"Cluedo"

Nottingham Theatre Royal.

When Miss Scarlett, Professor Plum, Mrs Peacock, Reverend Green, Mrs. White and Colonel Mustard arrive at a country house one dark and stormy evening, they are surprised to find they have all received the same intriguing invitation from Lord Boddy. It soon becomes clear that they all have something to hide as the mystery and hysteria grows and the inhabitants and guests of Boddy Manor are killed off one by one, with a variety of familiar weapons, leaving everyone to wonder, who will be next!

This is a British play, based on an American play, based on an American film, based on a British board game. Confused? wait till you see the play! I love this zany, crazy, fun, frantic, slapstick, high-energy, fast-talking comedy farce; and I did not expect the twists that evolved in Act Two at all.

The play is written by Sandy Rustin with additional material by Hunter Foster and Eric Price and for this UK production, Mark Bell, who also directs the play.

Michelle Collins plays Miss Scarlett and Daniel Casey plays Professor Plum, and while these may be the two names that you may know, the rest of the cast, they are all stars of this hilarious piece of theatre. It is great to see Michelle bring out her comedy skills on stage and, being a big fan of "Midsomer Murders", it was great to see another side of this talented actor.

The remaining cast are Jean-Luke Worrell as Wadsworth, the butler, who was hilarious, not just with the lines he has to deliver but with the whole physicality of the role. From his body movements to his eyes, you were drawn to him. And I have never seen an actor draw out the shutting of a door, or a "death" scene like Jean-Luke. His comedy skills are brilliant.

Laura Kirman, as Yvette, the "French" maid was wonderful with her Franglais accent.

Wesley Griffith, as Colonel Mustard, and what I noticed about Wesley was his hair. For me it seemed to have a life of it's own, and I could not take my eyes off of it. Another brilliant comedy actor.

Etisyai Philip, as Mrs White, comes into her own, comedically, in Act two. i won't spoil it by telling you how!

Judith Amesenga, as Mrs Peacock. Whoever does the make-up and wig for Judith is a miracle worker as Judith herself looks decades younger than her character; this could also be a tribute to Judith's character acting of course.

Tom Babbage, as Reverend Greene. Well, let me state here that Tom's slapstick skills are honed to perfection. His physical comedy skills are perfection. There is a saying that "it is always the quiet ones" or if you know the old adage "Still waters run deep", then both could be aimed at Reverend Green as this character is nothing how you'd expect a man of the cloth to behave. By the way this may, or may not be a spoiler as certain situations, like being the next possible victim, can bring about a difference in a person!

Meg Travers and Harry Bradley also act as the ensemble which involves several other characters.

Both the set and the costumes are designed by David Farley. the set was a work of art as the mainstay was the entrance hall of the massive country pile of Lord Boddy with six doors leading off the main stage. These doors can then be drawn out to reveal other rooms, like the study, the kitchen, the library, the study etc., onto the stage.

The costumes denoted the person themselves with Professor Plum wearing a plum-coloured suit, Miss Scarlett dressed in a gorgeous scarlet outfit, Miss White attired in a white outfit etc etc.

I really must mention Anna Healey, who is the movement director because there is a scene in Act Two where there is a slow-motion section, and I have never seen this carried out with such skill form all the actors. It really did look like the whole scene had been slowed down, as per the movies. The timing was simply incredible.

There are several tongue-twisty moments from some of the actors who did not miss a beat with these parts of the script.

The lighting design by Warren Letton and the sound design by Jon Fiber brought everything else to life, especially with the thunderstorms and lightning.

There were nods to "The Play That Goes Wrong" in parts and at times you needed to check your eyes as it seemed that the person that you could see on stage was not actually the person that was on stage, involving slight deceptions, all very clever stuff.

Even though the time line for this play is 1949, there were some topical themes dropped into the script if you listen hard enough, and a very clever tribute to "Gone With The Wind", which some of the audience acknowledged, and some may just have felt a draught slightly above their head.

As I said, I loved this play to bits and could easily watch this every evening. Whether it is just because the play only lasts a couple of hours with the interval or whether it is the quality of the cast, writing, technical skills etc., this is a play that you can see several times and still find something new to laugh at.

Who knew that murder could be so much fun?

It would be an absolute crime to miss this one!

"Cluedo" is at the Nottingham theatre Royal until Saturday 5 March.

 "Everybody's Talking About Jamie"

Nottingham Theatre Royal

"Everybody's Talking About Jamie" is a coming-of-age stage musical with music by Dan Gillespie Sells and book and lyrics by Tom MacRae. The musical is inspired by the 2011 British television documentary "Jamie: Drag Queen at 16". The musical follows and is based upon the true-life story of 16-year-old schoolboy Jamie Campbell, as he overcomes prejudice and bullying to step out of the darkness into the spotlight and become a drag queen, and also gets to go to the school prom dressed how he wants to dress.

I watched the TV documentary and loved it. You have to admire a young person who wants to change the way people see certain things and fights for what they believe is right, breaking down prejudices along the way. This is one reason why I wanted to see the stage musical, already making my mind up that I was going to love the show. And I do.

Jamie New, in the performance that I saw on opening night was played by understudy Adam Taylor, and while it was a bit disappointing not to be able to see Layton Williams in the role, Adam Taylor stole the show and will be, in my mind, the first and best Jamie. You never forget your first do you? His voice is full of emotion and has that great sense of fun, and a killer pair of heels that he is super confident wearing. The applause at the end of the show, proved he is a wonderful actor, singer and dancer and worthy of stepping into Layton's high heels.

Amy Ellen Richardson played Jamie's Mum, Margaret. And, as a parent, you understand what Margaret is going through and will protect your child to the very end. And what a voice! I was completely overwhelmed hearing her sing "He's My Boy".

Sasha Latoya (Ray) plays Margaret's best mate. A brilliantly ballsy role, and just the sort of mate you want on your side. Her voice is worthy of any blues club, and shows off her powerful vocals on "Limited Edition Prom Night Special".

Sharon Phull (Pritti Pasha) plays Jamie's best friend and confidante. Her vocals on the beautiful "It Means Beautiful" are just gorgeous.

Shane Richie (Hugo/Loco Chanellle) plays the owner of a shop that supplies drag attire, and also performs under his alter ego, Loco Chanelle. I've seen Shane in several stage musicals and plays but I must confess that he is superb in this role, and he does look good in drag.

George Sampson (Dean Paxton) plays the bully. George makes us detest Dean and the things that he says to both Jamie and Pritti but gets put in his place by both by the end, but it's nice to see what happens at the end. George is an amazing dancer and gets to show this talent off to great effect. I remember George as the angelic looking "Singing In The Rain" dancer on Britain's Got Talent, which he won back in 2008. Here, George has matured in his looks and, with his haircut and sneer, he looks the part of a bully.

Lara Denning (Miss Hedge) plays the career teacher at Jamie's school who, when finding out that Jamie wants to become a performer tells him to "keep it real". Lara has a brilliant voice and from the first song "And You Don't Even Know It" where she turns in a mighty impressive rap section. Why didn't the career teacher at my old school look like Miss Hedge, especially when it came to prom night!

One actor who got booed for his character (anyone would think it was panto) was Cameron Johnson, who played Jamie's Dad. He was disgusted and disappointed in how Jamie had turned out and made no bones about telling Jamie so. The audience were well up for backing Jamie by this stage, and even at the curtain call, Cameron received boos from the audience. This however shows that Cameron is a talented actor, making the audience believe the character he was portraying.

Drag is an art form of it's own and not many can pull off this particular area of entertainment. I know a few drag artists and they are, out of drag, the loveliest people, but when in drag, the fiercest of entertainers, for whom you do not want to try and get the better of! This side of the business is highlighted by the drag artists in this musical, Sandra Bollock (Garry Lee), Laika Virgin (John Paul McCue) and Tray Sophisticay (Rhys Taylor).

An ensemble of "classmates" who actually look young enough to be in the final year of school - maybe they are! nevertheless, they have an enormous amount of energy in the choreographed sections, which may I also say were some of the best dance scenes I have seen for a while. The Choreographer being Kate Prince

Directed by Matt Ryan, he blended both the pathos and the excitement perfectly.

I loved the set design by Anna Fleischle, with the orchestra on the top level of the set, hidden by screens which allowed the video design (Luke Halls) to be projected. the lower section segueing the classroom and Jamie's house smoothly, as well as the dressing rooms for the drag club, Legs 11, and Hugo's shop.

Both sound (Paul Groothius) and light design(Lucy Carter) were perfectly blended.

The soundtrack is made up of some brilliant songs that could easily be chart successes. Songs like "And You Don't Even Know It", "If I Met Myself Again" which also included a beautifully choreographed piece of contemporary dance to compliment Amy Ellen Richardson's vocals, the title song, "He's My Boy", "My Man Your Boy" and the epic "Out Of the Darkness".

There will always be a place for the Underdog wherever you look, and we always love to back that Underdog, so when a musical like this comes along, we always get behind the underdog character, which the audience did tonight, providing a massive standing ovation.

Let's not forget though that this is based on a true story and this sort of prejudice is here all the time. Whether it be racism, homophobia, or just a dislike of anyone who happens to be just a little different we need to embrace the difference in people and just be kind to everyone.

At times emotional, at times immense fun, what this musical is not is run of the mill and bland, plus it has a very important message to deliver and I imagine will lead to a great deal of conversation when you leave the theatre, which is exactly what it should do.

Wednesday and Thursday night everyone will be talking about Adam Taylor, but Layton Williams will be back in the role of Jamie for the remainder of the Nottingham run.

"Everybody's Talking About Jamie" is at the Nottingham Theatre Royal until Sunday 27 February.

 "Company" by Central Musical Theatre Company.

Duchess Theatre, Long Eaton.

Here is a musical that has always eluded me, so I could not wait to tick this one my list of unseen classics of musical theatre.

From musical theatre's most renowned composer, "Company" is largely regarded as a trailblazer of the dark-comedy, modern-musical genre and the winner of 7 Tony Awards including Best Musical, Best Score, Best Lyrics and Best Book.

On the night of his 35th birthday, confirmed bachelor Robert contemplates his unmarried state. Over the course of a series of dinners, drinks, and even a wedding, his friends, Joanne and Larry, Peter and Susan, Harry and Sarah, David and Jenny, and Paul and Amy explain the pro's and con's of taking on a spouse. The habitually single Robert is forced to question his adamant retention of bachelorhood during an array of interactions.

"Company" features a brilliantly brisk and energetic score containing many of Stephen Sondheim's best-known songs. The strength of the piece lies in its vivid, yet real characters, meaning impressive technical aspects aren't necessary to convey the story. Every audience member will see reflections of themselves in at least one of the characters on stage.

The soundtrack contains "You Could Drive a Person Crazy", "Being Alive", "Side By Side By Side", "Marry Me A Little", "Getting Married Today" and of course "The Ladies Who Lunch" among other Sondheim gems. All brought to life by Musical Director Nigel Taylor and conducted by Morris Fisher with the nine-piece orchestra.

The Central Musical Theatre Company are one of the strongest musical ensemble groups around, and this musical, highlights that fact.

The choreography is great fun with flashes back to the 1960's, and the work of Abbi Burns, who also stepped in at the last minute to play Jenny as Laura Jones was taken ill just before the weekend. Abbi had just four days to perfect her part and learn the script. Hopefully it's nothing serious for Laura and wish her a speedy recovery.

I used the word "ensemble" and this company were incredibly tight. I am showing my age now but if you can remember how tight the sound for the George Mitchell Minstrels had, then this was similar. Beautifully layered vocals which had clarity as well as vocal power, and incredibly tuneful.

Sondheim was an absolute master of song and his style is recognisable, and "Company" flags up that Sondheim style.

The cast are Tom Stanley (Bobby), Lorna Kirkland (Joanne) who gives a brilliant rendition of "The Ladies Who Lunch", Adrian Redfern (Larry), Craig Arme (Paul), Rachael Wyatt (Amy) - who did an amazing job of the song "Getting Married Today", Dave Partridge (Harry), Alison Hope (Sarah), Dean Osborn (Peter), Helen Oldham (Susan), Gary Heap (David), Abbi Burns (Jenny). Playing Bobby's girlfriends are Becky Pearcy (Kathy), Sarah Towle (Marta) and Rachael-Louisa Bray (April). Kathryn Fitchett, Rex Portillano, Sarah Sherrington and Greg Tabberrer make up the ensemble.

To add to the mentioned songs above, I must give a mention to Dave, Gary and Adrian for a sublime rendition of "Sorry Grateful" and a brilliant retro tinged "You Could Drive A Person Crazy" by Louisa, Becky and Sarah.

Choreography wise, my highlight would have to be "Side By Side By Side/What Would We Do Without You", which was pure Hollywood.

There is also a wonderfully choreographed comedy piece involving Alison, Dave and Tom in a display of karate comedy, choreographed by Rex.

I loved the split-level set design by Chris Margett and the wonderful video backdrops.

The Sound Design by Harry Greatorex was spot on, as was the Lighting Design by Stephen Greatorex.

I tried very hard to find something that I could fault about this production, and I failed. A smooth production with great sound and light, magical Sondheim songs delivered with ease and great style by a company of talented actors and singers.

"Company" is at The Duchess Theatre in Long Eaton until Saturday 26 February.

 “Rent - The School Edition” by Copper Studios

Bonington Theatre, Arnold.

Written by Jonathan Larson and set in the East Village of New York City, "Rent" is about falling in love, finding your voice and living for today. 

Based loosely on Puccini's “La Boheme”, Jonathan Larson's Rent follows a year in the life of a group of impoverished young artists and musicians struggling to survive and create in New York's Lower East Side, under the shadow of HIV/AIDS.

The physical and emotional complications of the disease pervade the lives of Roger Davis, Mimi Marquez, Tom Collins and Angel Schunard. Maureen Johnson deals with her chronic infidelity through performance art; her partner, Joanne Jefferson, wonders if their relationship is worth the trouble.

Benjamin Coffey III has sold out his Bohemian ideals in exchange for financial gains, forgetting the bond with his former friends. Mark Cohen, an aspiring filmmaker, feels like an outsider to life in general. The way these young bohemians negotiate their dreams, loves and conflicts provides the narrative thread to this musical.

"Rent" could be classed as rock opera as everything is sung through, and the soundtrack leans heavily on rock genre.

Musical Director, Harry Hindley will be overjoyed at the result, and I imagine will have been a labour of love.

Likewise, Megan Hindley who choreographed and Directed the production will be classing this show as a big success, especially with the delay due to Covid, and I would agree with both Harry and Megan, this show is a massive success.

I've said previously this year how bowled over I've been at the talented young actors in and around the area, and the students at Copper Studios yet again prove me right.

The three main male actors William Horner (Mark), Harry Steel (Roger) and Louis Chadburn (Tom) all have incredible voices for this style of musical. They have amazing control and emotion when they sing, and when it comes to Louis' scene at the funeral, you can really feel the hurt that Tom is going through. The song "Without You" sung at this stage is delivered with maximum feeling, and could well be the best version of this song I've heard sung live. I can't wait to hear how their voices develop when they get a bit older because they sound so good at the moment.

The themes in this story are of an adult variety and I was really impressed with the way these young actors understood and delivered the script and what they were singing. "Rent" is not the easiest of musicals to take on and the songs are not the easiest of songs to sing either but this group nailed it all.

Lily-Mae Evans, as Mimi, had to deliver a sleazy performance when she first meets Roger and her song, "Light My Candle", like several of the soundtrack have hidden meanings and the way she delivered this particular piece showed that she comprehended what the character's aim was, and was delivered in a very mature way; a tribute to Lily-Mae's acting skills. I loved her voice, especially in "Without You"

Jude Forsey (Benjamin) gives us a very mature performance as the landlord, chasing for the rent for the department that he used to share with the others, with just the right amount of sleaze. And another young actor who has a really good, strong vocal style.

I loved the chemistry created by Tillie Parsons (Maureen) and Daisy Waters (Joanne) and their big duet "Take Me Or Leave Me" had sparks flying with the electricity they caused. Mark and Maureen's duet "Tango Maureen" was also a highlight for me, combining a fun lyric with a killer piece of choreography. Tillie also gets to be slightly off the wall with Maureen's "Over The Moon", a definite audience pleaser.

One of the most difficult, and probably the most fun characters to play in "Rent" just has to be Angel, and that requires an actor who can not only sing and dance, but can be totally convincing in the role. Evan Fretwell is a brilliant choice for this role, and he looks completely comfortable in those heels! Angel and Tom's duet "I'll Cover You" was completely believable and really quite romantic.

An excellent ensemble of Amber Colson, Ashlei-Mai Domleo, Kyra Fowler, Niamh Hutchinson, Isabella Streets, Eden Bell, Carrie Byrne and Lottie Parsons make up the ensemble and minor characters.

The soundtrack is packed with some really memorable songs, both emotive and comic. "One Song Glory", "Light My Candle", "Santa Fe", "La Vie Boheme", "Seasons Of Love", "Take Me Or Leave Me", "Tango Maureen", "Without You", "I'll Cover You", "Your Eyes" and of course the title song all favourites of mine.

The cast have really worked incredibly hard and this shows in their performance, and were flawless.

The set design (Harry Hindley) looked apt for the decade and location of the musical and created an interesting backdrop for the actors and their story.

The lighting was subtle, at times quite low which added to the depressive feel of the storyline.

My only little gripe was with the sound and the mics. there were hand held mics and radio mics and at times they were not turned up, missing the first words of a song or delivery, and sometimes crackled and the sound was lost. The backing soundtrack was also just a tad loud, which didn't help when the mics were not loud enough and a balance needed to be struck. I imagine that with this being the first night, these slight technical glitches will be amended for the following two days. Not even this though could spoil my enjoyment of this gritty, hard-hitting musical.

If any musical gives you more bang for your buck, then this is the one. Brilliant performances by an incredibly talented young cast who get through 40 musical numbers.

"Rent - The School Edition" is on at the Bonington Theatre in Arnold only until Wednesday 23 February.

 “Urinetown The Musical” by Musicality: University Of Nottingham's Musical Theatre Society

Nottingham Arts Theatre

The idea for this musical came about when writer Greg Kotis encountered a pay per use toilet while in Europe and began writing the book shortly after.

“Urinetown” is a social and political satire set in a fictional future where a terrible 20-year drought has crippled the city’s water supplies. Water is so scarce that the government enforces a ban on all private toilets in an effort to control water consumption.

The citizens must now use the public, pay-per-use amenities owned and operated by Urine Good Company (UGC) – a private malevolent corporation run by the corrupt Caldwell B. Cladwell. Citizens who try to take the pee by bypassing the peeing-fee by relieving themselves in the bushes risk being taken away to “Urinetown”, a mysterious place where many have been sent but no one ever returns.

The oppressed masses huddle in line at the poorest, filthiest urinal in town, Public Amenity #9, which is run by the rigid, harshly authoritarian Penelope Pennywise and her assistant, dashing young rebel Bobby Strong. With fee increases in the pipeline, the poor rise up under the leadership of Bobby to fight the tyrannical regime for the right to make the public amenities free for all to use.

Will Bobby succeed? Only one way to find out, dear reader!!

I always look forward to Musicality's productions as they have more polish than a can of Mr Sheen; this show continued my love of this group of talented performers.

The musical encompasses several other references to other musicals like "West Side Story", "The Producers" and more prominently "Les Miserables".

Ryan Cooley as the show's hero, Bobby Strong, and I was surprised that this is Ryan's first musical, and his first show with Musicality. Ryan is a really strong leading man with bucket loads of charisma and a very strong voice for musical theatre. I, for one, hope that this will be the first of many musical leads for Ryan.

Alice Humphrys as Hope Cladwell, who celebrated her 21st Birthday on the same day as this production opened. Alice will have a lot more to celebrate after this run as her portrayal of Hope was marvellous. Hope is the daughter of Cladwell B Cladwell, who is the boss man, and is also the love interest for Bobby. She has it all, looks, a great voice and is a cracking character actor. Great to see Alice finally getting that lead role in a musical as well.

Cameron Bullock as Caldwell B. Cladwell, makes his Musicality debut with a very confident performance. Cameron has a growing CV of great musical roles, and this is another to add to that list.

Carla Davison as Mrs Pennywise, who is employed by Cladwell to collect the charges for the use of the urinals. One thing that really strikes you about Carla is her voice. All of this cast have great voices, but when Carla opens her mouth to sing, she causes your jaw to drop. What a brilliant performance.

Ewan Waddell as Officer Lockstock is, for me one of the leading men in this musical. He not only plays the role of Officer Lockstock, but Lockstock also acts as the narrator, breaking the fourth wall to tell us what is happening in the musical and where we are at every stage of the musical's journey. A brilliant comedic performance and he also has a great musical theatre voice. I could say that for everyone here though.

Adriana Dvorakova as Officer Barrel, Lockstock's partner in crime. A well-matched piece of casting as she complemented Ewen brilliantly throughout.

We keep getting reminded by Officer Lockstock and Little Sally that this is not a happy musical. It's a good job that they keep reminding us of that, otherwise I would have never believed them.

Evie Mace as Little Sally, and this is Evie's main show debut, and what a way to do that. Sally is only little in stature as the character is big, as is Evie's voice. Great fun role for Evie.

Matt Talbot as Senator Fipp, who is just a tiny bit pervy. WHHHAAATTTT!! Fipp that is not Matt. Nice character acting with a voice that I did not recognise to start with. Fipp has a bit of a rodent type personality and Matt bought that out wonderfully. Nice to see Matt back on stage as an actor again as well, as he wears many talented hats with Musicality.

Will Cartlidge as McQueen, one of Cladwell's workers at UGC. Wonderfully OTT and camp role for a fun performer.

Charlie Greene as Hot Blades Harry, the psychotic character of the Urinetown rebels in the musical, also gets a chance to showcase a really good set of vocals from Charlie.

Roxane Le Toumelin as Josephine ‘Ma’ Strong, Bobby's mother. This role is her debut for Musicality, and I love her French accent, oh and what a singing voice. Gorgeous.

Dylan Price as Joseph ‘Old Man’ Strong. Another brilliant character, and the first we see carted off to Urinetown, which is what really starts off the rebellion for Bobby.

You can never tell with this musical where the main cast and the supporting cast start and end, so here are the rest of the cast.

Megan Smith (Mrs Millenium), Hattie Rothwell-Inch (Dr. Billeaux), @Vicks Parker (Billy Boy Bill), Ethan Lee (Robby the Stockfish), Patricia Hemp (Tiny Tam), Mani Hall-Arthur (Soupy Sue) and Fiona Cook (Little Becky Two-Shoes).

Completing the incredibly talented cast are Arfaa Butt, Amanda Mawson-Smith, Cat New, Emilia Makarewicz, Katie Miller and Megan Longhurst as the ensemble.

As you can tell, this show has a large cast.

Musical Director for the show is Amber Frost leading a small but perfectly formed band of musicians who sounded great. Amber is assisted in the Musical Director role by Rex Perkins.

Choreography is by Katie Dart, and she produced some brilliant dance routines for the cast, which included the odd acrobatic and slow-motion sections, which all added to the fun in this show.

Directed by Joseph Straw, who makes his Directorial debut with "Urinetown", and what a way to make your debut. He seems to have looked at this production with different eyes as there are several parts that I could not recall from other productions of this show that I had seen in the past. He has made this hysterical show even more comical with some nice novel touches.

Produced by Emily Trappen, you just know that Emily has had a ball with this show.

Paolo Elias closes his association with Musicality as the Assistant Producer, Lighting Director as well as Deputy Stage Manager. I know that Paolo was more concerned about the latter, but from what I could see from the auditorium, he kept everything running extremely smoothly. Proving that he can do everything involved in theatre, I can't wait to see what this man does away from Musicality. Whatever he does do, I know that he will be a success.

The lighting was, as expected, excellent, but I did notice a few mics not turned up to catch the first words of the odd speeches. I'm sorry I did have to mention it as I do like to hear everything that is being said. Oliver Read and Peter Hodgkinson were in charge of Lighting and Sound tech.

I was slightly disappointed that not more tickets were sold because this is a brilliant and fun musical with some catchy earworm songs - "Don't Be The Bunny", "Snuff That Girl", "Run Freedom Run" and the gospel tinged "I See A River".

We get high drama, wonderful dance routines, powerful vocals, hysterical comedy and even touches of panto ( WHHHAAATTTT??) so while I was disappointed for Musicality that the auditorium was not fuller, I sympathise with the people who have not bought tickets for what is another excellent, polished production from Musicality.

Don't fret though as there is still time to get the full Musicality experience because "Urinetown" is at the Nottingham Arts Theatre until Saturday 19 February, so don't miss out as that could really P*** you off!