"The Secret Garden"

Collaboration Theatre.

Elvaston Castle, The Old English Garden.

Based on the book by Frances Hodgson Burnett.

Book and lyrics by Marsha Norman and the music is by Lucy Simon.

Mary Lennox is a disagreeable, sickly 10-year-old raised by servants in India. After a cholera epidemic kills her parents, she is orphaned and sent to live at Misselthwaite Manor with her uncle, Archibald Craven, a man deeply depressed and changed by the death of his wife ten years prior. 

Left to explore the vast, windswept Yorkshire moors and the manor grounds, Mary befriends a friendly robin who helps her find a buried key and an ivy-covered door. Inside lies a beautiful, walled garden that had been locked away and forgotten after Mrs. Craven's tragic death. 

Mary meets Dickon, a local boy who loves animals and nature, and he helps her secretly cultivate the overgrown garden. One night, following the sound of crying echoing through the halls, Mary finds her cousin Colin, a bedridden, hypochondriac boy convinced he will grow up to be a hunchback and die. 

The children spend their days together in the "Secret Garden". Immersed in fresh air, play, and nature's restorative power, Colin's health miraculously improves, and he eventually learns to stand and walk. 

Mr. Craven, wandering abroad to escape his grief, has a dream of his late wife calling him back to the garden. Upon returning to Misselthwaite Manor, he is quite shocked but overjoyed to find his son running to greet him, completely healed.

Imagine all of this set in the beautiful settings of The Old English Garden at Elvaston Castle and not on the Yorkshire Moors, and you have one of those wonderful evocative classic stories, all with the sun on your shoulders and a breeze ruffling your hair. How simply delicious, especially if you love being in the outdoors and love excellent period drama and a gorgeous soundtrack.

This is one of those productions where everyone was excellent, a real ensemble piece of theatre.

Clara Carter is Mary Lennox and really brought the two sides of Mary out wonderfully. The initial spoilt child was soon knocked into shape by Colin, and then  became a really lovely young lady who appreciated her new surroundings and the people who she shared the Manor with. 

Ben Riley is Archibald Craven, the hunchback Lord of the Manor who is so consumed with grief over the death of his wife and illness of his son he is unable to move on with his life until he went to Paris and received a very special message that changed his whole outlook and demeanor. And I must say, Ben has a really lovely voice which sounded very good in this open air setting.

Harley Tidy is Colin Craven, Mary's invalid cousin. This young man is a going to be a fine young character when he grows up. How do I know that? Because he is a fine young actor now. Colin is a really bossy piece of work who has that "woe is me" attitude, until Mary puts him right about a few things. Mary and Colin turn out to be very good for each other, after all the shouting has been calmed.

Imogen Wilson plays Martha, the chatty but kind housemaid who supports Mary throughout.

James Sikora is Dickon, Martha's brother and a lad with a talent for looking after animals, plus James plays The Major at the start of the play. I've known James for a few years now and I know what a fun person he is, and the role of Dickon is right up James' street. Love the Yorkshire accent as well.

Grace Howitt plays Bet, the gardener, as well as Claire and Mrs Winthrop. Bet is another fun character who has Mary's back all the way, making her new home just that little bit easier to settle in to, and of course, gets Mary into gardening, which of course leads to Mary finding out about the secret garden.

Kerry Britnell plays the firm "no-nonsense" housekeeper Mrs Medlock. She has rules that need to be abided by, but you can see that she has a softer side.

Paul Webb is Dr Neville Craven, his brother who has given up all of his dreams to care for his nephew and run the estate for his distant brother. Paul is another lovely vocalist, and there are some lovely harmonies with Paul and Ben, as well as some of the other cast members. There really is something about music performed in an outdoor setting, especially one like this one.

Lola Smith is the housemaid Jane. 

Playing the ghosts of Mary's parents are Abbi Pritchard as Rose and Jack Bayes as Albert Lennox. A more delightful pair of spectres you could not wish to see. There are some really lovely choreographed bits for Jack and Abbi to watch out for.

Playing the ghost of Lily, Mary's aunt and former wife to the Lord of the manor is Ellie Mallinson. I know I keep saying how gorgeous this cast's voices are, but here's a wonderful operatic voice that carries beautifully on the breeze. As light and wistful as the ghostly vision she portrays. (And I told you I'd booked the weather for the production).

This is the musical version of the story and the music, as I have already hinted at, is rather lovely, like a fruit sorbet on a really warm day, it goes down a treat. A classical feel tinged with folk and also Indian tones to create that eastern warmth. This soundtrack will really get your senses going. The vocal performances just made everything sound and feel just perfect for  such a warm afternoon.

The sound system by Matt Haslam and his assistants sounded wonderful, but then a few mic pac gremlins came to play and there were a few issues. That said, this is such an intimate space and the projection from all was good, so there was no real missing out of any story line from the actors. 

Lovely costumes but I bet that some of the actors, who had the heavier costumes to bear were feeling the heat inside them, but visually, they looked marvellous.

The Props certainly looked era specific, especially the wheelchair, loaned by Central.

I have only been to Elvaston Castle twice before, and have never seen The Old English Garden, so this was a lovely afternoon treat for me.

The walk from the car park is only about five to ten minutes, depending on what you're bringing with you, but the grounds are absolutely stunning, as are the walled gardens, and the Old English Garden itself. The surroundings are beautiful and my congratulations to the Set Designer, as well as the Lighting Designer; both areas spectacular and faultless!

There are only a few laid out seats in the garden so make sure that you remember to bring your own, maybe with a few cold beverages and a picnic would also go down well, but no umbrellas as you wouldn't want to block anyone else's view of the story, would you?

There's also refreshments and cakes on sale and toilets available just a short walk from the performance area, so everything is catered for.

"The Secret Garden" is at Elvaston Castle's Old English Garden until Sunday 19 July when the final performance is at 2pm. Don't miss this wonderful story in this setting, as well as this excellent cast and soothing soundtrack. A Sunday treat for you methinks.

 "Les Miserables School Edition"

KTCo Studios

Duchess Theatre, Long Eaton.

"Les Misérables - School Edition" tells the story of Jean Valjean, a former convict who spends a lifetime seeking redemption. Set against the backdrop of 19th-century France and the aftermath of the French Revolution, this story of intertwined destinies reveals the power of compassion and the quiet evil of indifference to human suffering.

As Valjean’s quest for a new life carries him into Paris and to the barricades of the Student Revolution, he is hunted by Inspector Javert and the ghosts of his past. Amidst the battles, he discovers the true meaning of love and salvation.

What, may you ask, is the difference between the "School Edition" and the original full length musical? the answer is, not a lot. There's just a few minor changes in the lyrics.

I first saw "Les Miserables - School Edition" at the Nottingham Arts Theatre back in 2015, and it's been in my top five favourite musicals since that day.

This musical is very ambitious for any young theatre company, mainly due to the score being almost sung through, as well as its' operatically strong vocals needed.

That said, this IS Kristian Thomas Company who do not shy away from big shows like this.

There are two teams for some of the main characters. 

Team Cloud, who are on Tuesday evening, Wednesday matinee, Thursday evening and Saturday evening.

Team Castle (great name for a team) perform on Wednesday evening, Friday evening and Saturday matinee.

Jean Valjean is played by Finley Eden. I last saw Fin in "Legally Blonde" last year; this role is completely different and we get to hear the power of Fin's voice, as well as the quality and control he has, and blend that in with the obvious stage presence he has and you have a strong leading man with an equally strong vocal technique.  The big song for Valjean is "Bring Him Home", and he certainly brought it home. I really liked the way that the hair and make up aged Fin towards the end with a very realistic beard and moustache and greyed hair.

Javert, the complex police inspector obsessed with upholding and enforcing the law, is played by Harrison West. I was talking to a few people in the interval and told them that what I really liked about Harrison's version of Javert is that he sang the way that his character would sing, and not as Harrison would sing the part. Maybe what I am trying to say is that Harrison really gets under the skin of the character, understanding what Javert would be like, how he would speak and the physicality of the character. Javert becomes animated and obsessed with Valjean, and the final scenes sees Javert's world of obsession spinning out of control. Harrison has a wonderfully animated face as Javert, almost giving away the rising manic coursing through his veins. One of my all-time favourite songs from this score is "Stars", a song that Harrison smashes out of the barricade, or the ballpark, and what a strong and well controlled final note in this song.

Thénardier is played by Jake Lighbown. I've had the pleasure of reviewing and writing about Jake in several productions, and has become one of my favourite young actors. I've always enjoyed seeing Jake on stage, but he raises his personal best bar up another notch as Thenardier. It's a character that needs to have a natural comic streak, as well as a great singing voice and ability to sing in accent. Well, I can see straight away why Jake got this role as he ticks every box, and there's some nifty choreography involved as well. A lovely chemistry with Madame Thénardier is also a requirement; well that's another box ticked as well. What makes this pair even more comedic, in my opinion, is that Jake is not as tall as Evie. I've seen quite a few Thénardiers over the years and have not seen a pairing that I didn't enjoy, and I am still looking because this pair are absolute comedy gold.

Madame Thénardier is played by Evie Fawbert. Have I seen Evie previously? Was Evie in "Legally Blonde"? I can't remember, but I will definitely remember Evie after Wednesday night because this performance was brilliant. The accent was excellent, the vocals were excellent, the comedy - visually and vocally - was excellent and her interaction with Jake's Thénardier looked just like a married couple who like to make snide remarks about everything to do with their relationship. 

Marius, who is close friends with Eponine but falls heavily for Cosette, is played by Miles Potter, who reprises his role from about four years ago. Since that time Miles's voice has really matured and developed into the strong and controlled voice I heard on Wednesday night. A lovely character actor who feels the emotions of the characters he plays, and that is then shown in his face. There are so many great songs in this soundtrack and "Empty Chairs At Empty tables" is such an emotional song as he relates the story of his friends that he lost at the barricades. His performance got the hairs on the back of my neck standing up.

Enjolras, leader of Les Amies de l'ABC, is one of the most important and charismatic characters in the revolution, and is played by Findlay Parker. Anyone who has read any of my reviews that have Findlay involved will know that, after his family and friends, I am possibly his biggest fan. After his incredible Uncle Fester in "The Addams Family" a couple of weeks ago, this role is yet another change of character, although Findlay is no stranger to "Les Miserables" roles. I have a feeling that Findlay is just not capable of giving a performance less than perfect, if he ever did, then it must have been a night that I didn't attend.

Fantine is played by Katie Chamberlain (Team Cloud), and Imogen Davies (Team Castle). Wednesday evening is Team Castle so I saw Imogen. Fantine is a strong and determined female character and Imogen brings these attributes to the fore in this role. She also brings emotion, especially on the deathbed scene, and her version of "I Dreamed A Dream" started off a run of "tingles" for me. You felt Fantine's pain and determination every step of the way.

Éponine is the eldest daughter of the Thénardiers and is played by Evie Hancock (Team Cloud) and Hannah Pattinson (Team Castle). Another classic song from the soundtrack belongs to Eponine in "On My Own" and you get all that passion wrapped up in an incredible young star. The scene with Marius and Eponine at the barricades is possibly one of the most emotive performances of the two characters.

Daughter of Fantine and the adopted daughter of Valjean, Cosette is played by Nora Welham (Team Cloud) and Olivia Bonham (Team Castle). Olivia is the female equivalent of Findlay as I have been a fan of Olivia's for several years now. I mentioned the operatic streak running through this score and Olivia has one of the best trained operatic vocals around. Every time I see and hear her on stage, she seems to have taken her vocal ability to another level. Her vocal control is joyful to the ear and visually is stunning to watch.

Young Cosette is played by Jessica Upton (Team Cloud) and Sophie Shropshall (Team Castle) and Young Eponine is played by Isabelle Magee (Team Cloud) and Iris Lee (Team Castle). Sophie and Iris, who I saw on Wednesday night have a bagful of confidence and looked so comfortable on stage, and the smiles at the final bows show that this pair enjoyed being on stage as much as the audience enjoyed watching them.

Gavroche, the cheeky and streetwise urchin who helps out at the barricade, is played by Toby Clark (Team Cloud) and Joshua Stewart (Team Castle). Josh has all the cheekiness needed for this role, as well as the confidence. Love the accent and his singing style, and Gavroche's demise still makes my jaw drop, even after seeing this musical so many times.

The supporting cast, who play several roles throughout, are a tour de force and include Alfie Bridges, Bailey Duffy, Megan Wilson, Oscar drake, Rio Cundy, Alana Broderick, Amy Shelmerdine, Amelia Goodwin, Effie Lennon-Ballard, Evie Radmore, Felicity Holman, Grace Kolasa, Gracie Foster, Isobel Osborne, Jessica Peel, Laila Cook, Libby Petford, Millie Knight and Nancy Fox.

Grace Kolasa is Dance Captain. For anyone who is unsure the role of a Dance Captain, they play a vital role in preserving and maintaining the original choreography of the musical, as well as making sure that the other cast members have the routines accurate for the performance. The opening choreographed scene is very stylised and the actors concerned have a lovely staccato movement and smooth synergy.

Directed by Katy MacLaughlin. From the start to the very end of the show, everything on stage was perfection - I really am now getting so used to seeing Youth Groups creating and performing practically perfect productions. This show, as I have already mentioned, is a massive take, but when the results are as spectacular as this, you realise the amount of work put in by the creative teams.

Musical Director is Jonah Williams. Fresh from yet another amazing show last week, "Bonnie & Clyde", Jonah delivers another incredible big name show. The music is a monster but in the hands of someone like Jonah, the results are beautiful, dramatic and spectacular. The operatic, as well as dramatic, style of vocal is not always easy to bring out of a young person, but Jonah has worked his magic again. Musically, this show is stunning.

This score includes some of the most well known musical theatre songs; songs like "I Dreamed A Dream", "The Inkeeper's Song", "One Day More", "Bring Him Home", "On My Own" and "Empty Chairs At Empty Tables" among them.

The musical staging is by Kristian Cunningham, and who better to create this particular area than Mr C. Every drop of dramaturg is visible with every one of these actors. Every character is a performance.

The barricade set is designed to be able to moved in two parts so that it can be rotated to be able to show both sides of the barricade. Provided by Proscenium Set Ltd and the stage extension thanks to Roydon Charlesworth.

The costumes look marvellous, as did the wigs, and were provided by KTCo Studios. Just by looking at the costume, you know which character they belong to. Javert has several costume changes, which is something that you don't see that often in a production like this. Love the street urchin look with Gavroche. Seamstress for this production, who I imagine was kept very busy, is Abbi Burns.

I did have to have a silent smile at the attempt to gel down Miles' mass of curly hair for Marius, but I don't think there's enough gel in Long Eaton to suppress those curls!

Sound Design and Operation is by Dave Dallard. there may have been a few late mic cues, but this is a BIG cast, and when individuals in the ensemble also get solo vocal parts as well as the mains, that whole image of an octopus comes to mind. No amount of late cues though would ever spoil this show for me. Volume wise, the sound was spot on for me, as was the vocal/music mix.

Lighting design is by Stephen Greatorex, operated by Stephen Greatorex and Quillen Parker. This show's lighting design is one of colour, not just black and red, and that's what we were given, an artist's palette of colour.

Producers are Kristian Cunningham and Katie Lawson.

Stage managed by Millie Gilks.

The many props were provided by Carol Lawson.

I'll also mention that the programme is pure quality. It's glossy, looks professional and has all the details you'll need about the production. This is the work of Kristian Cunningham.

"Les Miserables - School Edition" is at The Duchess Theatre until Saturday 18 July, but I would check first to see if there are any tickets available, as when I last looked the run is SOLD OUT throughout, and after seeing the show, I can see exactly why this is. Another well deserved standing ovation, and whichever cast you see, Team Cloud or Team Castle, you will not be disappointed.

Photography by Cassie Hall Photography.

 "The Bodyguard"

Nottingham Royal Concert Hall.

I’m sure that there aren’t many people who have not seen the film of the same name which starred Whitney Houston and Kevin Costner, but the story is basically the same.

Former Secret Service agent turned bodyguard, Frank Farmer, is hired to protect superstar Rachel Marron from an unknown stalker. Each expects to be in charge – what they don’t expect is to fall in love.

The musical is packed with great Whitney Houston songs like “I Wanna Dance With Somebody”, “The Greatest Love Of All”, “Queen Of the Night”, “One Moment In Time”, “So Emotional”, “Saving All My Love For You” and of course, the song we associate with the film, “I Will Always Love You” plus so many more Whitney classics. 

Rachel Marron, in tonight's show (Monday) is played by Mireira Mambo. This role is otherwise played by Sidonie Smith. To play the same role that Whitney Houston plays is a big pair of stilettos to fill, especially vocal wise, but I am not going to compare Mireira to Whitney because Mireira has a big old powerful set of pipes for herself, and after all, it's Rachel Marron we're watching not Whitney Houston, and Mireira does an amazing job being Rachel Marron. She hits all of those big notes and when it comes to those power ballads, the emotions are there too. When it comes to choreography, she has the edge on Whitney because I can't remember Whitney having this intensity in dance; and let's be clear here, I love Whitney's work. Mireira has legs that go on forever and a groove that makes you want to mambo all night long.

Rachel's sister, Nicki Marron, is played by Sasha Monique, who has one hell of a voice as well. From the smoky jazz version of "Saving All My Love For You" to the final club banger "I Want To Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me), along with the whole cast, her voice really stands out, and I adored the gospel sound of Sasha's voice.

Frank Farmer aka The Bodyguard is played by Adam Garcia. Singer, dancer, actor, this man can do everything (he does in this keep his singing and dancing skills hidden until the finale). There is plenty of eye candy on show for the ladies in the audience but Adam certainly had a weird effect on a few ladies sat around where I was sitting, or maybe it was the heat that made them exhale so audibly. Loved the drama that Adam is involved in, all the while looking as if he would very easily step into the shoes of the next James Bond.

Rachel's stalker is played by James-Lee Harris. Here's one man you would not like to bump into in a dark alley in Nottingham, or anywhere to be precise. He looks nasty, although when he came on for his final bows and smiled at the booing his character received, he looked completely different - now that is how to break a profile. Extremely sinister looking, especially with the lighting and effects used when he was the focus on stage.

Sy Spector, Rachel's publicist, is played by Matt Milburn. Sy has been in the business for a long time and does not suffer fools gladly. He likes everyone to be adept at what they do. He is bullish and outspoken but is good at his job of promoting the Rachel Marron brand.

John Macauley plays Bill Devaney, Rachel's long standing manager, who also has the best interests of Rachel at heart, almost like a father figure to her. While Sy is interested more in the business side of Marron, Bill has that kinder edge, extremely loyal. Bill is the man who initially makes contact with Farmer after finding the note left by the Stalker in Rachel's dressing room, and asks that he becomes her bodyguard. 

Jonathan Alden plays Tony Sibelli, Rachel's current Head of Security, who at first doesn't take kindly to Farmer coming in and taking over, but soon appreciates the knowledge and experience that farmer brings with him to the job. 

Ray Court is played by Ryan Bennett, who is an experienced CIA or government agent with specialized knowledge of character profiling and stalkers. Ray provides Frank with critical intelligence regarding the stalker targeting Rachel.

Fletcher Marron, Rachel's young son, absolutely stole the stage with his singing and especially his dancing. Throughout the tour there are four young actors who play this young man, Adam Bartlett, Phoenix Beharry, Mason Dyett and Ebrahim Joof, and if they are all as talented as Mason, who is the little star on opening night (Monday), I can see long and successful futures for them all. I must say though that Mason looks as if he is going to be a brilliant dancer because he has a groove about him, and I was watching his hands and they are wonderfully turned out.

The Ensemble consist of Taylor Bridges, Kayne Gordon, Ohana Greaves, Alice Readie, Theo UK Rose, Emma-Jane Smith, Yiota Theo, Luke Walsh, Luke Woollaston and Zirihi Zadi. Boy, can this lot dance. the energy in this lot is as hot as the flames leaping from the stage in the opening number "Queen Of The Night", and as I said earlier, plenty of eye candy for the ladies with quite a bit of flesh on show and lots of raunchy gyrations.

Directed by Thea Sharrock this show is a massive success, the pace is well measured and the music and light cues are split second to give the maximum effect. Still love the way that in certain parts of the play, half of the stage is curtained off to make you focus on that particular scene of character, and then reversed to move you to the other part of the stage for the next scene; it's all about the flow.

Lighting Design by Mark Henderson and Sound Design by Richard Brooker made this musical seem like a full on concert in parts with the light show. With the "jump" factor the lighting cues, in conjunction with the sound blasts made you sit up and take notice, and the wonderful slow motion section was incredibly exciting, highlighting the danger that Rachel was in, being in close proximity to her stalker.

The sound in the Royal Concert Hall used to be - a long while ago now - not as good acoustically as it should be, but now it is top notch. If I go to a concert, I love it to be loud so that the bass resounds in your chest, and that is what this sound level was like; lovely and loud which really created that concert style atmosphere. The lighting was, likewise, of superstar concert standard. 

Musical Direction by Charlie Ingles. This six piece band sounded at least twice the size and gave out such power. Stephen Hill's orchestral management was absolutely lush, which sounded gorgeous on the ballads.

I noted that some of the songs were trimmed down, and that worked well with the flow and pace of this show.

Choreographed by Karen Bruce and, as I'd previously seen this musical before, I knew I was in for a treat, because this is West End choreography at its' best. Full on energy from the ensemble as well as Mireira and the rest of the cast. An absolute treat for dance fans.

The Video Design for this show by Duncan McLean really makes the flow of the show in an almost cinematic way. In sections it reminded me of those old film noir detective films, but the opening video sequence is something that would not look amiss in the introduction shots on "The X Factor" before the guest performer takes to the stage. 

Set and Costume Design is by Tim Hatley. A gorgeous set design that highlighted Rachel's status in the music industry, and of course the costumes are absolutely stunning.

What really made this show so classy for me though was the whole staging of the show. Props and scenes that seemed to slide in and out, Stage sectioning to focus on the smaller scene while the quick changes were being done in the darkened and shielded part of the stage and also the three way closure of the scenes - the two from the sides of the stage and then another that lowered from the top of the stage to diminish the vision to a small square which then vanished. Difficult to explain but a fabulous way to bring closure to a scene.

What slightly irked me though was the grating noises that were heard when the flats - large scene sections that are dropped into place from above the stage - were hoisted or lowered into place electronically. At times you could only just hear the actors while these flats, behind the curtained off scene, were positioned and repositioned. This grating noise could be heard several times during the show, lasting for around ten seconds at a time. This didn't spoil my enjoyment of the show however, it was just annoying to be able to hear the electronics of the machinery that changed the scenery. I think this may also be the first time that I have ever heard this sort of thing in a theatre setting.

But I refuse to end on a negative note because this show has, over the years become a bit of a guilty pleasure for me. I love the songs, the choreography is always exciting to watch, the Direction is always stunning, as is the sound and lighting design. the film was never really on my favourite lists, until after the first time I saw the stage musical of this, and now I watch it whenever it's on TV (spoiler - the end of the musical is not the same as the end of the film version - but I love both). This a great night out at the theatre and a wonderfully thrilling evening's entertainment.

“The Bodyguard” is at the Nottingham Royal Concert Hall until Saturday 18 July.

 "Tainted Love" by Richard Dawson & Lauren Riley.

Erewash Musical Society Youth Group.

Duchess Theatre, Long Eaton.

This is a new musical set in and around Long Eaton and set in the 1980's, packed with a soundtrack of some of the most iconic hits from the 1980's as well as some mentions of TV, radio, language and culture of the times.

Lisa has split from her husband and has moved herself and two children, 18 year old Tiffany and 12 year old Brian to a new town where she has a job at the local school as the head teacher. Tiffany has a job in the local club, Minskys, while Brian is enrolled at the same school where his mum is the headteacher. All three are finding their new lives a bit difficult to adapt to with Brian really missing his Dad and feeling that his Mum's time is all for Tiffany. Tiffany's slightly rebellious wild streak rears its' head while at work, which affects her social life, as well as her home life. But then things start to brighten up, but only after something dark happens.

I'm not a massive fan of jukebox musicals, but this has been written in such a way that the songs actually have relativity with the storyline, with some of the lyrics telling the story of the characters and the situations they encounter. The arrangements of the songs are another thing that I love in this musical. they are not just carbon copies of the songs, the pitch has been changed to match the young cast's singing abilities and some lyrics amended to fit the story.

Lisa is played by Lauren Hazeldine. In the past I have seen Lauren in many ensemble roles, and I am so pleased to see her in a main role like this. I got to hear her voice properly, and what a voice this young woman has. One of my favourite scenes is where she calls up her husband, who has left the family for another woman. You could feel the bitterness in her voice as she practically begged him to visit for their children's sake, and then confessed that she also missed him. When she sang "Against All Odds (Take A Look At Me Now)" you could hear that emotional outpouring.

Eloise Chamberlain is Tiffany and it's so lovely to see Eloise in a leading role. As with Lauren, I was so pleased to get to hear Eloise's voice as a leading soloist, as opposed to being part of an ensemble. "Material Girl" is not an easy song to crack, but Eloise gave it all the sass it needed and set the pace for the rest of the musical. I also liked the duet with Lauren in "You Keep It All In".

The chemistry that was created with Mickey was lovely to see, and although Tiffany comes across as a hard nut to crack at the start, I loved the softness that Eloise brough to the character, the more we got to know her, as well as the reasons why she developed her outer protective exterior.

Brian is played by Finley Haigh. I honestly cannot remember seeing Finley before but this young man has straight away proven to be a very strong leading character, and more than that an impressive set of vocals. There are so many songs from this soundtrack that are anything but easy but Finley made all of his sound as if he was crooning along to the radio. or belting out the bangers in the shower; he made everything sound so easy. I especially enjoyed the duet he has with Lauren in Nik Kershaw's "Wouldn't It Be Good", a song that completely summed up Brian's feelings and his Mum's, almost in a competitive style.

"I got it bad
You don't know how bad I got it
You got it easy
You don't know when you've got it good
It's getting harder
Just keeping life and soul together
I'm sick of fighting
Even though I know I should
The cold is biting
Through each and every nerve and fiber
My broken spirit is frozen to the core
I don't wanna be here no more"

Harry O'Boyle plays Mickey, the young man who spots Tiffany at work in Minsky's and asks her out. Harry is another one of those young actors who I really enjoy watching, and every time I see him on stage, he gets better and more watchable. I think that Harry's vocals are stronger than ever, as proven in "Don't You Want Me", a lovely cheesy choice he sings after being rebuked by Tiffany. Harry's version of Billy Idol's "Dancing With Myself" is a belter, as is his choreography for that scene.

Kevin, who becomes Brian's best friend in and out of school, is played by Blake Hagan. I last saw Blake in "Guys n Dolls" playing a hapless American cop, so as soon as I saw Blake's name in the programme, I hoped that this character would be a comedy role, because Blake is a natural comedian on stage. I was right, there are so many comic scenes with Kevin and Brian which both young men deliver with gusto and realism.

Miss Booth, the teacher, is played by Emily O'Boyle. Not a major role but Emily made it a memorable role.

Chrissie, Minsky's bar manager is played by Juliette York.

Livvi Hickling is Nicole, Taylor Dilks plays Jenny, Erica is played by Gabriella Tilley.

Simone is played by Jessie Gatehouse, Jack Tuxford plays Justin, Ryan is played by Xander Thorpe; the bullies in Brian's class who naturally latch onto Brian, making his life not a pleasant one.

The Backing Singers, The "Taintees" are Eva Woodcock, Izzy Cole and Rose Staniford; looking glamorous and sounding smooth.

The ensemble is made up of Noah Hickling, Elis Moore, Joshuar Harris, Mollie Jerram, Lowri Moore, Clarissa Armitage, Heather Beardmore, Oliver Nolan and Myla Brown.

I have a tendency to watch the ensemble and while every one of the above named were absolutely superb, I have to pick out Noah Hickling because he seemed to be dancing like no one was watching. I love the enthusiasm he put into every second of stage time; this young man certainly has rhythm and is not afraid to show it. I also loved watching little Joshuar Harris who also gave it some. This was a dream ensemble because every one of them looked to be having the time of their lives this afternoon.

Directed by Richard and Laura Dawson, the pace's flow and ebb is spot on, and with many upbeat songs and moments, it was nice to slow down a bit for the more emotional moments. There are no punches pulled either, especially with the discussion of the broken family or with the situation that turns everything around. Another big plus for me was that it wasn't just the main characters that got to shine and the ensemble created a backing; many of the ensemble were given parts and songs that highlighted their ability, singing or otherwise. All in all, this is what a jukebox musical should look and sound like, and even though none of the cast were even born when this musical was set, they all embraced the culture and the language brilliantly. It's been decades since I heard anyone being called a "div", and that just made me grin.

This is a wonderful nostalgic trip for me, reminding me as I watched of personal times in my own life. My clubbing days where I used to be first on the dance floor to songs like "I Wanna Dance With Somebody", the split between my parents with songs like "Against All Odds", and the happy memories before I lost my parents and several close friends all came flooding back with some of these song selections. That's the wonderful thing about music, one song can bring back all the good times, as well as the not so good times, and the eighties was my decade.

Choreographed by Lauren Riley, assisted by Ava Haylock. I can only imagine the fun this pair must have had planning the choreography for these musical numbers, especially for songs like "Mickey" and the brilliant "Billie Jean" section. I so hoped that the cast would Moonwalk, and they didn't disappoint me. 

Musical Directors are Chris Renshaw and George Parkinson. Not only did they do an incredible job vocally with this cast, the live music sounded so close to the original songs, there were times that seemed like backing tracks were used, but no, everything was played live, and I love the sound that made the eighties for me, the synth drum. I've seen so many of this ensemble performing in ensemble groups before, but when any one of them stepped out of the ensemble to sing, they all showed what capable soloists they are, and that is because the time taken with the MDs combined with individual talent.

The five piece live band, named The Pac Men, consist of George Parkinson (Keys 1), Martin Lewis (Keys 2), Chris Renshaw (Guitar), Tom Hickling (Drums) and Jeff Widdowson (Bass/Synth). The overture, which combined soundbites from TV and radio from the eighties was brilliantly blended into the medley of classics from the decade, and I hadn't heard Harold Faltermeyer's "Axel F" for years, which sounded superb thanks to Jeff's synth playing.

There was even an illuminated trio of Pac Man figures on the front of the orchestra section and the band donned Pac Man T Shirts, which goes to show that everything relevant to this show was thought of and brought to the public eye. And it's often the little things that create the most attention and respect for the work that has gone into a production such as this.

So many classics in this musical including a gorgeous three way with Tiffany, Lisa and Brian in "Cruel Summer", a brilliantly fun "Goody Two Shoes" - both of these having different meanings in this musical to the original fun elements brought out by Bananarama and Adam Ant, "Misfit", "Mickey", "Mad World" which was a poignant song sung by Brian, and the uplifting "Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now" to close the musical with.

Set Design is by Mark Robbins and Bill Robbins, and this is another area that I loved because it was all self contained in what looked like giant rubik cubes. Everything needed for the scene changes were neatly slotted into the set on stage. If you've ever seen a touring production of "The Curious Case Of the Dog in The Night Time", that was the same where sections were pulled out of the set and then replaced, a brilliant idea. The upper part of the set is split into three, Lisa's sitting room, Tiffany's bedroom and the landing. Very clever in it's design.

Stage managed smoothly by Mark Robbins.

Sound design and operation is by Dave Dallard and Olivia Michaud. Absolutely flawless, which seems to be the norm nowadays. A perfect blend of sound and vocals.

Lighting design and operation is by Richard Chamberlain, assisted by Dave Martin. In expert hands the results are going to be as good as this.

Props and Wardrobe are thanks to EMUS Committee, Friends and Family.

I have said this over and over again this last couple of weeks, Youth Theatre is ripe with talented young actors and Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire have so much to show off, and rightly so. It also means that when some of these leave Youth productions, as some will after tonight's show, the future of local theatre is in excellent, and extremely talented hands, and feet, and vocal chords. And I for one is really looking forward to see what happens next for those leaving Youth Theatre groups. I do know that their talents will be in demand for many styles of theatre for many local theatre groups.

"Tainted Love" closes tonight at the Duchess Theatre, Long Eaton.

 "The Market Deeping Model Railway Club" by William Ivory.

Nottingham Playhouse.

First off, let me say, you do not need to know anything about model railways to enjoy this play. The beauty of this play is in the writing and the actors who bring the script to life.

In many ways Billy Ivory says a lot of things that we would love to openly comment on, and gets other people (the actors) to say them. What he also does in this play is to highlight many of the rules that have become well known, mainly that have come from over the water, that are absolutely ridiculous and made people smile at the ridiculousness, like straight bananas.

As well as a massive amount of comedy, there are some lovely human moments, especially with Graham and Linda.

This play is based on a true story, that I vaguely remember being on the news. Their story went global, help flooded in from unexpected sources, including fellow model railway enthusiast Sir Rod Stewart. But after vandalism to the model railway layouts by teen vandals, what lay ahead for the club? This story tells what may have been the way forward for the club, and the members, to get them back on the right track! 

It shines a spotlight on the humanity shown by complete strangers who heard of the vandalism and donated money, one donation of 95 pence from a child who decided to give his weekly pocket money to the club, plus the £10.000 donation from fellow model railway fanatic, Sir Rod Stewart.

What you don't realise though is that some of these fanatics have put their whole life into creating miniature pieces of art. Characters like George who spent the last twenty years building a model, forever updating the feature, and as George says, he hasn't got twenty more years to start all over again.

Chairman Graham, his wife Linda and the eclectic bunch of enthusiasts must face the question: what exactly is it about their everyday lives, that makes recreating the England of the past in miniature so appealing?

It shows the quality of the writing by one of Nottinghamshire's most successful modern playwrights, William Ivory, when big names in the entertainment field line up to be involved, as you can see by the cast.

Adrian Scarborough returns to the Nottingham Playhouse, and plays Graham. Here is a character that at first seems to have everything under control, but we soon find out that his life inside and outside of the model railway club is like the swan looking serene above the water but below, the legs are kicking like mad. There's a secret that he has been keeping from the members, which goes to show just how much he loves modelling, and also how much he cares for his fellow members. His love for model trains borders on the obsessive, early on in the play we find him in the attic with his trains at four in the morning, having not been to sleep! This obsession also affects his marriage, as Linda has been feeling second best, and soon makes this quite clear to him. Needless to say Adrian Scarborough is such a fine actor that I do not need to mention just how good this man is, especially with the comedy.

Linda is played by Lucy Briers, daughter of one of my favourite ever actors, Richard Briers. This apple didn't fall far from the comedy tree. Linda does everything to keep the wheels on the track at the club and her marriage to Graham. She provides the hot food for the meetings, opens up the clubhouse and is almost like his secretary. Linda is like the proverbial onion; there are so many layers to her that are revealed throughout, especially when we discover about her musical tastes, and there's a brilliant scene which shows her raving away to house music, which turns the clubhouse into a multi coloured disco. 

Jordan is played by Babatunde Aleshe, who most people will know from his comedy shows on TV and his stand up tours. Jordan is the newest member of the club, as well as the youngest and most socially aware. He is also the character who gets the word out on social media about the vandalism and starts the ball rolling with the donations. Babatunde is a funny man and naturally the comic lines Jordan has all sound so natural coming out of his mouth. Loved the interaction between Jordan and the elder model railway enthusiasts, especially Jerry. From their first meeting to the final scene you could feel the connection. 

Eastenders Nigel actor, Paul Bradley plays Jerry. The scene where he has taken some pills is a highlight for me, and is also the scene that cements the relationship with Jordan. Paul is made to look older than he is due to the hair, make up and style of clothes given for the character, and is also the character who loves all of the fiddly bits about train modelling. You'll discover that every character has a specialist area that has been so well written for them by Billy.

Matt Bardock plays Chris, the antagonist of the group; slightly racist, he also has some strong political opinions and is not afraid to air them. He gets up people's noses, one especially who tells him exactly what he thinks of him with just one four letter word! Chris wants payback for the vandalism, again putting the blame on completely the wrong kind of group, and when he discovers that the vandals are local lads, who have been caught, he wants to see them face to face. 

Another recognisable face belongs to Geoffrey Beevers, who plays George. This is a great character and again, playing a character older than himself. Love the physicality that is given to this character, and also the running joke that, even though it's mentioned that it's hot outside (even back in 2019), George always seems to dress with at least one big overcoat on over a jacket and shirt and tie! I love characters like these because you can see that the characters have lived and have a real history. Practically every entrance by George has him almost at death's door.

Ken is played by Deka Walmsley. Ken is depicted as the scary one of the club, there are rumours that he once killed a man, that truth is explained later in the play, but is not quite how the others thought it may be. As with all the characters, there's a lovely back story, and that is also the case here with an explanation of why he created the model that he was due to show at the exhibition. None of the other members had seen his entry before and there are rumours also about whether the completed model was on show at all. Again, all of this is revealed near the end of the story.

There's a really realistic fight section involving Ken, which was directed by Bret Yount.

Neil is played by James Bradshaw. Neil is, now and again, quite a fiery character, but as this cast is an ensemble cast, his story fits in nicely around all of the others. Like all the characters he has his shining moments of comedy peppered throughout the story.

The four vandals, or supernumeraries, as they are listed in the programme are rotated, depending which night you may go and see the play. They are Jamie Adlam, Freya Allen Joseph Grainge, Margot Lubliner, Guiseppe Manzione, Jessica McWhirter, Christopher Molife, Thomas Pears, Rory Squire and Niamh Woolley. Not sure which quartet were on stage on Friday night, but I know one of them was not Jamie Adlam; I'd have spotted him even without the hood. 

Directed by Adam Penford. I think it's very safe to say that this is another success for Mr Penford.

Set Designer is Soutra Gilmour. This set changed so many times. There was even one section that came loose from the club room to transform into Graham and Linda's loft and then back to the club room, then to the exhibition room, and as you can imagine a whole host of props and model train paraphernalia.

Lighting Design is by Howard Hudson and Sound Designer and original music composer is Alexandra Faye Braithwaite. 

The Projection Designer is Jon Driscoll and this really made the play visually special. All the way around the top of the set we saw trains chugging along and coming around the sides. The opening section was like a Google maps search where we eventually focused on the area of Market Deeping. There's also a central section with a real model train and background which adds to the fun of the opening as it travels the full length of the stage.

There's a section just after the vandalism which used actual pictures of the damage done by the real vandals, and seeing that on stage, the size of a cinema screen, really hits home. The love, the time and all the energy put into their creations, smashed on the floor in such a violent manner, was really shocking.

Animation by Gemma Carrington.

This is a brilliant piece of theatre, with a brilliant soundtrack, and as I said at the start, you don't have to have any knowledge of model trains, or even like model trains, because this piece is all about belonging, looking out for someone, human kindness and moving forward. It's a wonderful story and I noticed that there were some of the members of the real Market Deeping Railway Club in attendance, and seeing it all unfolding on stage obviously bought back some raw emotions for them.

None of the character names are the actual names of the real life club members.

"The Market Deeping Model Railway Club" is at the Nottingham Playhouse until Saturday 25 July. Get on the right track and show yourself the green light to a thoroughly entertaining evening out at the theatre.