"Breakin' Convention 2023"

Nottingham Royal Concert Hall.

This event celebrates the 20th Anniversary of the convention which celebrates hip hop dance theatre. This festival is hosted by Jonzi D, Breakin' Convention's artistic director and it also includes DJs, freestyle sessions and graffiti artists situated around the Royal Centre's levels.

This show brings back so many memories of unfurling my roll of lino and going into Bulwell Market place and performing windmills and turtles, back in my youth.

I was initially surprised with the amount of people at the event who, like myself, has snow on the roof, but then remembered that people of my age were there the first time around with artists like Grandmaster Flash, Afrika Bambaata and the Sugarhill Gang creating the grooves that hip hop break-dancers could pop. lock and flex to.

In 2023 though we see variations of these dance genres, as well as the traditional on stage.

The evening starts off with BeatBots, a local dance academy from Nottingham performing a piece called Rat Race, which went down an absolute storm and setting that dance bar for the rest of the evening.

Jamal Sterrett is another local star from St Anns in Nottingham performing a piece called Spectra in a style called Flexing. I really could not take my eyes off him as he seemingly floated inches above the ground in a hypnotic dance display that made you feel as if you were in a bubble.

JME Dance Company is up next and another Nottingham based dance group. JME are a female dance group showing female warrior attitude in a piece called Mino. Powerful and energetic with a strong message.

MOVER are from South Korea and presented a classic breakdance piece called Merry Go Round. teaming the breaking with a talented beat boxer made this piece an exciting and entertaining watch, and a great way to close the first part of the evening's dance entertainment.

There was a 30-minute interval which gave you time to take in the off-stage talent before returning for the second half's entertainment as well as a drink and a delicious patty, or maybe a cookie.

Yvonne Smink from the Netherlands opened the second half with a piece called "a contre-courant", which translates as "against a current". This definitely breaking the conventional idea of breaking. There was a pole on stage which Yvonne seemed to merely float around. Imagine an invisible tube of water with a woman within the tube, slowly and majestically, almost like a seahorse would move, hover around the pole. It was completely mesmerising. Yvonne's strength in the whole of her body showed as she posed at various angles along the pole with complete control. She wouldn't need to ask her partner to get the lid off of a jar of beetroot, I can tell you!

Take 1 Dance is also from Nottingham and perform a piece called The 1. This hip hop dance powerhouse upheld the Nottingham quota of talent with this futuristic performance.

And finally, Ghetto Funk Collective from the Netherlands, and boy did they bring the funk!! This is classic funk which takes me back to the days of Soul Train on TV. You can see elements of James Brown, Sly Stone, Michael Jackson and even Fred Astaire in this piece of hip-hop funky theatre, each member taking centre stage for a solo.

This is one of the most exciting things that I have seen on stage and it is so good to see this particular art form still thriving and still growing, especially with Nottingham's dance groups keeping it alive in Notts. Nothing I say will really bring the excitement and elasticity of these acts to life online and to get the most out of a show like this, you need to be there in the audience to soak up the atmosphere and to witness the immense talents all of these groups have; talents that are ever expanding, year on year.

"Breakin' Convention" was here for just the one day, so make sure that when you next see this piece of theatre advertised in the future, you get yourself a ticket.

 "Kinky Boots" by Carlton Operatic Society.

Nottingham Theatre Royal.

It's time to get your boots out for the lads...and the gals as well, of course in this brilliantly fun musical.

Based on the 2005 film "Kinky Boots", written by Geoff Deane, who used to be in the band Modern Romance - remember them? - and Tim Firth of Calendar Girls fame, and inspired by true events. The musical tells the story of Charlie Price, who having inherited Price & Son, a shoe factory from his father, forms an unlikely partnership with cabaret performer and drag queen Lola to produce a line of high-heeled boots and save the business. In the process, Charlie and Lola discover that they are not so different after all.

Charlie Price is played by Mark Coffey-Bainbridge. This part is made for Mark as the character is a down to earth young man, which is exactly what Mark is. Mark is a natural actor, I should know, I've reviewed him many times before and always brings warmth to whatever character he plays. Another thing that makes him perfect for the role is his voice. He has a very contemporary voice, sounding good in all styles, whether it be a big ballad like "The Soul Of A Man" or a gospel stomper like "Everybody say Yeah", he just nails it.

Lizzie Fenner plays Nicola, Charlie's fiancé who wants to drag him away from making shoes and settle in London. Lizzie gets this character just right; not too bossy but just enough to show she cares for him, and those red wedding shoes!

Lauren, who has recently been executised by Charlie, is played by Cathy Hyde. I love that sense of fun she provides as Lauren when she discovers that she has a crush on her boss. We all remember that feeling of daft euphoria in the first throes of fancying someone, as shown in "The History Of Wrong Guys".

Mr Price Snr is played by Adam Collishaw opens the show as he is sitting with Young Charlie, who is played by two young actors by the names of Harley Butler and James Breen, depending on which performance you see. I saw James on opening night. Their song "The Most Beautiful Thing In The World" sets the tone. I've seen James before, but in this production, he shows off a very clear voice as well as some nifty moves. He's a really confident performer.

Young Lola is played by Jacob Jacques-Phillips throughout the run, and yet again we see another very confident young actor/singer/dancer. This is his first show, but I have a feeling it won't be his last with the talent and confidence he has.

Simon Snr, Simon being Lola's real name, is played by Ray Samuel Mcleod, and another cheeky little cameo for Ray.

Lola is played by Steffi Moore, and this is her debut for Carlton Operatic. There's no denying that Steffi has stage presence, and while technically the vocals may not be as strong as some of the other actors, Steffi doesn't half put oomph into her songs. But also note that she has a great deal of passion in the vocals for "Not My Father's Son", one of my favourite songs from the soundtrack. Steffi captured the vulnerability of the part as Simon, as well as the boss confidence when dressed as Lola.

Lola's Angels are played by David Page (Paige Turner), Connor Gough (Ella Gance), Louis Barnes-cupit (Izzy Straight), Mannie Gregg (Mannie Quinn), Mason Hart (Polly Amore), Sam Turpin (Uma Backhurts) - Love the character names, by the way! All embraced their feminine side and with the wigs, make-up and costumes, they made excellent drag queens.

Cliff Hart plays Don, the alpha male of the factory, and is one of the characters that I always enjoy in this story due to the U Turn Don makes, but without losing any of that alpha male standing. And you know, he had absolutely no issues walking in those heels at the end of the show!

Bara Erhayiem plays George, the Price's right-hand man. I did not recognise Bara in this part due to the wig, make-up and the accent. I've seen Bara before and know what a good character actor he is, which made his role ever the more believable.

It's a very big cast which includes as the factory workers Laura Ellis (Pat), Claire Collishaw (Trish), Hannah Cupit (Marge), Daniella Anderson (Melanie), Wendy Austin-Boulton (Kelly), Adam Collishaw (Big Mike), Poppy Cook (Jeannie), Rebekah Daley (Hilda), Elliot Deakin (Pete), Ella Greenwood (Sandra), Sarah Hill (Eunice), Kelly Lucken (Audrey), Patrick McChrystal (Bernie/Harry), Celine McKeowen (Brenda), Eva Sheppard (Kim), Laura Thurman - recently seen with the Royal Shakespeare Company locally (Tanya), Helen Tunnicliff (Daisy) and Bethany Wear (Florence).

James Ellison plays Richard Bailey, the man who was hired to try and take over the Price factory for housing.

The show is choreographed by Kristian Cunningham and is his debut for Carlton Operatic. Anyone who knows Kristian and his work ethic will know that he expects the best, and he got it, and so did we.

Directed by Rachael Rees, this show is an almost non-stop high energy piece of theatre with a wonderful message to deliver, and Rachael made sure that we got it loud and clear. It was fast, but in the quieter moments, she also made sure that they stood out as much as the faster sections.

I did think that in the boxing ring scene, with it being done in slow motion, the wide gaps left with the thrown punches could have been reduced, for realism you understand. Apart from that, this scene was very well choreographed. I know, I'm being picky!

Musical Director is Christopher Rees, so I knew we'd have no issues at all with Chris at the helm of this eleven piece orchestra, who delivered a solid backing. There are some brilliantly catchy songs in this soundtrack; "Land Of Lola", "Sex Is In The Heel", "What A Woman Wants", "Raise You Up/Just Be" among the others that I've already mentioned.

The set is a professional one, supplied by Scenic Projects. It was like they had transported a whole factory work area on to the stage in this multi level set. Plus, you have that Milan catwalk to consider, where we saw all the cast paraded in red shiny heeled boots.

Costumes are by Triple C, and there are some really fancy pieces of thread here. Lola's white costume for her care home performance was stunning and Steffi looked incredible in it for her performance of "Hold Me In Your Heart". Plus, all of the costumes for the Angels were wonderful. Wigs were supplied by Wig Art Theatrical, and I know how painstaking these wigs are to create, but they look incredible.

On the Lighting Design is another man who you can trust to present a visually exciting presentation, Tom Mowat.

Sound Design is by Rob Kettridge, and like Tom with the lighting, you expect a classy sound design, which is exactly what we had.

There were a couple of small things that could have been tighter, but it's opening night, and probably no-one would have noticed them bar me, but you know what I'm like, I'm picky. That said, nothing could detract from this wonderful musical and it's in-built message of accepting someone for who they are; one of the simplest of messages, but one that not everyone seems to understand.

"Kinky Boots" is at the Nottingham Theatre Royal until Saturday 3 June, so strut on down and get yo'self a ticket for one of the most soulful, heart-warming and fun shows on stage.

 "Towards Zero" by Agatha Christie and Gerald Verner.

Lace Market Theatre

Originally a novel, this is an adaptation that Agatha Christie wrote, collaborating with Gerald Verner, in 1956 for the play. It has all the trademarks you would expect: a remote country house populated by a group of characters with troubled histories, a sudden death, and a detective following a series of clues until all the suspects are gathered in the drawing room for the culprit or culprits to be revealed.

The setting is Gull’s Point in Cornwall, the home of wealthy widow, Lady Tressilian, and her companion Mary. Her ladyship is being visited by her former ward, Nevile Strange, his young wife Kay, and his ex-wife Audrey as well as their friends Treves and Latimer and a relative, Royde.

I'm never much good at spotting the murderer, and yet again I failed to guess whodunnit!

Linda Croston plays Camilla, Lady Tressilian. If you imagine the Dowager from another period piece, you get the idea of what this character is like. I actually didn't spot that it was Linda right away due to the clothes and the make-up etc. Walking with a stick, Camilla didn't look to have the energy to commit murder, but looks can be deceiving, can't they? But who and why might this elderly lady want to get rid of one of her guests if she is the murderer?

Michelle Smith plays Mary Aldin, Lady Tressilian's faithful companion who was worn to a frazzle on that fateful evening and retired to bed early-ish. So it couldn't have been her committing a murder, could it?

Luke Willis plays Neville Strange, her Ladyship's devoted ward who had come to visit with his new wife, Kay, fully knowing that his ex-wife, Audrey, would be there. He'd have enough on his mind with his wives, so he couldn't have done it, could he?

Olivia Jewell, making her debut with the Lace Market Theatre, is Kay Strange, the newer model of Mrs Strange. Ok, Lady Tresillian wasn't that fond of her ward's choice of woman, and this previous Mrs Strange seemed to bear no ill feelings toward Kay. Kay was a bit jealous of her husband's attention to his ex. Could one of these three be the intended victim, and if so, who could the murderer be?

Iona Willingham is Audrey Strange who seems to be over Neville's divorcing her to marry Kay, but as previously stated, bore no ill feelings to either her ex, or his new wife, or is she playing it cool. Surely Kay's insecurities couldn't erupt into murder, could it?

Jack Leo plays Ted Latimer, a friend of Kay's who has come to Gull's Point as an invited guest. He's got a bit of a crush on Kay, as we discover later in the play. Does anyone else know about this crush, enough want him out of the way, or could he be there to make sure that he gets his girl, eliminating the competition?

Peter McQuilkin plays Thomas Royde, a man of few words. Why is that? Is he keeping schtum about why he is there? Surely no one has any beef with this quiet, private man. Love Peter's accent by the way.

David Hawley plays Mr Mathew Treves, a former solicitor, and therefore has an interest in murder. Now, it's not uncommon for Christie to make a lawman the bad guy is it? Could Treves be wreaking for revenge for something in one of the other character's pasts that we don't know about? Or could he be the intended victim? Once a solicitor, always a solicitor!

So, these are the possible murderers, but one of them could also be the victim. With Agatha Christie's sneaky writing skills though, you just know that things are never quite as straight forward as you first think, and there's bound to be a twist or two. or is there?

Trying to untangle the evidence, which at first seems heavily weighted towards one person is Gareth Morris as Superintendent Battle, and his nephew sidekick, Inspector James Leach, played by Reiss Jones. They have the murder weapon still with blood and hair attached, along with fingerprints and a blood-soaked item of clothing, plus a positive motive. Oh, how simple it would be if that were the case!

Directed by Helen Sharp, she kept us guessing right to the very end scene as to who the murderer was. I guessed someone else and even concocted the motive and was convinced that I was correct, but I wasn't. I love Christie's plays on stage due to the twists and the tension created, and Helen maintained that tension throughout.

The Lighting Design and operator is by Allan Green, who nailed it as usual, and also created a realistic thunderstorm with lightning that actually looked like lightning.

Sound Design by Gareth Morris and operated by Darren Coxon. From thunderclaps to seagulls and a section at the end that painted pictures of the escape of the murderer offstage. Plus, the obligatory murder/mystery creepy music. Loved it.

The set is marvellous. As you look out through the French windows you picture the sea topped with clouds. The windows were sash windows, the record player, complete with a selection of 78 rpms, the fireplace, the sofa, the decorations, the pictures and the whole feel of the room just transports you back to the early 1950's, almost as if you'd stepped through the theatre doors and into a time machine. Hugh Philip was the Set Designer.

And if the set didn't take you back in time to the glamour of Downton Abbey, then the costumes, make up and wigs certainly would. What absolute style for everyone, and many costume changes as well. Loved Neville's suits and also Latimer's striped jacket and bow tie, and oh, the glamour for Camilla, Audrey and Kay.

A couple of new faces in the cast which are always very welcome to any theatre group, and fitted in well with the longer serving members.

It's quite a wordy script, and there were a few prompts, but opening night will bring a certain level of nerves, so can be forgiven. And after all, that's what a prompt is there for.

A stylish production with a stylish cast, and who doesn't love a good murder/mystery? So many questions, but can you work out the answers and solve the murder? It's a mystery to me.

"Towards Zero" has sold out for the entire week but it may be worth getting your name down on the list at the Lace Market Theatre, just in case anyone can't make it and a ticket becomes available. You never know!