"Jersey Boys"

Nottingham Royal Concert Hall.

"Jersey Boys" is a musical biography of the Four Seasons—the rise, the tough times and personal clashes, and the ultimate triumph of a group of friends whose music became symbolic of a generation. This is no tribute concert, "Jersey Boys" gets to the heart of the relationships at the centre of the group—with a special focus on frontman Frankie Valli, the small kid with the big falsetto. In addition to following the quartet’s coming of age as performers, the core of the show is about their code of honour learned in the streets of their native New Jersey which got them through a multitude of challenges: gambling debts, Mafia threats and family disasters. "Jersey Boys" is a glimpse at the people behind a sound that has managed to last over six decades in the hearts of the public.

Luke Baker plays Frankie Valli, and gets within a gnat's breath of sounding exactly like Frankie Valli. His falsetto his spectacular, and when he sings tracks like "Beggin'", "Can't Take My Eyes Off Of You" and best of all "Fallen Angel", you feel that you could be in the same room as Frankie Valli himself. I last saw Luke as Billy Elliot's big brother at Leicester Curve, and also got to chat to him when he then became a guest on my Sunday morning radio show. His voice sounds better than ever and, like his Yorkshire roots, delivers an honest and gutsy story of the man with one of the most recognisable voices of the last century. Luke also provides some exciting dance moves, including the splits and some trademark Four Seasons choreography.

Carlo BouMouglbay plays Tommy DeVito. What a character Tommy was! Causing most of the upset, and debt within the band, but if it were not for Tommy, maybe we would not have been sat in a theatre enjoying the Jersey Boys at all. I don't need to keep reiterating the quality of the vocals from this cast; they're chosen for the quality of their voices. There's always a tempestuous member of any band and Carlo brings that to the stage with a natural Italian flair.

Lewis Kennedy plays Nick Massi, the bass in the Four Seasons. The tidy one in the band and also the man who feels the need to iron his shirts twice before going on stage. Nick is the band member who shared hotel rooms with Tommy and there's a really comical scene which explodes onto the stage, during an argument, about Tommy's health hygiene habits. A wry sense of humour which is delivered with wonderful subtlety by Lewis. 

Toby Miles plays Bob Gaudio. We get to see and hear everything about Gaudio's life; from his first hit "Short Shorts" for The Royal Teens back in 1957, through to the 1970's hits "December '63 (Oh What A Night)" - which, if you didn't already know, is influenced by quite a life changing event in any young man's life, "Silver Star" and "Who Loves You". Bob is probably the most grounded and legally aware of all the band, as well as the calmest in many of the explosive situations.

Michael Levi plays Bob Crewe. The musical depicts Crewe as being openly gay, although reports state that he hid his sexuality, especially around The Four Seasons. Crewe wrote so many hit records over the decades, many with Gaudio but also stacks of doo wop hits like "Daddy Cool" and "Silhouettes" and 1970's disco records like "Lady Marmalade" for Labelle and "Get Dancin'" for Disco Tex and The Sex O Lettes. 

Nottingham's very own local lad made very good, Aiden Carson, plays Joe Pesci. Pesci had a big hand in Bob Gaudio joining the band, long before he became the successful, award winning actor he became in the 1970's, Aiden plays several other characters throughout, so keep an eye out for him under various disguises. I always knew how talented Aiden was but tonight I saw a new talent that I wasn't aware of. His trumpet playing. Wait until the final scenes to catch him blowing his own trumpet! Well, when you have that amount of talent, why not? It was nice to see many local actors in the audience out to support Aiden, as well as to see one of the best jukebox musicals ever.

The rest of the cast consist of Artemis Chrisoulakis (Francine and others), Sydnie Hocknell (Mary Delgado and others), Olivia Mitchell (Lorraine and others), Jarryd Nurden (Hank Majewski and others), Oliver Tester (Norm Waxman and others), Damien Winchester (Barry Belson and others) and Fed Zanni (Gyp Decarlo and others).

Scott Gonclaves, Melissa Potts and Zach Sorrow make up the Swing with Joshua Spencer-Pepper being the Dance Captain and Swing. For anyone who doesn't know what a "Swing" performer is, let me explain. A swing refers to a member of the company who understudies several ensemble roles.

Directed by Des McAnuff. There's such a lot of history behind the formation and rise of The Four Seasons and Frankie Valli's solo career, and while all the highlights, and low periods are included, the pace is swift without compromising the storylines. It's one of those musicals that you want to see again and again due to the energy, pace, and of course the wonderful soundtrack.

The orchestra, under the management of Maurice Cambridge, were punchy and powerful with a brilliant brass section. Bob Gaudio and Bob Crewe's songs are etched into any music fan's musical memory and still sound as good today as they ever did. All of the additional songs which punctuate the Four Seasons' career, not written by the Bobs's, are also wonderful reminders of just how great, as well as memorable the music was back then.

Ron Melrose is the Musical Supervisor, Vocal Arranger and is responsible for the incidental music in the show.

Choreographed by Sergio Trujillo, the staccato dance moves that these four were famous for were all there with an abundance of energy.

The costumes are wonderfully chic and are designed by Jess Goldstein. The colourful, and trademark red jackets are in there, and there's a section when they are first used passed the quick change, and timed perfectly. the ladies' costumes are equally as eye-catching and colourful, again bringing the glamour of the Sixties girl groups to the fore.

Hair and Wig Design are by Charles G. Lapointe.

Lighting Design by Howard Binkley with Sound Design by Steve Canyon-Kennedy. I loved the set, designed by Klara Zieglerova, with the lightning scene changes and especially the TV Studio setting where there are a few fantastic live TV shots in black and white, cut into library footage of audience reactions, creating realistic sixties style TV shows akin to "Ready Steady Go" and the American equivalent. The Projection Designer is Michael Clark.

My eyes, and ears, adored hearing these classic pop songs performed so tightly and faithfully and, as I mentioned earlier, at times it was like holding court with Frankie Valli himself, who is still going strong today and still has that amazing multi-octave set of vocals.

If you love a good factual story with loads of instantly memorable songs, all of which will get your toes tapping, you will adore this musical. If you've seen this show previously, you'll know just how good this show is, and will want to see the show again. And it's always interesting to see and hear what the stories are behind certain songs.

"Jersey Boys" is at the Nottingham Royal Concert Hall until Saturday 4 July.

 "The Unfriend" by Steven Moffat.

Riverside Drama Company.

Duchess Theatre, Long Eaton.

The third piece of theatre this week that I'd not seen before, so Nottingham's theatres are really giving me an education over the past few days!

While on a cruise ship holiday, Peter and Debbie befriend Elsa: a lusty, Trump-loving widow with an outrageous sense of humour from Denver, USA. They agree to stay in touch – because no one you ever meet while on holiday ever really does, do they?

When Elsa invites herself to stay a few months later, they decide to look her up online. And that's when Peter and Debbie decide to Google her and learn the truth about Elsa Jean Krakowski. Deadly danger has just boarded a flight to London! But how do you protect all that you love from mortal peril without seeming, well, a bit impolite? Because guess who's coming... to murder!

Peter is played by Paul Norris, and I can see a lot of myself in Peter, especially his feelings towards Trump! Peter doesn't like to face situations head on, unless forced to do so by his wife, Debbie. He's a busy, busy man after all, and doesn't need the constant interference from his neighbour. I enjoyed the gradual increase in the eventual "red mist" brought on by the visitor, their sons and the neighbour, to which Paul brought the eruption of Peter's nerves to an eventual climax that brough him to his knees in frustration.

Debbie, Peter's wife, is played by Lizzie Norris. From the opening scene where Debbie has to badger Peter to pack his case, two hours before they are due to disembark their cruise, it's plain to see who was in charge in that relationship. Debbie also did all the digging and planning to try and cancel Elsa's visit, but you know what they say about the best laid plans! Lizzie always seems to get the chemistry with her co-actors on stage just right - and I'm not just talking about the Debbie and Peter thing durr! But there's a great maternal chemistry between Debbie and their two sons, Alex and Rhys, as she bosses them around in a motherly fashion. Lizzie's one of my favourite local actors and the fact that she smashes every role that she embodies proves what a flexible character actor she is.

Elsa is played by Donna Osmond. First thing that hits home for me and ticks the initial box is the accent. A lovely soft drawl that lasts from the very first sentence all the way through to the last. Anyone who doesn't know Donna would not have been able to tell that the accent was put on for the character. I love the way Elsa twists every negative into her being the victim, but just wait until the final scene!

Alex, the first of the two teenage sons we get to see, is played by Billy Stewart. Billy is a new name to me and this is his debut for Riverside Drama Company. Alex is the typical teenager, glued to his games console and rarely venturing out of his bedroom, a picturesque description of said room given by his brother, Rhys near the beginning of the first half. Alex changes throughout the play, thanks to Elsa's advice and understanding friendship, as does Rhys, to a pair of sons every parent would love to have. Billy studied acting for stage and screen at Bristol School of Acting, graduating in 2024. I look forward to see  what he does next in the area, acting wise. It's always great to see an increase locally in male actors, and the lack of male actors means that theatre groups, such as Riverside are always crying out for actors like Billy.

Rhys is played by the award winning Arden-Caspar Jennison, a young man who has been around the local stages for a long time, but this role marks his debut for Riverside. I've always had the greatest respect for this man as he has proven that he can sing, dance, play serious characters and can do comedy in equal amounts of talent and know how. Rhys is another great role, and almost the opposite of Alex as he's a little more shy, slightly reserved with people he doesn't know but, when he comes out of his shell is a lad who is happy to give and receive hugs from his parents, and Elsa. I saw Arden in May in the musical "Anything Goes" and on stage I had to look twice, he looked quite different, visually, but what I love is that Arden is one of those actors who can get away with playing roles years younger than he actually is, which means that his career on the stage will stretch decades into the future. You can never tire of seeing versatile actors like Arden on local stages.

The Neighbour is played by another actor who I always look forward to seeing on stage, Jonathan Greaves. Again, I've seen Jonathan play many roles, each one different to the last, and here is Jonathan in annoying neighbour mode. Last time I compared Jonathan to Greg Davies, this time, in this character, he reminded me so much of the actor Mark Heap, who coincidentally played the annoying neighbour in the comedy "Friday Night Dinner". Jonathan Greaves is a chameleon when it comes to treading the boards. Debbie and Peter's neighbour is always popping round regarding an issue in the garden, and when i saw always, I mean every five minutes or so, adding to the stress already building from Elsa's visit.

The final character in the play is PC Junkin, the police officer who has been appointed to have a chat, or follow up enquiries regarding the death of someone who Elsa had come into contact with the week before joining Debbie and Peter. Robert Osmond plays PC Junkin, which includes a brilliant scene regarding toilet humour and a lavatory brush!

Directed by Liz Turner, assisted by Celia Billau, this is another massive success for Liz and Celia, as well as the rest of the cast. It's pacy with an almost farce like feel to it, and it feels like a real situation, so it's completely believable. This dynamic duo strike gold yet again.

Design by Bob Baron and John Hurley. The set starts off aboard a cruise ship with a video backdrop of the sea, making the deckchairs on the deck very real for the situation. With these and the lifebuoys removed, we go straight into the living room and kitchen of the main house. The stairs, stage right, lead up to a believable set of bedrooms off stage. Probably one of the best sets that I've seen for Riverside because you can believe that you could live in a space like this set.

The Backstage Crew and Prop Wranglers consist of Sandra Read and Alison Lihou. Now, for those like me who had not come across the job title of "Prop Wrangler" this is a specialised assistant in the Art Department who is responsible for managing, maintaining and organizing specific items an actor interacts with on set to ensure they are continuous and stage ready. You learn something every day in the wonderful world of theatre.

Sound is by Anna-Birga Ostendorf and Celia Billau. Appropriate sound effects and sound bites, but what I really liked was the music fillers with the scene changes. Who doesn't love a bit of Johnny Cash to change a scene to?

Lighting is by Dave Martin and John Hurley. Stage lighting for a play is quite different to that of a musical, and Dave has great experience in both genres. Nothing fancy or flashy is needed in a comedy play like this so simplicity is the key where blackouts and fades are concerned, and these proved to be effective when executed. I say simple but it's probably not that simple where timing is concerned and both Dave and John were on the money tonight, as always.

Another excellent cast, a cleverly written story, and having not heard of this play before didn't know where it was leading by the end of the first act, and couldn't wait for the second act to commence to get the rest of the story. Totally enjoyable comedy, appreciated by an almost sold out auditorium, which by the way is gorgeously air conditioned.

"The Unfriend" is at The Duchess Theatre in Long Eaton until Saturday 27 June.

 "The Spy Who Came In From The Cold" by John Le Carre

Adapted by David Eldridge.

Nottingham Theatre Royal.

For the first time ever, a novel by John le Carré is brought to life in a stage adaptation. Personally, I have never read any of Le Carré's books so couldn't make any comparisons of the story from book to stage, so I've had to take this production at face value, being the first time of experiencing the story. Sometimes I think this is the best option for a theatre reviewer as there's nothing to compare what you see on stage to.

British intelligence officer Alec Leamas is weary, hardened, and ready to "come in from the cold", in other words, returning from Berlin to England intending to retire from The Service, after witnessing the murder of his friend and best undercover agent, Karl Reimeck.

But when spymaster George Smiley presents one final mission, that should see the head of the East German Secret Service, and the man who murdered his friend Hans-Dieter Mundt, ousted from power, Leamas agrees to stay in the game. Dispatched into enemy territory, he finds his convictions tested and his defences breached by Liz Gold, a quietly defiant librarian whose compassion threatens to thaw his frostbitten heart.

Ralf Little plays Alec Leamas. I have been a fan of Ralf's since his days in "Two Pints Of Lager" and "The Royle Family", but this role shows what an excellent serious, theatre character actor he is. To start with he seemed incredibly clipped in his speeches, and once I'd got used to this, came to realise that it all fitted in with the old 1940's style Dan Dare type of film noir. 

By the second part of the play though the delivery sounded so much more natural, maybe because of the anger that was brought out from the character. I think that when you're only used to seeing an actor play television roles, and then you see them on stage, I think it brings out the real mettle in an actor; and by the end I was a massive Ralf Little stage character actor, as well as still loving all of his televisual roles.

Jonny Burman plays several roles including Riemeck, Kiever and Probation Officer. Kiever brings Leamas to Holland to meet with the Russian interrogator Peters. 

Melody Chikakane Brown plays Miss Crail  and President of the Tribunal.

Grainne Dromgoole is Liz Gold who becomes Leamus’s lover after meeting him at the library where they both work. What a lot of passion comes this character and in the Tribunal scene, you just want to go and give Liz a massive cuddle.

Jeff D'Sangalang plays Ashe, a low-level Communist spy working in London, Ashe makes contact with Leamus as soon as he gets out of prison, then introduces him to his superior, Sam Kiever.

Peter Losasso is Mundt. A former member of the Nazi party, current member of the Abteilung, and secret British agent, Hans-Dieter Mundt is a cynical, cold-blooded killer and anti-Semite. He worked as an East German spy in London, was involved in a murder, and tried to kill George Smiley.

Nicholas Murchie is Control, the head of the British secret service, or “the Circus,” Control is a member of the upper class, whose polite and banal manner conceals his deep cynicism and manipulative intelligence. Control convinces Leamus, who he sees as expendable, to go on a mission to frame Mundt.

Jo Servi plays Pitt, Ford  and Governor.

Eddie Toll is Fiedler, who has begun to suspect Mundt of being a British agent, which is why Control sends Leamus on his mission.  Fiedler comes to like and trust Leamas, who he sees as merely a simple operator.

Tony Turner plays George Smiley, a former agent for the Circus, and Karden.

Clara Wesseley and James Burman make up the Ensemble.

Directed by Jeremy Herrin alongside Tour Director Joe Lichtenstein. What I really enjoyed was the visitations given to the audience to the inner workings of Leamus's head. The people in the play who constantly revolve inside his mind is like some ghoulish nightmare. I love the pace in this play, always seeming to hurry along, urgently galloping on to get to the conclusion of the play. A conclusion that became something that I did not expect at all.

There's also a scene with Leamus and Mundt and a barrel of water which makes for a very uneasy watch.

Design is by Max Jones. The highlight of this particular set design is the final scene, which I'm not going to give away because the design is vital to how the play ends, and let's just say, it's not a happy one.

Lighting Designer is Azusa Ono. This is one area that really creates a lot of tension for the play. Most of the play is shrouded in darkness, and the shadows that are created really create that tension that all good thrillers should emit to its' audience. Programmed by Nick Simmons.

Sound Design is by Elizabeth Purnell. This is another area which sets the mood and gets you sliding towards the edge of your seat. There's one particular sound effect which will make you feel slightly nauseous; I won't say what it is, but listen out in the second act!

Paul Englishby's original musical compositions are the third side to this wonderfully evocative triangle of tension.

It's very ironic that on one of the hottest days of the year so far that the play is "The Spy Who came In From The Cold"; that said these actors must have been roasting on stage, especially Ralf whose costume consisted mostly of a suit and trenchcoat. Costume Supervisor is Laura Rushton.

I love a good thriller, and this has been written by one of the most famous spy thriller writers ever. The stage production has all the tension of watching a film, and then some, in fact the stage version is very cinematic in itself.

If you like a thriller that is packed with twists and turns and presented by a very talented group of actors - sorry, not sure what a collection of actors is called; maybe a cast of actors? - then this is the play for you.

"The Spy Who Came In From The Cold" is at the Nottingham Theatre Royal until Saturday 27 June.

 "Accidental Death Of An Anarchist" by Dario Fo and Franca Rame.

Adapted by Tom Basden.

Nottingham Lace Market Theatre.

Here's another one of those plays where I know the play title and should know the story and, in the last quarter of a century, feel that I should have seen it, at least once, but I didn't and I haven't!

An anarchist has fallen to his death from a window whilst in police custody. But did he fall or was he pushed?

As the police attempt to avoid a scandal, a fraudster, known only as the Maniac, is brought into Police Headquarters just as the officers are preparing for a judicial review of the recent "accidental" death. Outwitting his captors, the Maniac dupes them into performing a farcical recreation of the incident, exposing the corruption and idiocy at the heart of the system.

Dan Janes (Maniac) is a comedy genius in this role, and is a real find. This is Dan's debut for the Lace Market Theatre, although he has worked with the Nottingham Playhouse as well as the National Youth Theatre. Maniac is a blend of Freddie Starr's unpredictability and comic danger, The Joker's  comic eeriness and threat, Malcolm McDowell's Alex from "A Clockwork Orange", Roger, the Alien from "American Dad", being a constant character re-imaginer and the edginess of Lee Evans stage work. If you can imagine all of these characteristics in one persona, then you're close to how Dan plays this character. 

Dan also gets the majority of the script, never falling over the words, especially with the breakneck speed that it's delivered. This is full on physical comedy and his facial expressions add to his visual comedy skills. With Maniac being on stage for practically all of the play, I imagine that Dan will be exhausted by the end of this week.

 

Joe Foster (Inspector Burton) returns to the Lace Market Theatre after working in London. Burton is the first of the police force to encounter Maniac, and straight away shows that Maniac has the ability to run rings around authority figures, giving them not a second to unravel his speed talk. All of these characters bring a wonderful feeling of slapstick and farce to the stage, which becomes even more apparent in the second act. Joe returns in Act Two and is the recipient of lots of physical kicking, all of which sounded like contact was made on every occasion. Another excellent comedy role.

 

Mark Anderson (Superintendent Curry) makes his second appearance on the Lace Market stage as Curry. Fo has created some brilliant comedy roles for these characters and have had proper comedy breath breathed into each role by all of these actors. But, don't take my word for it, korma long and see for yourself!

 

Luke Willis (Daisy) is one of those actors who, like Dan, has a very flexible face and uses it to wonderful effect as D.I. Daisy. I've been lucky enough to see Luke in many productions over the years, but playing Daisy has to be the pinnacle of his comedic talents, thus far anyway. Think Mr Bean's facial contortions and you'll be close to just how comical Luke's visual talents can be.

 

Raymond Macdonald-Hulme (P.C. Joseph) is another brilliant find for the Lace Market Theatre. Raymond makes his debut Lace Market Theatre performance, having acted in several productions in Leicestershire.

 

Phyllis Ruse (Phelan/P.C. Jackson) also makes her debut here. Jackson is a lovely comedy character and Phelan is the magazine reporter, seen in the second act who also manages to get hoodwinked about what may have been the real truth about the initial death of the anarchist.

This production is another one of those ensemble pieces where every actor is as strong as the next one, making the whole cast's combined qualities a sure fit hit with the practically packed auditorium.

Directed by Jamie Goodliffe, who also makes his debut as Director. Well, if this is what a directorial debut looks like, then bring on the next one because this show is as close to perfection as you can get. It's also a very brave debut due to the express train pace, the timing of the jokes, which often are delivered like a machine gun. The physical comedy is timed perfectly as is the farce and the slapstick elements of the play. Another perfect area is the casting.

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• Lighting Design is by Esther Warren. There are sections of the play that require split second lighting changes, and every cue for these changes are executed perfectly.
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• Sound Design is by Darren Coxon, and like the lighting cues, the sound cues are timed to perfection. Much of the physical comedy is almost like watching a piece of animation, and the sound effects that go along with that field make the connection even more realistic, thanks to the sound cues.

The set design is the first thing you see as you walk through the door, naturally, and that piques your interest in the performance you're going to see. The set is one room on the third floor of the police station. There's a wonderful scene where Maniac transports us from the third floor to the fourth floor, thanks to a few changes to the props, sourced by Lesley Brown and Wendy Silver, and a clever use of the video background. One of the doors from the office also shows a corridor which leads off from this room. Guy Evans, who designed this set has really created one of those sets that keep your eyes occupied throughout the play as you notice different things in different parts continuously.

The projection showing the world outside the window is by Matt Allcock and created by Joe Foster.

What I wasn't expecting were dance routines scattered around the story. This area was thanks to Hannah Gorton, and will give you another reason to smile.

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• Stage Managed by Sammy Whitworth and Chloe Murcott.
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• Wardrobe is by Max Bromley and Madeline Gould, and the work that has gone into Maniac's various costumes is marvellous and very commendable.

This is one of the funniest plays I have seen, but that is due to an incredibly talented cast who can take the comedy from the page and bring the laughs to life on stage. It's also due to a Director who has a vision, and the ability to bring forth the comedy within politics.

Although written in 1970, you'll find plenty of modern additions to the script, and I smiled at the panto mentions and the type of people who are used to try and get bums on seats for pantomimes. There are some nice local mentions that have been added to the adaptation aside from Tom Basden's adaptation. Tom's name may be familiar to you, especially if like myself you're a fan of the comedy "Plebs". The final speech by Maniac brings the attitude of modern police behaviour right up to date, leaving quite a serious thought with the audience before they leave the theatre.

Monday was first night and was practically a full house, and I think that you may need to get your skates on to get a ticket for the remaining shows, as I have a feeling this production is going to be sold out, pretty damn quick!

"Accidental Death Of An Anarchist" is at the Lace Market Theatre until Saturday 27 June.

Photographs by Grace Eden Photography.

 "Dare To Dream Jr" by The Young Performers.

Duchess Theatre, Long Eaton.

Who doesn't love a Disney song? Well, The Young Performers most obviously do, and let's face it there are plenty to choose from.

I'd expected  a straight forward Disney revue, but no, this hour long production is almost like a musical play in itself. The group take the roles of new "imaginees" on their first day at Walt Disney Imagineering Studio. From this premise we are treated to an hour of some of the biggest Disney hits from all over the decades. As the group sets out to help each other discover their dreams, they work together to explore the power of dreams to unite, inspire, and make anything possible.

The main roles are played by Lottie Ellis , Alex Povey, Alexa Lewis, Olivia Hill , Mia Allen, Lexie-Mae Hart , Neve Johnson, AJ Chamberlain, Remy Read, Evie Perks, Jamie Higgins, Frankie Burden, Clarissa Armitage, Isobel Pickering and Paige Bone.

The dance ensemble are made up of Alexia Simpson, Megan Shackleton, Molly Price and Violet Graney. You know I love a good tap section, and I'm treated to one of those as well.

The other two ensemble groups are as follows....

The Dare Ensemble are Daisy O’Connor, Elijah Green, Emily Wilkins, Keeley Rickerby, Mily Hopkins, Imogen Scott and Olivia Monk. 

The Dream Ensemble consist of Amelia Baker, Archie Brooks-Ball, Emily-Mae Taylor, Emmie Simmonds, Livvy Read, Millie Newbold and Sophie Longcroft.

I would have loved to have seen some of the smaller Young Performers, like Elijah, moved forward as quite a bit of the time he seemed to be closer to the back behind the taller dancers.

I have always been impressed by this group, and this production takes it even further than before. There are sections in the show where two sets of step ladders are used to elevate the featured singers. This in itself requires utmost concentration from the person moving the ladders on wheels, as well as trust by the person up the ladders, but watching the faces of both participants of the stage manoeuvres it seemed as if travelling by step ladder was the most natural thing to do.

Directed by Lewis McDowall, who makes his directorial debut for The Young performers, and a magical job he does of it as well. I could imagine this show being staged at any of the Disneyland theme parks, especially the ending where the cast appear through the central Mickey Mouse doors to the music of Disney to take their final bows. Loved the imaginative staging and story in this production.

Musical Director is Vicky Byrne, who also makes her debut in the role of Musical Director. The music, and I am assuming that these are backing tracks, are extremely clear. Some of Disney's songs are not the easiest to vocalise on, and there are a couple of performances which show this, but you know what, that doesn't matter because everyone has different strengths, but what really matters is the oomph that everyone provides, and the absolute look of joyousness on every face, I was in my absolute element listening and watching this show.

I adore the music of Disney, it takes me back to my childhood, but there were songs in here that I hadn't heard before, and I hadn't anticipated being educated as well as entertained. the playlist for the show includes Disney bangers like "Be Our Guest", "I Just Can't wait To Be King", "Let It Go", "Friend Like Me", "You've Got A Friend In Me", "Go the Distance", a fabulous mash up of "Hakuna Matata/Bare Necessities", which I had not heard previously, plus the brilliant "Nonsense Medley", again a new one on me, even though I knew all the songs that made the medley, plus many more.

Lottie Ludlow is the choreographer. This is a big show with a large cast list, and the choreography for such a big ensemble was enchanting, especially that tap section.

Ella Charlesworth is also the Assistant Director and Choreographer.

The costumes are curated by Sarah Charlesworth but also created by members of The Young Performers through everyday clothes. Another clever touch to the show.

The set is designed and constructed by the Young Performers’ Young Techies, Eva O’Riordan, Liv Michaud, Gizel Chaperova and Maddie Taft, under the expert eye of Stage Manager and Set Designer Roydon Charlesworth, assisted by Finlay Tomlinson, who seems to be branching out into other areas of stage craft.

The set has a real magical feel about it with two big with Mickey Mouse's head taking pride of place in central position. At either side are, what looks like large hand drawn pictures of characters from the Disney films in a montage. These are not randomly chosen because if you pay attention to the characters and the songs that are being sung at the time, a spotlight picks out a character from the film that the song is sung from. Clever!

Lighting operation is by Gizel Chapanova, under the watchful eye of the master, Dave Martin, and sound operation by Olivia Michaud. I would have liked to have had the volume of the onstage mics turned up just a notch, but I also recognise that every person on that stage sings at a different level every time they go on stage, so getting that right sound mix isn't the easiest of tasks, and I have every respect for both sound and light operators. You know how picky I can be!

"Dare to Dream Jr." is a dream of a show and is at the Duchess Theatre until Saturday 20 June.

 "A Beginner's Guide To Widowhood"

Nottingham Arts Theatre (Studio).

Originally created by Omar Khan and written by Rae Mainwaring  and performed by Liz Jadav.

This sixty minute play is perfect for the Studio space of the Nottingham Arts Theatre due to its' intimacy between performer and audience.

Suria Smith is on an out-of-season package holiday in Turkey, with her two teenage children, a 20-year-old travel guide book, and an audiobook on grief. But not her husband, Dan. Because he's dead. The play takes us back to Dan and Suria's first meeting and snapshots of their life before his passing as well as the Turkey trip and coming to terms with being a widow.

The play shows what a person sometimes goes through when they lose a partner; the well meant sympathy, the unasked for advice and the well intended sentiments and enquiries about how she is feeling. Anyone who has lost a loved one will know exactly how these, albeit well meant, sympathetic offerings are not always welcomed.

There's that empty chair left at a table and the painful memories of hearing a song that brings back memories of better and happier times. For me, who lost my wife almost five years ago, it was a piece right at the start of the play involving pin numbers and something akin to brain fog. That happened to me, almost as if you're in another world. There's other lines and scenarios as well that mirrored my situation, especially regarding snatches of music, which will be relatable to many, many people. It's also a credit to the well observed writing.

Liz takes us through those stages of loss, the despair, the fright, the emptiness, the feeling of being alone, but also the feeling of hope and those "baby steps" in rebuilding her life. They say that "time heals", but when you have lost the love of your life, you realise what a stupid and inaccurate saying that is. Time just makes the pain more manageable, it never heals. 

Theatre is a wonderful way of escapism, but it's also a perfect stage, if you'll pardon the pun, for getting across areas of emotion such as death without preaching or judging. There are though many lovely splashes of humour in this story, which I am sure will also be relatable to many people.

Directed by Andrew Breakwell. The pace of the monologue is perfect, allowing you to, in stages fall into the memory with Suria, at other times the frustration steams along creating the anger felt inside of her, needing to erupt like a simmering volcano. The humour takes nothing away from the aching of missing that person, and only adds to visualise the humanity in loss.

Movement Director is Kitty Winter. At times the movements are almost balletic, almost dreamlike or when time stands still for that small moment in time.

Wayne Walker-Allen is the Sound Designer. the sound effects and constant weaving of Bronski Beat's "Smalltown Boy", dissected and stripped back to create the music snatches throughout the hour, almost sounding like the song is teasing you into remembering the past.

Ali Bakewell is Technical and Moral Support, and I think we all know that umbrella covers a wide area.

"A Beginner’s Guide to Widowhood" was first performed on 1st October 2021 as part of the China Plate and Warwick Arts Centre ‘First Bite Festival 2021’ prior to a regional tour in 2025, co-produced and directed by Omar Khan. The story was written in partnership with the charity Widowed and Young.  

Before shooting off after the play, I took the chance to say hello to Liz before she started the after show discussion, which everyone is welcome to partake of and share their thoughts on the play and their experiences. You will not find a more welcoming and lovely crew than Liz and her quartet of theatre makers.

There's one more chance to catch this beautifully sad but upliftingly hopeful piece of theatre tonight at 7pm at the Nottingham Arts Theatre Studio.