"Anybody For Murder" by Brian Clemens and Dennis Spooner.

Tabs Productions.

Nottingham Theatre Royal.

Here we go again, it's that time of year when Nottingham welcomes back Tabs Productions and their Colin McIntyre Classic Thriller Season; this time around with three weeks of fun and thrills. Not only do you get an incredibly talented cast, but you get an incredibly lovely group of people as well.

As soon as I saw the set I straight away realised that we could be in for a classic farce, due to the five doors on set, and a thrilling farce it turned out to be with a multitude of twists and turns, even up to the very end.

On a remote Greek Island, a scheming husband, Max Harrington, is set on murder. He is planning to collect his wife Janet’s life insurance, but she just won’t stay dead! He wanted to enjoy life with his girlfriend, Suzy, when old, practically forgotten family friends Mary and George arrive on their Greek island with news that Janet is the beneficiary of a huge fortune, and soon everyone is hell bent on murder. Mary is second cousin, but Janet is first cousin, so it would only be right that the millions left in the pot should all go to her, Mary on the other hand feels differently and wants her hands on the money, money, money. The only thing that stands in their way is the presence of a neighbour who knows a thing or two about murder, crime writer Edgar Chambers.

There's always at least one play in the season where Tabs get to showcase their comedic side and this is the one.

Max Harrington, the cunning manipulator with murderous intentions, is played by John Goodrum. Max  practically skips across the stage while trying to do away with Janet; you could almost see the £ signs in his eyes as his mind starts to work double-time. He has a dream, which quickly becomes a bit of a nightmare (or is that next week?). In every production John is in, he always brings a  massive sliver of comedy to his performance, and this play is right up John's street as he gets to show off his wonderful comic skills. 

Janet Harrington is played by Karen Henson, who also directs this wonderful slice of farce. Karen makes her only stage performance this season in this play, and what a memorable one, but how many times can Janet meet her Waterloo?. Karen has a natural comedy streak, on and off stage, and that with the character's speech impediment made this a lovely character-driven role for Karen, as well as the audience.

Girlfriend Suzy Stevens is played by Sarah Wynne-Kordas. Suzy is not the sharpest tool in the box, and as well as that attribute, Sarah delivers some brilliant physical comedy pieces to this role, a real super trouper. 

George Tickewell, the less than competent lawyer, is played by David Giltbrook. Every character in this play shines comedically throughout, and even though George is heavily under the thumb with wife Mary, that in itself is funny to watch, there are some great stand-alone comedy splashes from Mr Giltbrook. Voulez-vous dare to talk back to Mary?

Mary Tickewell is played by Susan Earnshaw. As long as I have been a fan of the Classic Thriller Seasons, I have been a fan (ando) of Susan Earnshaw. I was going to say that Susan is one of the finest natural actors going, but this bossiness in Mary must take a lot of working at because Susan is one of the loveliest of ladies off stage (as are all of the female actors within Tabs). That said, it must be great fun to boss and command people around for a living, well at least this week. The whole physicality of this role lets you know that she is the boss in this relationship.

Edgar, the thriller writing, Ouzo drinking neighbour, is played by Jeremy Lloyd Thomas. Edgar gets a lot of inspiration for his "worst selling crime novels" from Max; maybe more than Max seems to realise! As always, Jeremy delivers a class performance just by walking on the stage. Mamma mia, as the Greek say.

Who out of the above will be the winner who takes it all?

Set Designer is Sarah Wynne Kordas, and anyone who has seen the sets that Tabs Productions use will instantly know what amazing sets they produce. This one gives a typical Grecian feel to the apartment, even the exterior backdrop made you feel the warmth of the sun seeping through those patio doors. Inside the room, which is a two tier set, for reasons that will be clear when the story unfolds. I chatted with Sarah in the bar afterwards, extolling my admiration of the work that she puts into creating the sets and especially the vast array of props. I was also told some theatre secrets about some of the props, which I will not reveal.

Sound design is by David Giltbrook and Lighting Design is by Conal Walsh. Both experts in their respective fields. Love the Greek music as well as some of the other songs which allowed my tongue to become firmly fixed in my cheek. There are several lighting changes, nothing dramatic, allowing us the knowledge of the time passage and development of the action.

Stage Managed by Fran Gardiner and Alison Willcox and Production Manager is Duncan Hands.

The play has Brian Clemens' writing and comedy all the way through it. Not your typical thriller but a wonderful farce with a clever script, brilliantly acted and with more than a nod to another piece of theatre set on a Greek island... some of the music and one particular costume may just give it away!

All I will add to the above is watch the salt and beware of goats!

"Anybody For Murder" is at the Nottingham Theatre Royal until Saturday 15 August.

And as I hear you cry gimme gimme gimme more thrillers, then you only have to wait until next Tuesday when you can see the second instalment of this year's season with "The Nightmare Room"

 "Waitress The Musical" written by Jessie Nelson

Nottingham Royal Concert Hall.

I don't know if it was just my senses working overtime, but when you entered the auditorium, there was a gorgeous and mouth-watering smell of cake.... or is it just the magic of theatre?

"Waitress" is based on the 2007 film of the same name written by Adrienne Shelly. It's the story of Jenna, a pie maker and waitress in a local eaterie, Joe's Diner, who is trapped in a marriage to Earl, that she wants escape from. Things get worse for Jenna as she discovers that she is pregnant with his child. She yearns for bigger things and dreams of owning her own diner one day and making a fresh life on her own, away from Earl. She sees a possible way out, financially, if she won a pie baking competition in state.

With help from her diner friends, Becky and Dawn, she has to overcome the obstacles in her way to be able to reach her dreams. She then falls for the charming Dr Pomatter. But that's another problem – he’s married as well!

Carrie Hope Fletcher is Jenna. The most well known song in this musical, which by the way is full of wonderfully crafted songs, is "She used To Be Mine". Carrie delivered an emotion packed and tear jerking performance of this glorious ballad. I've seen Carrie in several roles, but I think this has to be my favourite. There's a lot of fun to be had with Jenna, as well as a lot of sauce, then she delivers a dollop of emotion with a side plate of sadness. The acting is pure West End quality and her voice is at times as fragile as a cobweb as she holds the audience in the palm of her hand. Pure class.

Les Dennis plays Old Joe, whose rendition of "Take It From An Old Man" was perfect. Les is a wonderful character actor, again I have seen Les play many roles in theatre over the years and his ability to make you believe in the character he is playing, and not that you're watching Les Dennis the actor, is a skill in itself. Just watch as well for the nifty moves he shows as he grooves off the stage after the final bows.

Becky is played by Sandra Marvin who opened the second act with "I Didn't Plan It", after a certain transgression was revealed, was a belter. Brilliant comic timing in every scene and a face and smile that could replace all the lights in lighting gallery. 

Dawn, played by Evelyn Hoskins, was equally as comical, with that high pitched voice and her repressed urges, brought to the surface by Ogie, a man she meets online for a five-minute date which then lasts for the rest of the show. Both geeky, but the perfect geek match. Another cute, geeky but irrepressible character who will have you smiling from the first scene to the final bows.

Ogie is played by Mark Anderson. You could tell from his face and demeanor just the kind of character you were going to get with Ogie. Brilliant fun and a perfect match for Dawn. I imagine that Mark and Evelyn had great fun in rehearsals, and on stage, with these roles.

Dan Partridge is Dr Jim Pomatter. In my mind, Dr Pomatter verges on being a sexual predator, and the comical sections made it seem quite wrong to laugh, but laugh I did all the same. All morality went straight out of the doctor's room window. But if both Jenna and Jim weren't married, this would have been a match made in heaven. Fabulous vocals and a lovely slice of comedy is what is prescribed, and that is what you get. If you think that you may have seen Dan somewhere before, then you may be right as he played the role of Charlie Price in "Kinky Boots" last July in the UK tour of that show.

Nurse Norma is played with great comedy by Ellie Ruiz Rodriguez.

Mark Willshire plays Earl. Earl is controlling and jealous of the attention Jenna showed to her friends and the reciprocation of the attention. He even made Jenna promise not to love the expected baby more than she loved him. Earl is a seriously flawed character, and the ending for him is possibly one that a new mother may not have taken out of fear of possible retribution, but Jenna found the strength in her new position of responsibility to do what she deemed to be right for her, her new baby girl, and their future. Roles that are not so nice to play out are often the most meaty, and Mark delivers a lot of meat. There are very few redeeming features with Earl, but we do get to see a glimpse of just how much he loves Jenna, but is that love or insecurity?

Dan O Brien plays Cal, who runs the pie shop. A non-major role but always seemed to be there in the background, and his dalliance with Becky made that scene unforgettable.

The Swing and Ensemble members are Will Arundell, Yochabel Asante, Amelia Atherton, Alice Croft, Jamie Doncaster, Daniel George-Wright, Will Hardy, Bailey Hart, Olivia Lallo, Emma Lucia, David Mairs-Mackenzie and Ellie Ruiz Rodriguez.

The soundtrack is written by the incredibly talented Sara Bareilles and includes the gorgeous "She Used To Be Mine", which was delivered with such heart-felt emotion. Other stand out tracks from the soundtrack for me were "Never Ever Getting Rid Of Me", "Bad Idea", "You Matter To Me", "Take It From An Old Man" and "Everything Changes".

Directed by Diane Paulus who has a made a few subtle changes from the last time that I saw this musical, one of them being the omission of Jenna's little girl right at the end. This is left out so there are no young actors needed to play this role. The rest of the show is so quick moving; I had actually forgotten just how swift the scene changes are. Everything about this musical is precise; from the prop settings and scene changes to the assisted costume changes on stage, the timing is as tight as you could ever wish for.

Musical Supervisor and Arranger is Nadia Digiallonardo with orchestrations by Sara Bareilles. The musicians are on stage, but in a corner of Joe's Pie Shop, almost as if they were the Pie Shop's house band. They sounded great and were perfectly mixed, sound wise, to the vocal styles of all of the vocalists on stage, lead and ensemble vocalists. I say that because the last time I saw this musical in the Nottingham Royal Concert Hall, I recall that the acoustics, or the sound mix, was not as sharp as it was tonight. This time around it was perfect.

Choreographed by Lorin Latarro. When I ;last saw this show I didn't really notice that much of the choreography, maybe because I was concentrating on so many other areas of the production, but there is some excellent choreography here. The contemporary feel to many of the scenes which feature the main characters, shadowed by the ensemble, are created so tenderly that I found myself often holding my breath. The big choreographed pieces are equally as exciting, power wise, but for a different reason. The timing in the big numbers are stunning and a lovely contrast to the tender scenes.

The set design by Scott Pask was immense. The clarity of the back drop, which filled the Concert Hall stage from stage to roof. It was so realistic you wanted to wander on stage to open the doors and wander out beyond the diner. The props, big and small, from the serving feature to the kitchen/baking sections are so realistic, they were as if one of those big cranes that you see in an amusement arcade had swooped down and removed them from a real life pie shop. There are also so many props of a smaller variety in this show, including some delicious looking cakes with some equally mouth-watering names.

Lighting Designer is Scott Billington. A lovely variety of lighting techniques are employed to create the various moods for the show, most of them being bright and colourful, but just a few which deepen the mood, especially when Jenna and Earl were together as a pair.

Sound Designer is Rob Bettle. As I mentioned earlier the sound tonight was absolutely spot on, unlike the time when I last saw it here when the acoustics just didn't produce the sound that we all experienced tonight, opening night. Crystal clear and as well mixed as one of Jenna's cakes.

I must also commend how quickly and covertly a little accident on stage was cleared up.

This musical has the perfect recipe for a great night out at the theatre. With comedy as well as sadness, brilliant acting and a great soundtrack, it's as easy as pie to see why this is the massive hit it is.

If this is going to be the first time of seeing this musical, I can promise you that you're in for a sweet treat. If you've seen it before, then you are going to love your second helpings as much as your first course serving.

"Waitress The Musical" is at the Nottingham Royal Concert Hall until Saturday 15 August.

 "The Tempest"

Nottingham Shakespeare Company.

St John's Church, Carrington.

Shakespeare’s final play is a pot pourri of emotions. Close to a Mediterranean island, a storm overcomes a ship that carries King Alonso of Naples, his son Ferdinand, and his brother Sebastian. They were on their way home from Tunis to Italy when the storm hit, and their ship is demolished in the process. Shipwrecked with them are the courtier, Gonzalo, and the Duke of Milan, Antonio.

From the island, Prospero, the former Duke of Milan, and his fifteen year-old daughter, Miranda, watch the storm and the shipwreck. Miranda fears for the ship's crew, but Prospero assures her that everything is fine. He decides to open up about his past, telling her how twelve years previously, he had been deposed in a coup by his brother, Antonio.

With the aid of Gonzalo, Prospero had escaped in a boat with the infant Miranda and his books of magic. They travelled to the island and made it their home, while the only native islander, Caliban, was made their slave.

The only other inhabitants of the island are the spirits including Ariel, whom Prospero had rescued from imprisonment in a tree. Since Antonio is on the boat that is now shipwrecked, Prospero hopes finally to rectify his past. As Miranda sleeps, Prospero plots with Ariel about his role in the shipwreck and what to do with the men now that they are on the shore.

With Shakespeare it’s very open to interpretation from the Director as well as the audience, which is why we see so many different versions of plays like “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” set in various eras and styles. This is one reason why Shakespeare is still as popular today as it ever was, and something that Nottingham Shakespeare Company do so well, proven by the turnout for their touring productions.

I've been a fan of the Nottingham Shakespeare Company for a few years now and love the way that they very often bring a new vision of Shakespeare's works to the streets of the East Midlands, and my chat with Mary, Amanda and Director Ali a few weeks ago, whet my appetite for this production, even though I have seen "The Tempest" several times over the years. There's comedy, magic and romance, and this time around set under the Big Top of a circus with Prospero as the Ringmaster.

Tom Salyers is Prospero, who was once Duke of Milan until his brother Antonio usurped his position and had Prospero cast out to sea in a small boat with his young daughter Miranda. Prospero and Miranda landed on an island where the only other inhabitants are spirits and a strange creature called Caliban, who he now controls by magic in this circus. I have seen Tom several times performing Shakespeare, and what Tom doesn't know about The Bard probably isn't worth knowing. After all, he holds a Master of Fine Arts in Shakespearean Staging and Performance from the University of Exeter, and has been performing Shakespeare for over twenty five years.

Ferdinand is played by Fred Baker, who you may recognise from his latest roles at the Nottingham Lace Market Theatre. Ferdinand is the only son of Alonso, King of Naples. When the ship seems to be breaking up in the tempest, he swims ashore and believes his father drowned. He falls in love with Miranda at first sight but Prospero thinks they have fallen in love too easily. Prospero uses his magical powers to make Ferdinand a slave and forces him to carry logs. Ferdinand puts up with this so long as he can see Miranda. Eventually, Prospero rewards his loyalty by releasing him and agrees that Ferdinand and Miranda can marry. Fred's physicality with the logs is both realistic as well as comedic, and great fun to watch.

Madeeha Kamall is Antonio, Prospero's younger brother. Prospero trusted him to help rule the dukedom of Milan but Antonio used this trust against his brother and secretly plotted with Alonso to overthrow Prospero and have him and Miranda removed from the city. Antonio owes a debt to Alonso for his help and wants Sebastian to become King of Naples instead so that he can be released from that debt. Getting everyone in the mood for the circus, Madeeha performs a couple of sets as one of the two aerialists before the circus begins, and you can't help but look on in awe of the smooth twists, turns and balancing all done in the air.

Warren Hunter returns to the Nottingham Shakespeare Company as Stephano, butler to Alonso, King of Naples. He was washed up on the island alone and wanders around drunk until he meets up with his friend Trinculo, who is hiding under a cloak with Caliban. Stephano shares his wine with them and Caliban thinks he is a god. Stephano agrees to kill Prospero, rule the island and become Caliban’s new master. However, Ariel watches them and makes sure they do not cause any real trouble. 

Richard Tann-Watson is Gonzalo who returns to the stage after a decade long hiatus with his first foray into Shakespeare, and his debut for Nottingham Shakespeare Company. Gonzalo is chief advisor to Alonso, King of Naples. He is remembered by Prospero for his kindness in making sure that supplies, clothing and books were put aboard the boat when Prospero and Miranda were cast out to sea. He tries to keep Alonso positive as they search the island for Ferdinand and is aware that Sebastian and Antonio make fun of him. 

Trinculo is played by Natalie Rayner, another actor making their debut with the NSC. Trinculo is a jester and serves Alonso, King of Naples, and was washed up alone on the island after the shipwreck. Looking for shelter, he ends up crawling underneath Caliban's cloak with him. His friend Stephano then discovers them and they meet Caliban. Stephano is persuaded to kill Prospero, by Caliban, and Trinculo reluctantly follows along with their plot. Here's another brilliant debut, and I won't spoil it if you plan to see this show, but Trinculo's image resembles a very well recognised and famous clown. Thankfully this clown does not remain silent, and I love the accent given to the character.

Alonso is played by an actor that I have seen several times on stage, Saurav Modak. Alonso is the King of Naples. He helped Antonio to get rid of Prospero and take his brother’s place as Duke of Milan. He has two children, a daughter called Claribel and a son, Ferdinand. His fleet of ships is returning to Naples from Tunis but they are caught in a huge storm. Travelling with him is his son, his brother and other nobles. They are all washed up on the island after the storm, although Alonso thinks Ferdinand has drowned. When Alonso finally meets Prospero, he apologises and makes him Duke of Milan again. When he is reunited with Ferdinand and finds out about his engagement to Prospero’s daughter Miranda, he is delighted. Saurav also doubles his roles as Juno.

Mary Sullivan makes her Nottingham Shakespeare Company debut as Miranda, Prospero's daughter and his only child. She was cast out to sea with her father when she was three-years-old and knows nothing about the world except what her father has taught her. Prospero hopes she and Ferdinand will be attracted to each other. When they immediately fall in love, he pretends to be angry and makes Ferdinand a slave. Once Ferdinand has proved he deserves Miranda, he blesses their engagement with a magical show.

Amelia Renard is Caliban, who also makes her NSC debut. Sycorax, a witch, was abandoned on the island and gave birth to a son, Caliban. When she died, he was left alone on the island with only the invisible spirits for company. When Prospero and Miranda arrive on the island, Caliban lives with them as part of the family but when Prospero catches him about to sexually assault Miranda, he throws Caliban out and treats him as a slave. Caliban wants revenge on Prospero but is afraid of his magical powers. When he meets Stephano, Caliban believes the drunken butler can kill Prospero and become a better master to him. He tries to lead Stephano to kill Prospero but Ariel and Prospero defeat his plans.

Lauren Treharne plays Sebastian, and I am sure that I was told that Lauren also makes her debut with NSC with this role. Sebastian is Alonso’s brother and one of the men who is shipwrecked on Prospero’s island. He is callous and impressionable, and he plays henchman to Antonio’s villain. He is an instantly dislikable character from the moment we meet him. Cantankerous and unhelpful during the shipwreck in the early scenes and shows a clear lack of empathy when he blames the grieving Alonso for Ferdinand’s alleged death. 

Magda Knight is Iris, one of the spirits summoned by Prospero during the masque celebrating Miranda and Ferdinand’s impending marriage. She is the goddess of the rainbow and the messenger of the Gods, which means she bridges the gap between the mortal world and the magical world. Magda also plays Bo'sun, who is in charge of the doomed ship. The start of the play sees all the passengers and crew of the ship tossed around in an impressive way, especially as the tossing and turning is all done on level ground, but still managed to make you feel just a little seasick thanks to the dramaturg of the piece.

Adelaide Marshall is the playful Ariel. Adelaide, like so many of this cast, is making their debut for the Nottingham Shakespeare Company. Ariel is the chief spirit of the island and controls the other spirits. Prospero found him imprisoned in a pine tree where he had been left by Sycorax, who died before Prospero arrived. In return for being freed from the tree, Ariel now serves Prospero and carries out his magical orders. Prospero promises Ariel that if he does everything he is asked to, he will be set free. At the end of the play, when Prospero has achieved everything he wanted with Ariel’s help, he says goodbye to Ariel and sets him free. What a debut, and what an addition to the Company's roster of Shakespearian actors.

So many Nottingham Shakespeare Company debuts, which shows the respect that these actors have for this company in delivering excellent pieces of theatre written by The Bard.

Directed by Alistair Fiori-McPhee, assisted by Jonathan Mansfield, both making their Directorial debuts, and like those actors who are also debuting, are brilliant at these new roles. I've seen both Alistair and Jonathan act with the NSC and have raved about their performances, and here now is a chance to rave about the visions that they both have regarding this production. They have made a classic Shakespearian piece of work even more comical and presented a fresh view of the story while keeping the traditional side of it as well.

Produced by Esther Warren, who worked the sound as well. Sorry I didn't get chance to say "hello" earlier.

Costume Mistress for this show is Katrin Salyers. The costumes were as fabulous as the story itself, all of the costumes holding a little bit of magic of their own.

Joe Perry is the Musical Director and Composer of the original music heard throughout the non stop ninety minutes of Shakespearian shenanigans.

Props are sourced by Jean Fiori-McPhee and, as with the costumes, are fun to note and to see how they are utilised within the story.

If you've seen "The Tempest" previously then you will obviously know the story, but this vision of the story within a circus style environment is a lovely new slant, especially with the parade of circus characters towards the end of the play. I've also stated in the past just what a difference experiencing Shakespeare in the open air is. Nottingham Shakespeare Company did provide chairs for the presentation in Carrington, but this may have just been for this venue, so make sure, if you can, take a fold up chair to sit on. Make an event of the show, as the two ladies just in front of me did, by taking a picnic hamper with you so you can eat and drink while you enjoy the show.

Photography by John Smalley of Vapour Trail Photography.

The local tour of "The Tempest" ends on Sat 8th August at The Embankment, Nottingham.

You can see the full list of venues and performances in the flyer attached to this piece.

"The Wizard Of Oz" by Kaleidoscope Players.

Adapted by John Kane for the Royal Shakespeare Company.
Duchess Theatre, Long Eaton.

We all know the story of the young girl, Dorothy Gale who lives on a farm in Kansas with her Aunt Em, Uncle Henry and little dog, Toto. It tells the story of how a tornado sweeps her, her home and Toto to a magical land called Oz, how she manages to eradicate the Munchkins from the Wicked Witch of The East by flattening her when the house lands on her.

On the way to meeting the Wizard, so she can get back home to Kansas she meets, and helps The Tinman, Scarecrow and The Cowardly Lion while the quartet have a few adventures on their way.

The atmosphere of the show starts as soon as you step through the doors of The Duchess Theatre as you're greeted by Ozians, clad in shiny green waistcoats.

Hannah Bradford is Dorothy Gale and is totally Dorothy all the way through. She has the accent and I am so pleased that she did not try and sound like Judy garland when she sang. Hannah has a lovely voice and delivered all the character of Dorothy. Many times I have seen the actor playing this role and trying to get that garland twang, with varying degrees of success, but Hannah's voice was all we needed for Dorothy. There's fun as well as fear in Hannah's performance and the retention of innocence just makes the perfect fit.

Amy Bradford, Hannah's sister, plays The Scarecrow/Hunk. A lovely character filled presentation and Amy knows how to get the maximum comic effect for Scarecrow by using her face, as well as that lovely knockabout physicality needed for the role.

Zoe Shepherd plays Tinman/Hickory. So much to like with this role. I loved the robotic style dancing and the whole physical side of the character. She really makes you believe that she is made of metal. I also loved the costume for Tinman as it's a more modern look, moving towards that steampunk vibe.

Evie Barfield is the Cowardly Lion/Zeke. Full of character, and again a slightly more modern adaptation of Lion which omitted the line that everyone connects to the character, "put 'em up, put 'em up". I didn't notice until the drive home. Evie looked to be having great fun bringing this character to the stage, and I know that the audience were having fun watching her have fun.

Rachel Robinson brought Toto to life on stage; that puppet looks so realistic as well! What I especially liked about this role is that, often I try not to notice the puppeteer, but in Rachel's case, I wanted to notice her, as well as Toto, because what you imagine Toto would be feeling inside is the exact emotion that Rachel displayed visually. The yap was pitched just right as well for a Scottie dog, which I am sure was the breed of this particular little pooch, and the lever that created the wagging tail was in overdrive, so I am sure that Toto was a happy chappie for the majority of the adventure.

Lucy Cadney is Aunt Em/ Glinda. From the busy farmer's wife fretting over a faulty incubator to the gentle, stress free good Witch, Lucy displayed a variety of emotions between the two characters, all the while looking exquisitely lovely in the process.

Martin Church plays Uncle Henry as well as the Guard looking after access to the Wizard. Again, two characters that are as far apart as you can get. The hard working Farmer and the jovial Guard of the Wizard's lair.

Kerry-Ann Roe is Miss Gulch/ Wicked Witch. I don't know why but I love the nasty characters, probably because they are so much fun to play, and everyone loves a baddie, don't they? Kerry-Anne's Wicked Witch costume is another excellent example of bringing the character up to date, once more with a steampunk style costume. Wonderfully wicked in both character forms; she made you want to push Miss Gulch off of her bike she was so nasty.

Rob Simpson is The Professor as well as The Wizard Of Oz. I love the accent that Rob provided for The Professor as well as the vocal effects for The Wizard. I must mention as well how the Wizard appeared to our four heroes. It was a four piece section of abstract art is probably the best way to describe it which moved like a giant puppet face. The timing of the puppetry to Rob's voice shows that a great deal of work with the timing has obviously gone into this part.

The Ensemble consist of Alice Goodall, Tessa Raum, Josephine Walker, Michelle Bradford, Theresa Hartwright, Julie Black, Caitlin Wright, Beth Margett, Freya Mosley and Ron Murfin. They made the stage feel more full with their presence and really boosted the choreographed numbers brilliantly.

Alice, Tessa and Josephine brought a lovely sassy feel to their roles as trees, and I loved the tree costumes.

Michelle and Theresa also turned puppeteers to bring the crows to life with some realistic cackling and cawing.

The Junior Ensemble consist of Charlotte, Alex, Jessica, Rosie, Callum and Madison who doubled their parts as Munchkins. I must mention Alex separately as he also played the part of Nikko, the leader of the Flying Monkeys. A wonderfully cheeky and energetic performance which I especially enjoyed.

Directed by Alice Goodall and Tessa Raum and they utilised every part of the auditorium, with characters using the main aisle as entrances and exits, as well as the two side aisles and the auditorium doors. The show was pacy, and even in the scene changes they made sure that in the blackouts on stage, we had musical accompaniment while the scenes were being set up. They succeeded in bringing an updated version of an old classic without taking away any of the pieces that make this musical the classic that it is.

Musical Director is Bethan Davies-Taylor, who, along with the cast, created some gorgeous and harmonious sections throughout. There were sections that reminded me of when I was a kid, sitting on the sofa on a Sunday afternoon and watching the old musicals on television, and these harmonies took me right back there.

Set Design, which is absolutely lovely, is all down to Tessa Raum and Jason Kramer, who is also the Technical Director and responsible for the puppetry. 

Prop creators are Lucy Cadney, Kerry-Ann Roe, and Deb Weetman. 

Amy Bradford is the show's Movement Director,

Choreographed gorgeously by Amy Bradford, Josephine Walker and Evie Barfield.

Costume Designers are Denise Brown, Lucy Cadney, Zoe Shepherd, and Deb Weetman. They could have so easily have stuck with the original patterns for costumes, but no, there's a lovely mix of traditional and steampunk, bringing a fresh, more up to date feel about the show's image. 

The animation sequences on the backdrop are created by Tessa, who has donned many hats in this production, and surely a qualifier for next year's Eagle Awards. Sometimes the moving film backdrop can take away from a production, but not in this case. The video sequences create much of the magic, especially of course the "twister" sequence, and the introduction of the Wicked Witch flying through the air on Miss Gulch's bicycle. Blended in with these images, the ensemble also added to this with various broken parts of the farm and a cow whirling past from one side of the stage to the other.

Sound Designer and Operation was by Dave Dallard. When got right the acoustics in the Duchess is excellent and you can hear every word spoken and sung. Well, here was another of those nights. The clarity and mix between vocals and music was just right, and the volume was spot on, which created an added layer of excitement, especially in the twister sections.

Lighting Designer and Operation was by Aaron Mace. We went from quite a drab wash of colour at the start, which was the perfect way to introduce the overall feel of the musical, but then once we reached Oz, it was like an artist's palette of colour, and continued in that way through to the end.

With having such a busy week, theatre wise, this was the earliest chance I had to see the show, but I am so pleased that I didn't miss out. You can see the hard work that Kaleidoscope Players have put into creating such a fantastic piece of theatre. "The Wizard Of Oz" is performed on a regular basis, and it's so nice to see the thought that is behind creating a slightly different look and feel about a show.

"The Wizard Of Oz" comes to the end of its' yellow brick road this evening when the final performance commences at 7.30.

 "Forever Young" by Erik Gedeon.

Spotlight Theatre Group.

MMC (Mountsorrel Memorial Centre).

If you've seen this play/musical before, then you'll know just how funny this show is. But wait, there are extra characters and more songs have been added to the show to incorporate the more recent residents of the care home.

The play is set in the future and the MMC is now a retirement care home for retired actors and musicians and has been renamed to Routledge Manor. But do retired performers take retirement to a relaxed life of being cared for? Not this lot!

Their days are filled with reliving their past glories, or as they see their past glories which includes sex and drugs and rock n roll, all with an open eye for Sister Sara, the perfect nurse for these young at heart veterans as she treats them to her operatic outbursts, some with alarming lyrics. Her whistling of the death march as she vacates the room doesn't give much faith in her care for the residents.

Sara is played wonderfully bossy by Lisa Mills, who is also the Producer. (I'll let you into a secret... this is not Lisa's first experience of this play as she has also directed the play and been Musical Director a few years ago). The fact that she holds so much power over the residents shows as deep joy in her face. I love the patronising start with the "Clappy Hands" song but we have to wait until the end to hear what a lovely singing voice Lisa has when she sings "I'll Be Seeing You" as she bids them all goodnight. The showbusiness side of Sister Sara comes around with her performance of "Cabaret".

Elliot Paulson is Mr Paulson, a retired magician who now just wants to enjoy his twilight years with the new love of his life, Ms Bladon. We get a section where Mr Paulson gets to show off his "magic skills", and the "trick" with Ms Bladon as his lovely assistant is obvious but such fun. Mr Paulson and the male residents do a brilliantly comical version of Tom Jones' "Sex Bomb".

Georgie Bladon is Ms Bladon, former actress, who now suffers from dementia. Her favourite play is Chekhov's "The Seagull", which she "performs" an extract of to entertain her fellow residents. Mr Paulson and Ms Bladon make a lovely couple, especially when we got to the poignant section where Miss Bladon sang Nilsson's "Without You". I won't tell you what brought this song on because, while it has its' funny side, it was quite a sad moment in the play, which caused the perfect reaction from the audience.

Paul Mills is Mr Mills, an ageing rockstar who once performed at Glastonbury and now croons the Queen song "These Are The Days Of Our Lives" while passing the dooby round. Mr Mills is the rocking hippy in this production and is also part of a brilliant comedy double act which closes Act One with Mr Holtom in a shocking manner! I remember seeing Paul play this very same role nine years ago at the Guildhall Theatre in Derby. 

Martin Holtom is Mr Holtom, a former Shakespearian actor who once performed at The Globe and Swan Theatres. He is still dreaming of the final performance, but is he too late? There's a section in this show which features several performed Shakespearian quotes performed by all of the cast. One of my favourite scenes include Mr Holtom and Mr Mills leading up to the close of the first act.

Jennifer Richardson is Miss Richardson, aka Miss R, a former music teacher who once met Mick "Romeo Rubber Lips" Jagger. Miss R likes the 80's, rap music and knitting strange looking things!

Mr Wrightovski, is a Russian concert pianist who has no grasp of the English language. Played by  Jason Wrightham, another wonderful character driven performance with the physicality in this role never faltering. Even though his former occupation was playing the piano, he begrudgingly plays the keyboard for Sister Sara to vocalise to.

Jemma Bennett is Mrs Bennett who used to be an artist, who specialised in painting nudes. She likes a boogie, but only because it gives her a chance to get up close and personal with the male residents.

Mina Holtom is Miss Pegg, a former activist and professional actress whose nickname was "The Dreaded Diva". My favourite character in this musical comedy play is this foul-mouthed character. A wonderfully politically incorrect potty mouthed character, who has a wonderful story to tell from her activist days, complete with local references. Miss Pegg starts the musical ball rolling as soon as Sister sara leaves the room with a raunchy, rocking version of Joan Jett's "I Love Rock 'n' Roll". Her version of Aqua's "Barbie Girl" is the result of another inspired piece of comedy.

Some of the comedy may not be politically correct but who cares as it’s very funny with some clever arrangements of popular songs. “Barbie Girl” has never sounded so good. This comedy also takes in “I Got You Babe”, “I Will Survive”, “ Uptown Funk”, "Hey baby" and of course the poignant title of the play “Forever Young” among this new and refreshed score.

The make up is excellent as are the costumes and wigs. 

Sound for the show is by Ryan Heath. The MMC's acoustics are excellent so you got to hear every word spoken and sung; the backing tracks are lovely and clear and sound lovely in this performance space. Sound effects are well used and timed perfectly.

Lighting is by members of the MMC venue.

Choreography for these musical numbers have been created brilliantly for these aging characters, especially the dance sections for two of the big funky numbers, "Sex Bomb" and "Uptown Funk".

The original script is by Erik Gedeon and this adaptation, which takes what I had seen before to another level, is by Giles Croft and Stefan Bednarczyk.

The Video montage at the end is brilliantly conceived, showing the cast members as children alongside the way they look at the moment in that clever way that you see on Facebook/Youtube videos where both young and current actors embrace the other. Clever stuff. There are also a collection of other pictures of the cast over the years creating a lovely time line of them all, all proving that with the right mindset, we can all stay forever young.

"Forever Young" has another performance on Saturday 25 July, so make sure that you don't miss this hilarious and heartfelt piece of theatre. A wonderful lesson in how to grow old disgracefully.

Photography by Ben Sherwin.

 "Grease - The School Edition"

Gatepost Youth Theatre.

Marlpool URC, Heanor, Derbyshire.

This is one of my favourite musicals, just because of the feel-good factor every song evokes. I am sure that I don't need to tell you the story of Danny and Sandy either so we can just cut to the praise!

This is the first proper outing for Gatepost Youth Theatre, apart from a Christmas Concert last year, so I imagine nerves were quite high for all involved before the show.

You may be asking yourself, what is the difference between the fully fledged musical and the School Edition? There are several scenes that have been left out due to their "adult" content, and of course, you can't really stage a road race on the Turnpike, live on stage. 

Some of the song's lyrics have also been changed to "clean up" the content. I'm sure that everyone knows the soundtrack anyway so will know which lyrics have been cleansed.

The soundtrack is iconic with songs like "Summer Nights", "You're The One That I Want", "Greased Lightning", "Sandy", "Hopelessly Devoted To You" and "We Go Together". Some youth performances don't include the song "There Are Worse Things I Could Do" with the licence but it was included in this particular one, and I was so pleased because it is one of my favourite songs from the musical, and was sung with great feeling by Bella Radford. The licensing also doesn't include the title track, which is also strange, but that is all down to the writers of that particular song.

Danny Zuko is played by Isla Farrell. I don't think that I have ever seen a female playing Danny Zuko as Danny Zuko, but I like the way that Isla played the role as a more macho Danny, as opposed to how John Travolta played him as a bit of a thicko.

Sandra (Sandy) Dubrowski is played by Erika Needham. Sandy is no pushover, even at the beginning of the story, and is definitely not by the end. I loved the really tender version of "Look At Me I'm Sandra Dee" Sandy sings just before the big transformation, and Erika looked fantastic after her makeover, showing Danny and the others just who was boss! the slap she delivers near the end was brilliantly timed and delivered.

Kenickie is played by Paige Bone. Kenickie can also be a bit of a lanky goofball, which is probably why Zuko and Kenickie got on so well in the film. Paige didn't do goofball Kenickie, she played him as a wiseguy player, but one thing that both Paige and Kenickie do have in common is that they are both tall and slim.

Rizzo is played by Bella Radford. What feeling Bella put into Rizzo's song, and I loved the attitude she wore as armour for Rizzo's softer side.

Doody is played by Clara Hyland-Thomas; small in stature but BIG on personality, and so full of energy!

Frenchy is played by Evelyn Bridgwood. Another one of my favourite characters from the film.

Roger (Rump), the "mooner" of the show, is played by Jake Bavin and also plays Teen Angel, who sings another one of my favourite songs in the show, "Beauty School Dropout". Jake is a lovely character actor, and has the ability to act with his face as well as the rest of him. Loved his characterisation of "rump" and his version of "Mooning", as well as "Beauty School Dropout" showed off his vocal skills.

Sonny is played by Joseph Ross, who I think showed a few nerves at the start, but they seemed to disappear and the cheekiness of Sonny's character started to show via Joseph. You could tell just how much Joseph was enjoying this part as near the end, just before the new Sandy and Danny meet up, there's a line he delivers that really makes him smile and giggle.

The geeky Eugene is played wonderfully by Arthur Hyland-Thomas. Even if I hadn't got the show programme, as soon as he came on stage, I knew that he was going to be Eugene by the costume, glasses and haircut. The scene at the dance when he is chatting to Cha Cha is hilarious and he really gets into that geeky character brilliantly. 

Gracie Smith (Jan), Bella Nicholson (Marty) and Esmie Smith-Cockayne (Patty) played the rest of The Pink Ladies. Gracie is hilarious in the scenes with Roger, Bella is a fantastic dancer and Esmie really brings the enthusiasm as cheerleader Patty.

Miss Lynch is played by Ellie Hall. It can be quite difficult for a young person to take on a character who is so much older than themselves, but I really enjoyed Ellie's stiffness and sensibility that Miss Lynch has, which Ellie manages to convey so well.

The slimy rock n roll radio presenter with the tongue-twisty lines, Vince Fontaine, is played by Dan Bramley.

Cha Cha, who creates quite a stir at the hop is played by Amelia Tupenny. Brilliant scenes with Eugene made me grin.

The rest of the Rydell High students and Ensemble are played by Willow Kemp, Winter Rose Beeson and Ava Jones. 

Directed by Luke Grainger. This show is pacy and rolls along quite nicely, and all of the young actors looked as if they were having an absolute hop. Sorry that should be "ball". I can't remember if Luke has directed before but he has done a lovely job with this cast, as well as being part of the stage management team.

Choreographed by Jordan Neary, who also wore the Producer's cap and Set Designer's as well. Sometimes a set can really add to a production, and sometimes just the basic does just as well. The latter was the case here and I think everyone in the audience knows the film "Grease" so we didn't need to be told that we were on the playing field, at the hop, in a bedroom, because we all know where everything is on the timeline of this musical. Making the set minimalist was absolutely the right decision, plus it's another thing that the cast do not need to worry about.

Choreography wise, you just need to take a look at just how much energy and enthusiasm these young people put into the dancing to see just how well received the choreography was. It's fun to watch and I imagine fun to teach these youngsters, whose parents probably weren't even a twinkle in their parents' eyes when this film came out in 1978, never mind when the original musical came out in 1971.

The props said everything that were needed to know about the musical, and I love the car with the number plate of GR3A5E. Props were sourced or made by Jude Cliffman.

Musical Director is Christopher Collington, who also took on roles of Sound and Light Designer, along with his very talented Lighting Technician, Freddy Collington.

Costumes are by Jordan Neary and Lottie Lodge, and they all looked groovy, but they must have been so warm in the leather jackets in that Church Hall as there was no air conditioning. 

This fun musical is the one that you want to see on one of these warm and balmy summer nights. Let's face it there are worse things you could do than be entertained by this talented group, so hurry up as I heard that tickets are going like greased lightning. Take a friend and then you can go together, especially if your partner is hopelessly devoted to you, because then in the interval you can moon at each other.....ok I'll stop there.

"Grease The School Edition" is at Marlpool URC until Saturday 25 July.