"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.

 "Bonnie & Clyde"

Nottingham Arts Theatre Youth Group.

Nottingham Arts Theatre.

And just when you thought I was all out of gush, think again because here's yet another Youth Group production that is as good as any professional production. It was hot outside but that heat was thrown into the shade by this hotter than hot show.

At the height of the Great Depression, West Texas' Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow went from two small-town zeroes to America's most feared heroes, and Texas law enforcement's worst nightmares.

When Bonnie and Clyde meet, their mutual cravings for excitement and fame immediately set them on a mission to chase their dreams.

Their bold and reckless behaviour turns the young lovers' thrilling adventure into a downward spiral, putting themselves and their loved ones, Buck Barrow - Clyde's brother - and Blanche, Buck's wife, in trouble with the law. Forced to stay on the run, the lovers resort to robbery and murder to survive. As the infamous duo's fame grows bigger, their inevitable end draws nearer.

The musical starts with young Bonnie & Clyde, showing where their roots started, and takes us all the way through to almost the end, and I say that because we all know the inevitable outcome but, with a few areas in this historical saga, we know what happens, we just don't need to see what happens.

Because this is such a big musical and there are so many people in the Youth Group, to give everyone a shot at being involved, some of the roles are shared over the four shows. Team Barrow and Team Parker.

Young Clyde is played by Isobelle Connellan and Rosie Jones. Isobelle performing on Thursday and Friday evening, and Rosie performing in both Saturday shows. Isobelle is a newcomer to NAT Youth and, may I say as with all of the other newer names in the production, fits right in with the more experienced young actors. Isobelle's timing in the "Bang Bang" section of the piece in the second act was timed beautifully, as was the first scene where we meet both young Bonnie and young Clyde.

Young Bonnie is played by Betty Metson-Scott. As with Isobelle, a lovely way to introduce the young, innocent but soon to be outlaw, who dreams of being a professional writer, singer and actor.

Clyde Barrow's role is shared by Zach Silcock and Jamie Adlam. Thursday evening I saw Jamie, who also returns on Saturday evening's performance, Zach taking the reins on Friday evening and Saturday matinee. I first met Jamie over three years ago when he played the role of Dodger in "Oliver", and I knew from that moment I was going to love every role he played because of the passion he shows for theatre. I have seen Jamie in several roles in the last three years and I was not wrong.

His voice has matured so well, incorporating a raspy growl in parts, the power and range in his voice has increased, as has the emotion that he delivers these wonderful songs with. His acting ability is supreme; the intimacy in the scenes with Morgan is so believable and tender. He morphs into every role and character he takes on; and he has raised his own personal bar another notch as Clyde Barrow. He even looks older with the way his hair is styled and how he holds himself on stage.

Bonnie Parker's role is shared by Connie Tegerdine and Morgan Spencer. Connie plays the role on Friday evening and Saturday matinee along with Zach. Here's another voice I loved, reminding slightly of the innocence of a young Olivia Newton-John, Morgan's voice blended so well with Jamie's. there's a lovely range of emotions given with this character, from the almost rattiness when Clyde kept interrupting her reading the poem that she had written about him, to the steadfastness loyalty and love she shows him.

Oli Sheard and Lenny Brady share the role of Buck Barrow, with Lenny taking the stage tonight, as well as on Saturday evening. Lenny is another actor that I have had the pleasure of reviewing over the years who manages to morph into the character he plays. Sometimes I forget how long I've been reviewing members of youth groups, and then comes a role that shows the real maturity of the actor; this is one example. Lenny has grown into a very strong leading man with an equally strong voice and a wonderfully nuanced performance showing in his face as he delivers this role.

Amelie Adams and Eloise Rees share the role of Blanche Barrow. Amelie performing on Friday evening and Saturday matinee. Eloise's "stand by your man" persona is joyful to watch as she follows Buck as he reunites with his on the run brother. What can I say, another strong singer as well as a very convincing character actor; but then I knew that as I've seen what Eloise is capable of by seeing her in quite a few other productions over the years.

Ted, who is slightly obsessive over Bonnie, which gives him an unhealthy reason to eradicate Clyde, is played by James Cragg and Rohan Badesha. Tonight, Thursday, I saw Rohan, a newer member of the group. Ted Hinton is part of the Sheriff's posse out to stop the murdering and robbing spree but that dangerous obsession overtakes Ted's view of the situation and gives the character an edge. You can tell that, even though he is new to the NAT Youth Group stage, he is not new to performing. His performance bio in the programme surprised me when reading the parts that he had played before.

Here is yet another strong set of vocals which has a lovely tenderness in the voice. There's a gorgeous duet called "You Can Do Better Than Him" which is sung after Bonnie has visited Clyde in jail, which shows the emotion that both men feel about Bonnie, but the blending of Jamie and Rohan's voices make for a dream duet. A powerful young actor who's not afraid to show the fire in his musical theatre belly.

Andrei Morris, another new face to NAT Youth audiences, plays Sheriff Schmid who is in charge of the operation to track down the outlaws and take them off the streets by whatever method in a smaller but quite ruthless character role. The newer members all have managed to slide perfectly comfortably alongside the actors who have been at NAT Youth, as if they had belonged there forever. Another very strong character actor, especially in the scene where Schmid questions Buck about Clyde's whereabouts. I spotted the steeliness and bubbling frustration in Schmid when he didn't get the answers he wanted from Buck. A brilliant standoff scene with Lenny and Andrei.

The Preacher is played by Esha Gidday and Eliza Szejda. Tonight I saw Eliza in the role. I love the sound of her voice and "God's Arms Are Always Open" and "Made In America" are real gospel infused gems, delivered with real soul and feeling. I also remember Esha from playing Pritti in "Everybody's Talking About Jamie" and commented at the time about the quality of her voice, so whichever young performer you see, you're in for a treat vocally.

Elizabeth Fitzgerald plays Bonnie's mum, Emma Parker. She's very protective of her daughter, especially when Bonnie turns up at the house with Clyde in tow, she drops into the conversation that Bonnie's husband would be home soon, just to make sure that Clyde got the lay of the land around the Parker residence, which puts Clyde on the back foot. A powerful maternal role that brings out the beauty of Elizabeth's acting arsenal.

Playing the Barrow boys parents are Lucy Jones as Cumie Barrow and Jack Kent as Henry Barrow. Lucy brings out the maternal instinct of the character whilst Jack delivers a role that shows great disappointment and silent anger for the men that his sons have become.

I also spotted Liam Brown as Bud, although I nearly didn't recognise him. Liam and Jamie I met on the same day three years ago, but how this young man has grown and matured. Liam is also Vocal captain.

Robert Murphy plays Frank Hamer, who was brought in by the police department to ramp up the capture of the pair of outlaws, but mainly Clyde. You could really see just how hungry Hamer was to get the job done; like a shark with a scent of blood in his nostrils!

The Salon Trio Eleanore, Trish and Stella are played by Izzy Hickling, Kayla Burgess and Lexie-Mae Hart and also were part of the ensemble.

The rest of the ensemble, who also doubled up in some roles, consist of Evie Jones, Connie Webster, Sophie Murphy, Caitlin Young, Roxy Smith, Zain Abed, Julian Magda, Ace Merkelt, Emily Kononowicz, Dahra Murchie O'Neill, Liam Brown and Robert Murphy,

The soundtrack to this musical has a bit of something for everyone with several earworms; try getting "Raise A Little Hell", "The World Will Remember Me", "When I Drive" and the comical "You're Going Back To Jail" out of your head!. There's blues, rock, country, bluegrass, gospel and a sprinkling of gorgeous ballads like "How 'Bout A Dance", "You Can Do Better Than Him", "Dyin' Ain't So Bad" and the wistful "Bonnie", which also shows off Jamie's ukelele playing.

Musical Director is Jonah Williams. I loved the authenticity the sound that this band created, which I am sure also added to the heat in the theatre, but the sound of the band and the acting on stage was no mirage. Jonah is like a master potter, creating beauty with his arrangements and with this group of vocalists. Just as well that this potter has the best clay to work with!

The band of Sam Ashcroft (Keyboard 2), Austin David (Guitar), Adam Case (Guitar 2), Charlie Cave (Bass), Abi Wilson (Drums/Percussion), Joey Johnstone (Fiddle), Bailey Charlesworth (Reed 1) and Katy Lane (Reeds 2) all sounded wonderful, making the score come alive and leap from the orchestra pit.

Directed by Keira Dorma-Hazell. This is no easy job because the story goes as fast as Clyde's driving, but as a passenger on this ride, I was quite surprised when the interval came around as quick as it did, I was so invested in the story. And I've seen this show three or four times in the past.

Choreographed by Jessica Royce, who is also the Production Manager and the Set Designer for this show. So many highlights where the choreography is concerned but I did enjoy the scene in the hairdressers and the song "You're Going Back To Jail".

Costumes are co-ordinated by Amanda Warriner and Connie Hatchett and are all excellent, the pin striped suits extremely stylish.

There's no mention in the programme about make up, but this area was another excellent area for me, especially the very realistic make up for Clyde after he had been beaten up in jail. I know that a lot of the actors, male and female now do their own, so if that's the case here, I applaud you all for the realism of the make up.

Props are sourced from Altrincham Garrick Theatre, Katie Bird and Nottingham Arts Theatre, and there are plenty to look out for all over the stage area. Loved how the car was constructed and that it looked so solid.

Sound Designer and Operator is George Wilson, who knows exactly what he is doing in this area, and that makes for a professionally sounding theatre show.

Lighting Design and Operation is by Oliver Read, and as with every show that Oliver is involved with in this area, it was stylish and brilliantly executed. Both Oliver and George are real gems in the Nottingham Arts Theatre.

Stage Manager is Cathy Bodman with Deputy Stage manager Jamie Clay. The Stage Crew, Rosa Lymer and Cleo Sims, swiftly and smoothly created and recreated the scenes unobtrusively, keeping a lovely continuous flow of action.

There are projections on the back wall of the stage, again adding to the story and moving the action on. These were created by Scenic Projections.

Every vocal from every actor was superb, with many of the cast showing vocal maturity beyond Youth Theatre, showing what brilliantly talented tutors they all have. The acting is fantastic delivered with realism and real intimacy, especially the face slapping scene. This really is a show not to be missed, and it was so nice to see many of the audience joining me in a standing ovation because it was so well deserved.

I think sometimes Youth Theatre is overlooked and under appreciated, and the last few weeks I have had the real joy to experience just what an excellent set of fantastically talented young actors Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire have. You do not have to travel to London to see amazing talent on stage, it's here right on your doorstep, at a fraction of the price as well.

"Bonnie & Clyde" will be raising a little hell at the Nottingham Arts Theatre until Saturday 11 July.

Photography by Martin Holtom.