me Or Leave Me” being highlights, along with the rousing title song, “Rent”.

Vicky Moroziuk is the Musical Director who gives us some spine tingling moments in the show. Patrick's gorgeous and emotional "I'll Cover You" comes to mind, especially with the choral section part of the way through, as well as Vivialyn's "One Song Glory". "Seasons Of Love" is perfectly arranged and the high notes were all hit with ease. The harmonies sound angelic and have a lovely separation between the various parts. The individual ranges have been really well worked out and fit together like a tasty layer cake.

One thing I did notice in this production though is the gorgeous music behind this score which, without the vocals sound as if they were written by a classical composer, at times the music being quite fragile, strengthened by the lyrics.

The Youth Band members are Isabella Raisin-Moss (Bass), Noah Gamba and Josh Harrison-Bett (Drums), Austin Owen (Lead Guitar), Oscar Lambert-Smith (Rhythm Guitar) and Vicky Moroziuk (Keys). A powerful sound befitting of such a wonderful rock score.

Directed by Liam Petruccio-Hall. Liam has managed to bring out every bit of comedy and emotion from this wonderful musical and his super talented cast.

Choreographed by Bethany Wear. Two scenes in particular really stand out for me; the first being Maureen's performance scene in "Over the Moon" and the other being the full ensemble piece in the long "Santa Fe" scene which has some marvellous choreography. Angel's exciting and athletic choreography, especially in those heels, is breath taking.

The set design looks stunning and hits you as soon as you walk into the auditorium. Created to house the band into the set design with two sets of steps leading to second level. Set design is by Liam Petruccio-Hall and supplied by Oliver Read.

With the stage design being static, there's a fair bit of stage management required with props etc. Stage managed by Nigel Newton, and what Nigel doesn't know about this area of theatre is not worth knowing. Stage Crew consist of Dom Holder and Roman Moroziuk keeping everything running smoothly.

Props, and there are many of them, are sourced by Amanda Hall.

Costumes co-ordinated by Sophie Petruccio-Hall, they create the whole feel of Bohemia, but the piece de resistance being Angel's very eye-catching costumes.

Lighting Designer is Oliver Read. As with the cast, if you use the best, you get the best results, ergo Oliver Read and lighting.

Sound Designer is Rob Ketteridge. At first, I thought that the sound of the band was just a tad overpowering for the vocalists, but then, like Roger's guitar, you soon tune your ears to the overall sound and then realise that it's a tweaking of your ears is what is needed. Bronwen Webster is on Sound 2.

For Rent newbies and Rent-Heads alike, this is one show to see, not least for the incredibly talented cast and the gorgeous score. And if that's not reason enough, check if the 2-4-1 deal on all tickets for Friday evening is still available for you.

"Rent" is at Squire Performing Arts Centre until Saturday 29 August.