"The Clink" by Riverside Drama

Duchess Theatre, Long Eaton

The year is 1603. Elizabeth I is teetering at death's door. Conspirators are everywhere. Lucius Bodkin, an Elizabethan stand-up comedian, becomes unwillingly involved in the political skulduggery and jiggery-pokery surrounding the ailing queen.

Before I continue, let me say that theatre is subjective and this play just didn't gel with me. I am all for local drama groups to go out on a limb to perform plays that are not performed that often, and a lot of the time they manage to pull it off. With "The Clink" there is a reason why this play is not performed very often.

There is no way that I am going to criticise any actor here as I truly think it's the choice of the play that I didn't get on with, and the actors worked with the script and the story they had.

Lucius Bodkin is played by Jenni Wright and brother Thomas Bodkin is played by James Billington, who you may not at first recognise due to the wig he wears for the character. They play the "comedians" in the play with one of the pair making a lucky escape, or in other words one did not end up in the stocks and with all body parts intact.

Beatrice, the Monarch's Lady in Waiting, is played by Donna Osmond and her maid is played by Liv Paige, both characters and performances I enjoyed as conspirators.

Jonathan Greaves has great projection and I heard every word of his lines and loved the animated character he played, the Captain "a connoisseur of The Duel".

Talking of great projection, Jack Workman also made sure we heard every word perfectly.

Samantha Badman also looked wonderful in her costume as Chief Privy Councillor, John Frobisher.

Elizabeth I is played regally by Lizzie Norris and my favourite character and performance of the night.

The costumes for everyone were brilliant, as was the make-up and wig department.

I do not know what was going on with the lighting tonight, but some characters were partly in shade, sometimes they were in the dark, spots disappeared, we saw characters who had been killed sneaking off stage in spotlight.....

Choosing to put on a play with long speeches, 19 scene changes and a convoluted plot is no mean feat for a local drama company, with a successful reputation, but for me the step may have been just too far, risk wise.

Possibly with a re-write, some tweaking and tightening up of the story, this could have been a better story, especially at two hours and forty minutes, with interval, but this was the way I imagine Stephen Jeffrey wrote it. I also think it would have highlighted the comic lines more as well. I found myself chuckling at parts that no one else found comical, especially in the second act. I think that some of the audience may have switched off by then and missed many of the more comical lines by that stage.

As I said, theatre, like music, is subjective and not even I can like everything I see, but there are probably more positives to this production than negatives, and that is what I like to focus on. Not even the Beatles, Presley or Sinatra had a hit with every release.

I tried very hard to really like this production but I think it's the play itself that is the weak link.

"The Clink" is at The Duchess Theatre until Saturday 20 November.

 "Cold Front" by Beeston Players

Round Hill School, Foster Avenue, Beeston.

It's so good to be back at Round Hill School and seeing The Beeston Players back on stage with this comedy written by Alan Robinson.

"Cold Front" is set in a remote tin cabin in the Highlands, on the banks of Loch Lannermory, where three couples come together for a birthday surprise, organised by the hapless Mike for his wife Karen. While they are incarcerated in the cabin by heavy snow, their personalities clash, confusions arise and they fall out. The tensions and misunderstandings build to a climax in Act 2.

Mike, played by Rob Jackson, is one of those characters whose heart is in the right place but something always seems to go just a little bit wrong. Rob is one of those actors whose forte is comedy, and he does comedy well, and you always end up feeling just a bit sorry for the characters he plays.

Nicola Adkin plays Karen (Mikes wife), and I love the way that the character slowly brings herself to the boil before exploding, but was lovely to see the simmer as well. Nicola looks to be enjoying playing Karen as she can really let rip with the script and Karen's emotions.

Sarah Nicholson is Miriam (Karen’s oldest friend) and, like Karen, is the one who really wears the trousers, but even more. When she orders Malcolm to do something, he does it! All the women in the play hold the cards in their relationship, one way or another, and Sarah's bossy and overbearing characterization of Miriam is also the cause of many of the comic moments.

Paul Langston is Malcolm (Miriam’s husband), and really looks the part of the geeky, dated, under the thumb lap-dog husband who eventually gets to answer back, even if it's not to Miriam's face. I imagine this is another character that is fun to play for an actor of Paul's calibre.

James (Mike’s best friend) played by Tom Jenkins, made me wonder how far Tom went for the method acting here as he plays "drunk" really convincingly. There is one part where he is about to drink some "wine" he has found in the larder, that unbeknown to him is not wine. There were some members of the audience who I thought were going to break out into panto mode and yell "don't do it", and that is the sort of fun that this character and the play brings out in the audience.

Sue Frost plays Christina (James’s girlfriend). Christina is James' latest girlfriend in a long line of conquests, as Mike has not been able to keep up with James' latest tally. Christina is just a little tarty but she has her heart in exactly the right place, even if her hands roam a little with any sniff of testosterone masculinity, even Malcolm! Because of this she is not the dish of the day with the other women in the story and this creates some wonderfully bitchy comments, but Christina can hold her own, almost as well as her wish to hold the male characters' own! Like every character that Sue merges into, she makes the role her own.

The Radio Announcer is the voice of Nina Tunnicliff, who also wears the hat of Producer for this production.

Directed by Gary Frost, who makes his debut as Director and he does a cracking job of it, assisted by Larraine Maddison. This play is kept nice and pacy, and the comedy tight, and we get the feeling of the snowfall whenever a character enters from outdoors as they re-enter with "snow" on their shoulders and clothes, so it's nice to see those little touches are adhered to, to give the impression of the world outside the rusty can of a shed.

Talking of cans and the weather, we also discover that the fully stocked larder advertised in the brochure is stocked but with cans of beans, so with the snow outside, we also have the wind inside thanks to Malcolm, who we also discover has a sensitive disposition. we are left in no doubt about this thanks to the sound effect department.

Thank goodness Beeston Players do not have a smell effect department as well! As I've mentioned sound, I should give credit to Sam Williams who was in charge of this area.

Sam is also responsible for the Set Design, and you get the feeling that the place has been barren for a while due to the number of Autumnal leaves adorning the carpet and sofa. The decor of the room needs attention and there is a Scottish flag looking quite sorrowful dangling from the wall, a door that sticks (sometimes) and a picture frame hanging at a jaunty angle. I'd love to see the Trip Advisor reports for this "apartment". Maybe Sam has delved into past experiences for this set! Who knows?

The lighting design is simple which is what the play calls for and is by Fiona Maxwell.

I always mention the front of house team for the Beeston players as they are always so friendly and helpful, and it's lovely to experience what they bring to the table once again, including free coffee and tea in the interval. It's so good to have you all back.

"Cold Front" will be at Round Hill School, Foster Avenue in Beeston until Saturday 20 November when they have a matinee performance only.

 “School Of Rock”

Nottingham Royal Concert Hall

Andrew Lloyd Webber’s award-winning musical, based on the hit movie, follows Dewey Finn, a failed, wannabe rock star who decides to earn a few extra bucks by posing as a substitute teacher at a prestigious prep school. There he turns a class of straight-A students into a guitar-shredding, bass-slapping, mind-blowing rock band – performed live by the production’s young actors. Not only does he do that but he awakes their inner self and they become "cool", not only in the eyes of the other kids but in their own eyes, and eventually in the eyes of their parents.

Dewey wants to enter them into "The Battle Of the Bands" competition against the band that he has just been kicked out of, "No Vacancy", but this becomes more than just a revenge gig, he actually touches the lives of these kids and they also touch his life. The musical features 14 new songs from Andrew Lloyd-Webber as well as the original songs from the film.

Jake Sharp plays Dewey and he is just as good as Jack Black in the film. He has an abundance of energy and is instantly lovable. You'd wish you had a teacher like him at your school.

Rebecca Lock plays the role of the Head of School, Rosalie Mullins. I love these characters who start off as one thing and mutate into a completely different character and that is what happens with Rosalie, once Dewey discovers her Achilles heel. Rebecca meanwhile gets to show an incredible pair of lungs in a solo in Act Two when she turns from a stuffy School Head to a Stevie Nicks loving rock chick in a "why Ms Mullins, you're beautiful" transformation.

Dewey's ex band mate and his co Landlord, Ned Schneebly, who you may remember is the one that had originally been offered the teaching job at the school, is played by James Bisp, who also goes through a transformation at the end, and is seen by his girlfriend, Patti Di Marco, who is the other co Landlord, in a completely different light! Patti is played by the gorgeous Nadia Violet Johnson.

The real stars of this show though are the kids. There are three teams of twelve kids who perform in this musical, and if the other two teams are half as brilliant as the team seen on Tuesday night, then there are a heck of a lot of upcoming stars in a few years with this bunch. I got a little shiver when I heard them play drums, keyboards, bass guitar and lead guitar absolutely live, because if they are this talented at this age, what will they be like in another ten years' time?

All these child actors are amazing in what they do, but you always seem to gravitate towards one or two don't you? Well I did. I loved Jasmine Djazel who played Tomika. Her accapella version of "Amazing Grace" sent shivers up my spine.

Another young actor I loved was Alfie Morwood who played Billy. His mannerisms and character were incredible for one so young.

It's a wonderfully fun production to watch, and this was the first time I have seen it on stage. The organised mayhem and chaos was an utter joy to see, and even a technical issue in Act two could not stop The School Of Rock from rolling on.

There are a few original songs that I will remember from the show, "Stick It to the Man" being the obvious one, but I loved the ballad "Where Did The Rock Go", sung by Mrs Mullins and also the "auditions" song "You're In the Band" which is great fun.

“School Of Rock” is at the Royal Concert Hall until Saturday 20 November.

 "Wonderland" by Copper Studios

The Old Disney Store, Victoria Centre, Nottingham.

Here is a piece of theatre, aimed at a younger audience, but not age specific, staged in a disused retail unit right in the centre of Nottingham. A retelling of the classic story of "Alice In Wonderland" written by Copper Studios Creative Director, Harry Hindley. It sticks rigidly to the main story line but is enhanced by adding modern touches and mentions of such new-fangled things as "Tik Tok", don't worry I've still not caught on to that one either!

Not only is the script fresh but there is a wonderful musical score to go with it. Some of the songs sound as if they should be in some Disney film and some sounding very grown-up musical theatre, but all really catchy with clever lyrics.

I loved the whole feel of the entrance area with books that look liked they were flying above your head and posters of the cast and a "We're all mad here" corner and confusing road sign, just to whet your appetite for entering the rabbit hole entrance. Once inside, and I advise you to get in early so that you can a really good look at the performance area, there is an intricate large set with foliage "growing" from the roof and through the wall of suitcases. An "Egyptian style entrance with columns to mark the exterior of the Quenn Of Hearts palatial home.

Visually the design is as much of an optic feast as the heavily laden table resplendent with mouth-watering looking cakes with the juiciest of cherries for decoration. This really is a truly magical set, lovingly created by Artistic Designer Megan Hindley.

Megan is also responsible for the equally magical costumes, and while keeping the original vision of Disney's costume design, she has added some modern twists, which again bring the story and production bang up to date. The eye for detail is spot on for all the costumes you see in this show.

Another important name within Copper Studios in this production is Sarah Green who is the Creative Associate Producer. A newbie into the Copper fold but if the results of this production is anything to go by, a vital and useful addition to the Copper family.

A cast of four have worked incredibly hard to create this gorgeous piece of theatre, but make it look so relaxed and easy, which in turn makes any show a delight to experience.

Alice is played with a lovely sense of innocence by Eleanor Homer and will immediately attract all the younger audience members with this performance. If they ever make a doll of Alice In Wonderland, they should use Eleanor as the model as she just looks how I would imagine Alice would look today.

The first character we meet is The Mad Hatter, who has an amazing costume and a hat that deserves the character name. How did that hat stay on her head? Wonderfully crazy characterization performed by Tashaka Baumber, and doubles up as the Cheshire Cat, also wonderfully zany. Not sure if the details about Tashaka are correct but it states that Tashaka has over 25 years' experience singing and performing! How can that be when Tashaka only looks to have hit her early twenties. Her acting and vocal experience is very impressive, as is this performance in "Wonderland".

Emily Vinnicombe plays both the White Rabbit and Caterpillar. Her performances are like explosions of candy and glitter all at once and you can't help but fall in love with both characters. Emily has one of those singing voices that you think "hello, who is this?". For me she sounds just a little bit like Kate Bush, and I have not heard anyone sing like this since Kate, an absolute delight.

The Queen Of Hearts is really well balanced as she is just a little bit scary but has that comedy element, almost like a well-pitched panto baddie, and it's a fine line in getting that balance right as you need her to be scary but not so much that the younger audience will be too scared and draw the tears from them. Aimee Hislop, who played Queenie looked as if she was loving every second playing her. It's the first time as well that I have seen the Queen Of Hearts partaking of a fitness session complete with leotard!

These four actors have their characterization down to a fine art, and know how to work an audience, and perfect choices for these characters.

This performance made me feel like an eight-year-old again, and that is going back some, but I adored this show and will enthral kids from five to a hundred and five, so take the Great Grandkids, Grandkids and the kids to see this treat, and also gives you an excuse to partake of this funny and clever piece of theatre.

It's also a lovely alternative to the traditional panto and with a running time of about an hour, it's not long enough for the young kids to get restless with, not that they would as I am positive that they will love it just as much as you. Go on, treat yourself.

"Wonderland" is at The Old Disney Store in the Nottingham Intu Victoria Centre until 30 December 2021. Booking details and show times can be found on the Copper Entertainment web site.

 “Pink Mist” by Owen Sheers

Nottingham Lace Market Theatre

Originally written by Sheers as a verse drama for radio about three young soldiers from Bristol who enrol in the army and are deployed to Afghanistan. They see action and then return home to their girlfriend, wife and mother. This play shows the impact on their time in Afghanistan and the effect it has on not just them but their nearest and dearest. Sheer wrote this play based on interviews with over 300 soldiers and their families.

With any theatre that I know little about, I try to resist temptation to watch any YouTube performances, just so that I get the full impact from when I see it on stage, and I am so pleased that I stuck to this premise with "Pink Mist". I certainly benefitted from not seeing any spoilers with this play.

The script itself is powerful and pulls no punches, but there is one part within "Pink Mist" that feels like you have been punched in the chest, it winds you and you feel stunned for a few seconds and you have to gather your senses to make sense of what has just been delivered to you. I have never heard such a quiet audience and it felt at times as if I was the only one there, such was the power and the intensity of this script, and the passion with which the script was delivered.

Directed by Max Bromley, he has brought out of these six actors a performance that none could pull on from personal experience, and delivered pieces that you believe they have all lived through. A true credit as well to the actors to be able to put themselves in the shoes of the characters and deliver the calibre of performances all six gave.

Max also designed the set which was minimal but this is one play where just a few props can speak louder than scenery and settings. You don't need a back drop of war and horror or a nightclub in Bristol to take you there because the words of this play can create all the scenery you need. The end scene where one of the characters is atop a set of ladders is especially emotive with the other characters below. You know exactly what the message is.

I really want to tell you so much about the story presented but, you would not get the same experience as I did tonight, and theatre is all about feeling for me and emotions and there is plenty of both in "Pink Mist".

The cast are incredibly good, and you get the feeling that at the end, they truly feel the emotions, not only from each other's performances, not only their own but the emotions from the audience that they have evoked.

Sophie Jane Corner (Lisa), Harry Marciniak (Taff), Michaela Perry (Gwen), Jack Dewick (Arthur), Claire Waterall (Sarah) and Mthokozisi Mkweli, who I saw play Hads tonight, but is role sharing with Raj Digva (who I am sure will be just as excellent) on the 18th, 19th and 20th performances, deliver such passionate and mature performances. They make you feel that they are performing for you alone and you forget there is anyone else is in the room.

The stage is framed by scaffolding which hold the lighting used for this production, and it is the lighting and the sound design that really create atmosphere in "Pink Mist". You get a feel of being blinded by blasts of light, in the same way that these three soldiers would have been blinded by the explosions when in action.

The nightclub scenes are created well through light and the pin spots making you focus on just the one actor, even though all six are on stage all the time, really draws you in. The Lighting Design is by Allan Green, and is expertly designed to draw maximum impact.

The sound is also extremely important to this play to situate you right in the action. There is a scene with Arthur when he is on a cliff and he finds himself hidden in a cave with a nest of peregrines, and the sound of the birds and the open air just created those images in your mind while listening to the words delivered, like an artist painting pictures in your head. You are there in the disco with the dubstep, on the battlefield with the noises of war, all created with the sound design, by Jack Harris.

But it is also the silences on stage that also create the desired effect. I read somewhere from a Director that you can create just as much with silence as you can with script or sound, and that is spot on here. the gaps left were just long enough to make you feel all sorts of emotion. They give you time to breathe and to digest what you have just heard seconds before and they will also give you time to feel just that little bit uncomfortable as well. This is also a sign of a good Director to gauge the length of any silence in a script, and the confidence and skill of the actor to deliver the silence.

To make sure that everything you see is accurate, Max has drafted in a Military Advisor, Gez Morgan, a Language Advisor, Baktash Kabul and Bristol Guides, Tricia Thorpe and Stephen Hull to make sure everything is as accurate as you can get it. I don't think anything has been left to chance in this production.

I travelled home in silence, taking in the enormity and horror of war and the aftermath of how this affects, not only the returned servicemen but the family of those servicemen, and I put myself in the position of being the father of all three of these servicemen and how I would feel. While I would still be proud of their career choice, I would also be constantly terrified of the possibility that they may not return, and if they did....... Come down and see the play and see if you feel the same.

This play deserves to be sold out every night. Tonight was about three quarters full, from what I could see, but I would love to think that from tomorrow, Max and the cast see no empty seats.

“Pink Mist” is at the Nottingham Lace Market Theatre until Saturday 20 November 2021

 "The Addams Family"

Nottingham Theatre Royal

Wednesday Addams has fallen in love with a young man called Lucas Bieneke and wants to run off and marry him. She has told her father, Gomez, that Lucas and his parents, Mal and Alice, are coming round for a meal so that they can meet, and accept the rest of her family. The only thing is, can Gomez keep this secret from Morticia until after the meal? And will the secret be let out of the bag after their family game, Full Disclosure has been played by all? Will brother Pugsley's plan to disrupt the game come to fruition, as he has reason for his sister Wednesday and Lucas not to be an item?

It's a frightfully good story, not too brain taxing, and it's suitable for all ages.

The sets, by Diego Pitarch are great fun, with an almost comic book feel and a staircase that can be manoeuvred easily to create several entrance and exit points depending on the setting for the scene.

Cameron Blakely portrays Gomez with plenty of energy and humour and a pair of mobile eyebrows. At no time do his eyebrows ever leave his face though! A wonderfully comic role played just as it should be played.

I've seen Joanne Clifton in a few musicals now and not only does her professional dance skills used to great effect in all that I've seen her with, but she has a really good voice as well, a voice that could have been made for musical theatre. Being on Strictly as one of the professional dancers means that when she performs something like the tango in this show, you know that you are in for something really special, which is exactly what you get with "Tango De Amor".

It's also quite magical when with just a wig, make up and costume you can transform an actor to look and behave like someone completely different, and that is the case with Joanne. Brilliant wig et al.

Wednesday Addams, who I last saw professionally played by Carrie Hope Fletcher, this time around was played by Kingsley Morton, and what a powerful set of lungs this woman has. With great ease her vocals soar with enough power to light up the theatre.

Brother Pugsley is played by Grant McIntyre. Now I don't know how old Grant is in real life but looks to be portraying a slightly older Pugsley, possible teenage Pugsley, but I tell you what, he has a really controlled vocal ability, highlighted by his solo, "What If". He may look slightly older than some of the Pugsley's I've seen in the past but he has got the sound of a young Pugsley just right, especially with his screams of pleasure in "Pulled".

Someone who you would not recognise in the street from this production is Scott Paige who plays Uncle Fester. Thanks to the brilliant make up team for this show, Fester looks nothing like Scott. A brilliant part played brilliantly, who you will fall in love with over his infatuation with his love of the moon.

Grandma Addams is played by Valda Aviks, and another amazing job done by the make-up, wig and costume team.

One of my favourite characters in "The Addams family" has always been Lurch. In this production Lurch is played by Dickon Gough. I have mentioned that this cast have really good vocals but Dickon blows everyone, well almost everyone, out of the water with his deep bass voice, showcased in "Move Towards The Darkness". Great pace, which extracts more comedy from the show and the role, and when he finally gets to air his vocals, after the majority of the show we hear just grunts, he gets the "wow!" affect. He is also quite scary in character as well!

Lucas Beineke is played by Ahmed Hamad, and for me it's his vocals that made me take notice. He is very easy to listen to and his duet with Kingsley Morton in "Crazier Than You" was really well matched.

Sean Kingsley played Mal Beineke, and I really enjoyed the way his character reverted back to the "old Mal". From where I sat though I could not tell if the T Shirt was a Grateful dead T Shirt, not a big deal but I loved the rockier Mal just as much as the Mal we first saw.

Alice Beineke is a brilliant character, again the transition from the rhyming, under the thumb Alice to sexy, in control Alice is one of my favourites in "The Addams Family" and I can bet that Kara lane just loves this part. And Kara also has an amazingly powerful voice.

A supporting cast of spooky ancestors who cannot get back to their resting places until they make sure that love does indeed run smoothly for all, are all great fun to watch and they hav​e some wonderfully choreographed pieces. And I also thought that one of the ancestors looked just a little bit familiar and after checking the programme was proven correct when I saw Sario Solomon's name who was in "The Band" after winning a part in the BBC TV talent show "Let It Shine".

As I have mentioned how good the choreography is, I really need to mention that this was the work of Alistair David.

Love the soundtrack and it leaps into life under the Musical Direction of Richard Beadle. "When You're An Addams", "Pulled", "One Normal Night", "What If", "Full Disclosure", "Just Around The Corner", "Crazier Than You" and "Move Towards The Darkness" are all musical theatre earworms for me, and I know for others there tonight as well as I heard various medleys of these songs being hummed as I left the theatre surrounded by many very happy customers and theatre lovers.

"The Addams Family" is at the Nottingham Theatre Royal until Saturday 13 November.