"Agatha Christie’s A Murder is Announced - A Miss Marple Mystery" by The Middle Ground Theatre Company

Nottingham Theatre Royal.

An ad in the personal column of the local newspaper announces that someone will be murdered on Friday 13th October at 6.30pm at Little Paddocks, the home of Letitia Blacklock. The lady of the house is convinced that it must be a joke but the village of Chipping Cleghorn, including Miss Marple, turn up to see what all the fuss is about.

Set in the 1950's where afternoon tea and servants are the norm for a well to do lady, everything takes place in just the one setting, so there's no scene changes, which keeps everything simple for the audience.

Now I am not going to give anything away here because I love the books, films and plays of Agatha Christie, but have never been any good at working out whodunnit. This is no different, thanks to the many twists and red herrings in the storyline. Within the first twenty minutes or so we get a body and a murder, so the advert came true. But all is not as it seems as we try and discover who the murderer is, and why the person who was murdered, was murdered.

Sarah Thomas plays a wonderfully classic Miss Marple, even down to the slight smile and the twinkle in the eye. Now I have always been a Miss Marple fan; I have also loved "Last Of The Summer Wine" for as long as I can remember - I was watching it earlier today, and seeing Sarah, who played Glenda in "Summer Wine", topped my evening off perfectly. Glenda, by the way, was wife of Barry.

Barbara Wilshere played the possible intended victim, Letitia Blacklock, and owner of Little Paddocks. Letitia could be in line for a pretty tidy sum of money, and while we aren't 100% sure that she could be the victim, there is motive to bump her off for monetary gain.

Tom Butcher is Inspector Craddock; you may recognise Tom as playing another policeman, PC Steve Loxton in "The Bill" for many years. As usual in these stories the Inspector always comes up second to Miss Marple, and here it's no different but there is great respect shown by Craddock for Miss Marple at the big reveal.

Craddock's Sergeant Mellors is played by Jog Maher.

Karen Drury, for those of us old enough to remember "Brookside", will recognise Karen as Susannah Farnham in the soap. Karen plays a wonderfully nutty character - which I mean in the nicest of ways - Bunny keeps getting things confused, dates confused, people confused and names confused...or does she?

Lucy Evans, again another recognisable face from the soaps as she played Lauren Wilson in "Coronation Street", plays Julia Simmons who resides at Little Paddocks and is the sister of Patrick Simmons, but these siblings seem to be very close, when they are not bickering!!!

Will Huntington plays Patrick Simmons, who we soon discover has a secret of his own, but where does the secret fit in with the murder plot, if at all?

Tom Gibbons plays Edmund Sweetenham, who is a writer of some intellect, who accompanies his mother, Mrs Sweetenham to the 6.30 appointment at Little Paddocks. Now we all know that by a certain age, no son wants to accompany their mother to an evening soiree, unless there is some reason for him to be there. Or is he just being a good son?

Dot Smith plays Mrs Sweetenham, who is just a little interested in the ad in the paper and wants to find out what it's all about. Well it's only a small village so she has to show an interest, hasn't she?

I really enjoyed Lydia Piechowiak's character of Mitzi, the maid and cook. Mitzi is described as a Mitteleuropa refugee who resides at Little Paddocks. The accent is perfect, but then again Lydia is Polish, which explains the wonderful accent. Mitzi manages to get a few phrases wrapped around her neck, like being a "bucket-washer" as opposed to "bottle-washer" and when she was going to walk out advised Letitia that she was "giving her the sack". Mitzi provides quite a bit of the comedy, as well as a some of the twists!

Emma Fernell plays Phillipa Haymes, who we find out works as an horticulturist at the nearby Dayas Hall, and also is a resident of Little Paddocks. Listen carefully throughout this play as there is a hint or two about what secret Phillipa may be keeping from the rest of them.

And finally, Luke Rhodri, who gets a quick entrance, and an even quicker exit as a character called Rudi Scherz. More than this I'll not expand as we discover more about Rudi as the play unfolds!

Loved the period costumes and of course the wonderful RP clipped accents, so terribly British!

Directed & Designed by Michael Lunney, and the set is wonderfully lush. What I love is that you can tell the class of the people because nothing matches on set. None of the furniture are part of a set and have been put together as if collected from different sources, but still manages to look classy in a crass kind of way. Loved the old valve radio which had to warm up and glow just before the music came out of it.

It's all marvellous fun with enough red herrings and twists to keep you guessing right to the end.

"A Murder Is Announced" is being staged at the Nottingham Theatre Royal until Saturday 4 June.

 "Return To The Forbidden Planet" by Beeston Musical Theatre Group.

Duchess Theatre, Long Eaton.

I have only seen one other production of this wild and wacky musical, based on Shakespeare's "The Tempest", and oft billed as "Shakespeare's Forgotten Rock 'n' Roll Masterpiece", and the film "The Forbidden Planet" from 1956. The memory of that only viewing stays with me today as one crazy fun piece of theatre, so how could I turn down the invitation to see my friends at Beeston Musical Theatre Group stage it.

I took my seat, fastened my seatbelt, returned my tray table to the upright position and prepared to blast off! And a blast is what I had. By the end of Act One I was looking for where they had put the kitchen sink, because there was everything but that particular piece of equipment as far as I could see. There's also a bit of audience participation involved. And at the end I did something that I don't normally do in a theatre!

In this Olivier-award-winning musical, the many works of Shakespeare are aligned with a fabulous rock ‘n’ roll score to create a fun-filled, jiving-in-the-aisles piece of musical theatre. Return to the Forbidden Planet finds a spaceship, helmed by Captain Tempest, making an emergency landing on the uncharted planet D’Illyria. The only residents there are the mad scientist Doctor Prospero, his daughter Miranda, and their robot Ariel. They were banished into hyperspace when Miranda was just a baby, and she has known no other world than this. 

All three come aboard the Spaceship Albatross, and straight away Cookie falls in love with Miranda, but Miranda only has eyes for Captain Tempest.

In the meantime, the Science Officer has escaped from the ship, but re-joins the spaceship and we find out that the Science Officer is actually Prospero's nasty wife, Gloria, and mother to Miranda. She is arrested but, because Cookie is smitten with her daughter, she tells him how to win her heart in return for her freedom! But then the ship is attacked by a many tentacled monster, which means that if they are to survive and get outta this place, they all have to work together.

Featuring rock ‘n’roll hits of the 50s and 60s, “Great Balls of Fire”, “The Monster Mash”, “Good Vibrations”, "Born To Be Wild", "Robot Man", "Who's Sorry Now", "Shake Rattle & Roll", "Go Now" and many others, a B-movie atmosphere, and dialogue in iambic pentameter. Throw in unrequited love, and a scary space monster, and you’ve got one groovy show!

Kevin Chatten plays our intrepid Captain Tempest. I have always held Kev in high estimation of his comedy talents. He has naturally funny bones and this production gave him a chance to release those bones. He unreservedly played up to the audience and milked every comic moment beautifully, wringing every drop of comedy from the arrangements of the songs. Kev, for me, is one of the best comic actors on local stages because he knows how to be funny, and knows how to please an audience, and they in turn loved him.

Rhodri Denton is Dr Prospero. there is a lovely border line with this character where Prospero is the "serious" character, but when that line is bridged and the fun side is released, Rhodri delivered both. It's like when your dad is at a family party, and you know your dad is fairly serious, and then he takes to the dance floor. He is Mr Serious dancer letting his hair down, but others think he is funny. That is Prospero, and it's Rhodri's balanced and restrained performance that makes this character such fun.

Charlotte Howarth as Miranda. Charlotte is the vocal coach for BMTG, so needless to say, the vocals are spot on for everyone. There was one song that she sang sections in, "Shakin All Over", and she really sounded like Brenda Lee with that growl that Lee had, and at that stage she turned the "girl next door" Miranda into something a little more mature, and then Miranda came back as a vixen! A lovely fun character.

Mina Holtom is the Science Officer/Gloria, and talk about fun roles. Mina was all over that stage, and the heels on those boots! It's not that often you get to hear Mina sing as a main character and I had almost forgotten what a really strong voice she owns, and very bluesy, especially when she sang "Go Now". Mina also made all of the costumes for the show, and if you take a look at the photos, you'll see what amazing costumes they are. Mina is the kind of member that any drama group would love to have as there are so many strings to her bow.

Jodie Lakin is the Navigation Officer, and you hear Jodie a lot more than you see her, and that is because there is so much going on, onstage that often you don't know where to look, but she is there, so listen out for her.

Keli Wain plays the robot, Ariel. Keli learned to roller skate for the role - so hopefully when the licence to perform "Starlight Express" is released, Keli will be first choice. Have you seen the photos of this outfit, by the way? Silver outfit, silver face paint, silver hair, but a golden performance, as always from Keli. Another brilliantly fun role for one of my BMTG favourites.

Tim Yearsley is Cookie. Now talk about stealing the show. For a start there is no denying that Tim is a good-looking bloke. Tim also has an incredible voice, one of the best male voices around. Tim is also a very natural actor. Tim can also rock a guitar solo like I've not heard outside the professional rock circuit; it was like being at a rock concert. I've seen Clapton live - and he bored me to death - and they say that Clapton can make a guitar speak. Tim Yearsley can make an axe speak, cry, scream and sing. His solo in "She's Not There" which also incorporated "Smoke On The Water" was A-MAY-ZING. And I love the new guitar! Don't you just hate Tim for being so talented?

George Lamb is Bosun Arras. George I have known for quite a few years now and have had the joy of watching him in several productions over the years. I hope he will not mind me saying this but he has the kind of face which you just know hides a very dry sense of humour. You know that he is about to say something funny, before he even says it, and he delivers comedy with either a very straight face, or with a lovely comic, almost gurn. George has funny bones, he has funny dry bones, and the role of the serious, almost sensible bosun is a wonderful foil for the pipe smoking wise cracking Tempest.

The ensemble consists of Andy Bulmer, John Hand, Matt Charlton, Victoria Appleton, Jane Cottee, Rachel Maddison and Christine Walton. The ensemble in this show work just as hard as the main characters and complement them perfectly. They flesh out the stage as the crew as well as leading dances on and off the stage.

Directed by Martin Holtom, who also plays the part of the narrator on the video screen at the back of the stage. This musical has been timed to perfection. There are no missed cues, either sound-wise or lighting wise. the cast's timing was also spot on, and in a musical like this the timing needs to be there to maximise the comedy.

Musical Director is Chris Toon. The band were all on stage so you could see everyone and everything. The sound was crisp, clear and punchy and made you want to dance. Talking of which, the bras section on a platform over the stage at the back were having an absolute ball when not playing with their brass. They were well choreographed and at times you did not know whether to watch those on the stage or those above the stage, there was so much going on. Sophie Kozlowska (alto sax), Ryan Latham (tenor sax) and Ben Irwin (trumpet) busted out the saxy - and trumpety - moves throughout.

The rest of the band were Dave Shipley (drums), Jeff Widdowson (bass), Gareth Wynne and Helen Tooth (keys) and Owen Jones (guitar) who can also rock a hot guitar solo!

Emily Owen choreographed this out of this world show with some out of this world moves. Not only were there plenty of dance moves from the rock n roll era but also echoes of Michael Jackson and did I see a nod to Beyonce at one stage. Brilliant fun to watch, which means that a tremendous amount of work has been spent with the cast, and band, to make it all look so smooth.

The Lighting, which was just amazing with all the different lighting effects on stage, as well as everything else. The sound was crystal clear; both produced by Sam Leonard. Someone else who has worked incredibly hard to get everything in this area perfect.

Everything about the show was smooth, and a lot of credit also needs to be directed at the stage crew for making sure that everything in that department was well oiled.

The set itself is probably one of the best sets I've seen at The Duchess, and many other theatres as well. I could go on for a while describing everything about the set, but just have a look at the pictures. This was designed by Martin and Mina Holtom and looked like it had just come straight from the set of the Starship Enterprise, but with a shiny makeover and added lighting, an airlock with sliding doors, stage smoke, blinding lights etc. 

Oh, and that thing I mentioned at the start. I, along with everyone else at the finale, got up and danced. Well, maybe "danced" is a bit of a strong description for my shuffling from foot to foot, but I really enjoyed this production. It was like going to the best party ever.

"Return To The Forbidden Planet" will disappear into hyperspace after Saturday night, so get them tickets sooner rather than later!

Photos by Martin Holtom and John Hand.

 "All The Fun Of The Fair" by The People's Theatre Company.

Nottingham Arts TheatreNottingham Arts Theatre.

Roll up! Roll up! Here's another jukebox musical that I actually like. As with "Our House", the songs in the musical are great and they fit the storyline of the musical, not just slotted in wherever the writers feel a song should go. This particular musical is based on the songs of David Essex.

"All The Fun Of The Fair" is set in a 1970's travelling fair with dodgem cars, hook a duck, a rifle range and candy floss booths, all which have seen better days. It follows Levi Lee, a recently widowed father trying to keep the fairground afloat, with a rebellious teenage son, Jack. Jack, falls for Alice, the daughter of Harvey, a local unscrupulous businessman, who isn't too happy that his little girl is courting "a pikey".

Gypsy future teller, Rosa, who is in love with Levi, tells him there is danger and mysticism in his future. Right she is too, as Harvey despatches a mob of his thugs intent on destroying the fair and driving Levi and his bunch from the town. Levi has no choice but to stand up and fight for what is his, or lose everything. But what is the cost to Levi?

Dodgems and motorbikes, crafty cons and candy floss and fights, as well as unrequited love, romance and rock and roll bring out the carnival atmosphere in this world of fairground life.

Levi is played by Sam Howard. He looks like he is from gypsy blood and his voice is flawless, and even with the little hiccup right at the very end, he commanded the stage, both as Levi as well as Sam. This is Sam's first show with PTC and his first show in 14 years. His confidence belies this fact. Sam also sings in a showband which explains why his vocals are possibly the best in the show.

Jack is played by Shantanu Bhumbra, and a proper "jack the lad" character Jack is. A typical good-looking fairground lad who has more than eye for the ladies who frequent the fair. I was listening to Shantanu's singing voice and there is a trace of the young David Essex with the way that he enunciated some of the lyrics. Shanatanu really came into his own in the duet with Amy when singing "If I Could". Their voices really matched and I loved the chemistry and connection between the two lovers. This is also Shantanu's first show with PTC.

Playing Alice, the girl who has fallen hook, line and sinker for Jack is Amy Rogers-Gee, who also choreographed the show. This is not Amy's first show with PTC - sorry I just had to add that bit! Wonderfully professional as always.

Alice's friends Sally and Rita, who escort Alice on their all-expenses paid visit to the fair are played, respectively, by Emme Gunn and Lindsey Jaycock.

Pippa Ward plays Rosa, the flame haired fortune teller. Pippa's voice is the first voice we hear. I've said it before that I love the Irish brogue and Pippa maintained a lovely sing song rhythm to the accent throughout the musical. Pippa's voice sounded so good with Sam's vocals in their duets. This is also Pippa's first show with PTC.

Daisy Donoghue plays Mary, Rosa's daughter who had fallen for Jack. We last saw Daisy at the Lace Market Theatre in "Picnic At Hanging Rock", and here she shows another side of her talents as a singer and dancer. I must say she also emotes well on stage. When Jack returns to the fair with Alice in tow, you could really feel her anger and sadness at the situation and Jack's betrayal. In contrast, there is a lovely, loving look in Mary's eyes when she is with Jack which creates a wonderfully romantic chemistry for these scenes. And guess what? This is also Daisy's debut with PTC.

Dominic Mills plays Johnny, a loner adopted by the fair to become the new "Wall Of Death" motorbike rider, which Levi hopes will save the fair. Johnny is an interesting character. He was orphaned when he was welcomed into the fair family and became best friends with Jack. A real bromance between the pair as Johnny had Jack's back throughout, not even revealing where Jack had gone when Harvey's thug returned to the fair and attacking Johnny. Dominic gave his all in this production and you felt the joy when Levi said that Johnny was to be the replacement motorbike rider. There were just a couple of times that Dominic needed more projection in his voice in the quieter speech sections, but apart from that, his debut PTC performance went swimmingly.

Chris Teasdale, who has also directed this musical, plays the thuggish Harvey. I've seen Chris in quite a few productions over the years and his experience shines through, especially in the scenes where Harvey really loses his temper and lets rip at everyone. These scenes are really quite frightening a she is not afraid of letting go, and that makes Harvey's dangerous side even darker, especially as we also see Harvey's lighter side, so a complete contrast in character.

Druid has been chosen by Harvey to get the situation sorted with Levi and is played by Adam Frith. Adam is another performer who has an air of confidence on stage and really gets under the skin of the nasty henchman character, Druid. You would not want to meet Druid in a dark alley at night. The coupling of Druid and Harvey makes for a completely believable duet of nastiness and Adam is perfectly cast.

Quite a large ensemble consisting of Barbara Benner, Barry Hobbs, Hemi Joan Lewis, Jenny Branson, Kate Russell, Louis Smith, Phil Deakin (or Deacon in the programme), Roy Smith, Scarlett Coleman-Smith and Sophie Benner.

The soundtrack is crammed with many of Essex's hits and some lesser-known songs. Along with the title track there's "Gonna Make You A Star", "Hold Me Close", "Me and My Girl (Nightclubbing), "Silver Dream Machine". "Lamplight", " A Winter's Tale", "Rock On", "Father & Son", "You're In My Heart" and "If I Could" plus more.

There is no live orchestra or band which meant that the singers really had to be on their game to get their cues spot on every time. There were maybe just a couple of ever so slightly missed cues but nothing major, and after all, this was opening night so there will be nerves. David Hails was the Musical Director for this show.

The mic cues were also a tad late on a few occasions, meaning that we missed some of the script from the start of some of the character's speeches. There were also a few places that could have been tightened up to snip seconds off the running time, but I am used to looking for these things and I doubt that the audience, who by the way were very appreciative of this show, would have noticed.

Sound Design is by Peter Hodgkinson and Lighting Design by Oliver Read. The talented twosome!

The set consisted of fair stalls, three dodgem cars, a real motorbike (not silver) and a large Levi's Fair/Levi and Son Fair sign. I remember from the touring production some years ago the set was festooned with lights. These were not on stage but hung all over the auditorium.

Costume wise, these consisted of clothes owned by the cast but really fitted well with the 1970's fairground folk attire and was not out of place.

The music really carries this show, and, as in "Our House", the arrangements make them sound fresh, and who can keep their feet still when you hear "Hold Me Close" or "Gonna Make You A Star". With a little attention to the minor points, this production will be a little gem, and just what the People's Theatre Company need to reintroduce them back into the Nottingham local theatre spotlight.

There is something different about a production when there are quite a few new faces within the cast, as opposed to a cast who have all worked together previously. It has a different overall feel about it, but maybe not to other audience members. It's something that someone who has seen many productions by various drama groups can spot. That said it is so good to see fresh blood being injected into local drama groups, especially after the last couple of years.

"All The Fun Of the Fair" is at the Nottingham Arts Theatre until Saturday 28 May, so roll up and get your tickets for the ride of your life!

 "Ghosts" by Henrik Ibsen, adapted by Richard Eyre.

Nottingham Lace Market Theatre.

Before I start, let me explain that this is nothing to do with a comedy about a haunted house on satellite TV, nor will you hear "Unchained Melody" played as a potter's wheel is being used!

Perhaps Henrik Ibsen’s most bleak play, it caused a scandal when it was first performed in 1882 for its frank exploration of sexual promiscuity and venereal disease.

There’s a cast of five. Mrs Helene Alving, a widow; her son, Osvald Alving, who is a painter; a pastor, named Manders; a carpenter, named Jakob Engstrand; and Regine, who is Mrs Alving’s maid but also Engstrand’s daughter.

Manders is managing the orphanage which Mrs Alving has set up in memory of her late husband. Engstrand wants to set up his own establishment, a home for retired seamen, or something like that!. He wants Regine to come and work for him there.

We discover that Manders had persuaded Mrs Alving to go back to her husband after Mr Alving had cheated on her and she had sought solace with the clergy, Manders describes her as being "extravagant with her feelings". As a man of God, Manders played upon her moral responsibility to her son, whom she had abandoned when she walked out. Mrs Alving reveals that he had had an affair with the maid. Meanwhile, Osvald is busy trying to seduce Regine, the maid.

Manders discovered that Regine is not actually Engstrand’s daughter at all: but the illegitimate daughter of Mr Alving, from when he had an affair with Johanna, another maid. Johanna then married Engstrand, who raised Regine as her own. This means that Osvald and Regine are related.

More secrets are revealed with Osvald revealing to his mother that he has a debilitating illness which he believes is a punishment for his sins, which includes lusting after Regine. Mrs Alving is ready to tell him that he has an inherited condition from his father - the sins of the father - when more bad news is delivered by Regine about the orphanage.

We discover what happened with the orphanage and this results in possible blackmail between Manders and Engstrand. Mrs Alving, desperate to exorcise the ‘ghosts’ of her family’s past, tells her son the truth about his father, and Regine the truth about her father.

Osvald tells his mother that his condition is fatal, and that if he should become incapacitated, he wants his mother to put him out of his misery with the morphine tablets he has. The play ends with Osvald in a chair, paralysed, but does his mother comply with his wishes?

It's quite easy to see why this particular play caused such upset and uproar when first written. One interesting fact is that because the critics described this play as "an open sewer", Ibsen's next play was "Enemy Of The People" which was all about domestic water pollution which no one wanted to believe was happening. Again a revelation of secrets and exposure of the past and exorcising ghosts!

The cast are Charlotte Thomas (Regina), Charles Moss (Jacob Engstrand) - who really brings out the character with physicality impairments, Nik Hedges (Pastor Manders), Amanda Hodgson (Helene Alving) and David Field (Oswald Alving) and collectively they draw you in to the story, keeping you on the edge of your seat and your eyes fixed on the characters while regaling us with such a wonderful story, and then leaving us at the cliff edge. Perfect cogs in a well-oiled theatrical machine.

With the play being performed in the Studio section of the theatre - upstairs - you are up close and personal on every level, and you really get the whole feel of this story and the taste of the character, something that would have not been so intense had it had been performed on the stage down below.

Directed by Cynthia Marsh, she has made the play described by critics as an open sewer, into a really entertaining piece of theatre. The adaptation by Richard Eyre has slimmed down parts of the original work, but removes none of the impact intended by Ibsen.

Lighting Design is by Hugh Philip, and what I noticed was the gradual dimming of the light to show the imminent closing of the day and the creeping brightness of the dawn. I thought that my eyes were playing tricks on me, but then realised what it was.

Sound / Projection Design is by Matthew Allcock. There is a gentle soundscape running through the play with bird calls and the sound of rain, just to add more paint to the artist's picture. Talking of which, we also had visions of the Norwegian countryside, all overcast and damp as well as paintings to show Osvald's artistry.

Wonderful period costumes for all, sourced by Max Bromley and Doreen Hunt.

This is the first time that I've seen this particular Ibsen play, and really enjoyed the seediness of the storyline. The shock impact may have waned over the centuries but nevertheless, the story regarding the sins of the family, especially the father are still as interesting and watchable as ever. Let's face it, this is the kind of thing that many soap operas feature on a weekly basis.

It's only a short play, just under two hours with an interval, but the adaptation gets straight to the point so that you can enjoy everything right from the off. I couldn't wait for Act two to resume as I wanted more. I've always had an impatient streak though!

"Ghosts" is being performed at the Nottingham Lace Market theatre until Saturday 28 May.