"Inspector Morse House Of Ghosts"

Nottingham Theatre Royal.

This is the first ever stage version of this iconic TV character, and it's long overdue because the television series is watched still by millions of Morse and John Thaw fans, so it's only natural to transfer Morse from the TV screen to the stage.

The mystery unfolds when a young actress, playing Ophelia in a performance of Shakespeare's Hamlet, suddenly dies on stage. Detective Chief Inspector Morse, who just happens to be in the audience and watching, takes charge of the situation and embarks on his investigation. What begins as a suspicious death inquiry takes a darker turn when Morse, together with DS Lewis, uncovers a connection to sinister events in his own past, twenty-five years earlier, in 1962.

Tom Chambers stars as Morse, who seems to be obsessed with Schubert's music, which is strange as TV Morse's favourite composer was Richard Wagner.  I personally didn't spot too much of the TV Morse in Tom Chambers' portrayal; he seemed to be not sullen enough and I'm sure that John Thaw's character would not have used the word "rutting" to describe  the act of making love. Anyway, this isn't TV Morse it's theatre Morse and this is Tom Chambers, not John Thaw.

That said, an actor only does what a Director says, and a Director can only direct from the script by the writer.

Lewis, Morse's trusty sidekick, is played by Tachia Newell.

Teresa Banham is Ellen, Morse's partner, well at least for the night out at the theatre to see "Hamlet". It's almost like a University reunion as the Director Lawrence Baxter is also from the same Uni, but a year above Morse. Morse still has a thing for her, that's obvious, and there's a nice "will they, won't they" atmosphere between Morse and Ellen.

James Gladdon is Freddy, the Geordie hunk, who does a runner from the production after a call to his agent, but is that a well timed exit of has he something to hide?

Spin Glancy is Justin, this play within a play's Hamlet, who we see first on stage in his role as the Prince of Denmark. As soon as his Ophelia collapses on stage, coughing up blood, he completely loses it and goes into complete meltdown in his dressing room. Obviously the white powder he shoves up his nose isn't helping, but it's also obvious that there's something else troubling young Justin!

Robert Mountford doubles up as Lawrence Baxter, the Director of the play within the play, and Monsignor Paul Kincaid. Kincaid back in Uni seems to be a bit of a lad with the Uni ladies, but his choice of job as a man of the cloth is completely at odds for this lusty lothario, we discover a quarter of a century on.

Olivia Onyehara plays Harriet, Baxter's American wife. They have been trying for a baby and just as she gets the result that they have both (we assume) wanted, something happens to Lawrence..... you may guess what!

Charlotte Randall is Verity, the Uni lush, and things haven't changed much in the last 25 years, which is good news for Morse because, after a few drinks, she is ready to spill all the gossip from backstage and the habits of the actors.

Eliza Teale plays Rebecca, the actor who plays the role of Ophelia, who we have confirmed dies in the first scene, which leaves Eliza to become available for ensemble parts, along with Josh Katembela.

Directed by Anthony Banks, he ensured that the pace of the play matched what we'd have seen on a TV episode, and what I did like was the way that the scenes  were changed, which made the visuals episodic. keeping the pace right up there.

Written by Alma Cullen, who also worked on several of the television episodes. 

On a personal level, I'm not sure if it's the way the story was written or the Direction but it all seemed to unravel, as in what happened to Rebecca, very fast, in comparison to the actual story telling of the play. It just seemed to me as if an important lynch-pin was omitted and all of a sudden we were given what had happened, how Rebecca's demise occurred, the motive, and method, practically all in one sentence, and then it was the final bows and exit music.

It's always a big ask for any theatrical production to live up to a successful television show and character like Morse. Some I have seen have been successful, and then there are some like this one that just fell short of what I had expected. That said, if Morse's name had not been attached to the play, and was performed as a stand alone murder mystery, it may have worked better, for me anyway. It wouldn't have been the first time that the names had been changed to protect a successful franchise like Inspector Morse.

By the way, I didn't guess who did the dirty, or the reason(s).

"Inspector Morse House Of Ghosts" is at the Nottingham Theatre Royal until Saturday 4 October.

 "One Night Only"  A 40th Anniversary Celebration.

The Young Performers.

Duchess Theatre, Long Eaton.

Back in 1985 Barbara Moran and Tricia Freer who founded the Young Performers as a resident youth drama group at the Duchess Theatre. 40 years on the group are going stronger than ever and this celebratory concert shows that. Not only do we get to see many of the current group members, but we see the leaders, Young performers Alumni and even a few that we're not used to seeing on stage, but are well known faces in and around the theatre!!

The evening is compered by Richard Dawson, himself a former member of the group, Actor, Writer, Singer, Director, Erewash Sound Radio presenter and all round nice guy who is always "down with the kids". A smooth operator who makes the role of Master of Ceremonies look easy (thanks for the fiver Richard and I hope that I remembered everything that you told me to say!). What I also noted was Richard also managed to match his outfit for the evening with the colour of his glasses' frames. It's the little things that make the difference and I notice.

The evening started off with three witches around a cauldron reciting Shakespeare - you know which play I mean - but then I noticed a twist which fed in perfectly to the first big ensemble number where we got to see the cast for the first time with the ensemble number "One Night Only" from the musical "Dreamgirls".

The first solo act of the night came from Young performers Alumni, Harvey Leo, who performed an original composition.

There were ensemble numbers like ELO's "Mr Blue Sky", Doobie Brothers "Long Train Running", Lady Gaga's "Abracadabra", Katrina & the Waves' "Walking On Sunshine", mixed in with musical theatre songs like "One" from A Chorus Line, High School Musical's "We're All In This Together", "Seasons Of Love" from Rent, "When I Grow Up" from Matilda and also two emotional packed pieces to close both acts, "You Will Be Found" from Dear Evan Hansen and "This Is Me" from The Greatest Showman.

We had a gorgeous three way version of "Requiem" also from Dear Evan Hansen, a beautiful duet of "For Good" from Wicked, a brilliantly choreographed tap section (I tried tap dancing once, but fell in the sink) to Jessie J's "Bang Bang", as well as a few surprises of the non musical variety.

There was a four way rendition of Rudyard Kipling's poem "If", a large group number who performed a piece called "One Voice" and a comedy piece called "Big Deck" which raised more than a few laughs, as well as eyebrows, which was written by Jeff Foxworthy from Blue Collar TV, and was nothing to do with any of those two little Geordie fellows!

Ellie Simmonds, another Alumni member of Young Performers also sang a beautiful version of Carole King's "Will You Love Me Tomorrow".

And these were just a few of the performances we were treated to on the night from the following Young Performers....

Alex Povey, Alexa Lewis, Alexa Simpson, AJ Chamberlain, Amelia Forecast, Carly Gaunt, Clarissa Armitage, Daniel Swan, Daisy O'Connor, Dillan Brookes, Ella Charlesworth (your voice gets better and better), Elijah Green (always a pleasure to see this young man involved), Emily-Mae Taylor, Emily Wilkins, Emmie Simmons, Evie Perks, Evie Yates, Fin Tomlinson (another favourite performer of mine), Heidi Parsons, Imogen Scott, Izzy Pickering (so lovely to see you back on stage again),Jamie Higgins, Keely Rickerby, Lola Kitchen, Lottie Ellis, Lewis McDowall, Lexie-Mae Hart, Lucy Coulson-Jones, Livvy Read, Megan Shackleton, Mia Allen, Milly Hopkins, Millie Newbold, Mille Weston, Molly Price, Neve Johnson, Olivia Monk, Remy Read, Paige Bone, Sophie Longcroft, Violet Graney, Will Mellor, Avaani Babra, Ellie Simmonds (who battled with a sore throat but delivered gorgeous vocals none the less), Erin Hill, Fiona McDowall, Kevin McDowall, Lottie Ludlow, Harvey Leo, Richard Dawson, Roydon Charlesworth (we need to see more work on stage as opposed to stage work after tonight), Sarah Charlesworth (who sang, danced and performed and looked like she enjoyed everything she was given to do on stage), Tricia Freer and Victoria Byrne.

What a cast!

I know that everyone on stage enjoyed showing their talents, but there were a few times where I wish that they had shown just how much they were enjoying performing because there were a few serious faces, especially with the ensemble pieces. There were, however, many big smiles and bundles of energy on stage from the majority of the performers. I wish that I had half of that energy and 100% of their guts to get up on stage and do what everyone above did on Sunday night.

The Creative Team were Vicky Byrne, Lottie Ludlow, Patricia Freer, Sarah Charlesworth, Roydon Charlesworth, Fiona McDowall and Andy Cook.

The Junior Leaders were Ella Charlesworth, Lewis McDowall, Millie Weston and Olivia Michaud.

Richard Dawson also highlighted the work that is put in developing a young team of technical folk who are trained to operate the lighting, sound and other areas of producing a show. These tonight were Olivia Michaud, Lewis Cuthbert, Eva O'Riordan, Gizel Chaparova and Maddie Taft, and by the standard of light and sound operation, they're doing a grand job, thanks to their grand techie tutors.

A very successful night, quite rightly showing off the talents of these Young Performers past and present. Here's to the next 40 years.

 "The Late Mrs Early" by Norman Robbins.

Burton Joyce Players.

Burton Joyce & Bulcote Village Hall.

This is another play that I'd not heard of or seen before. Terry Early's announcement that he and Susan intend to marry rouses the fury of his overbearing mother Alice. Alice's sudden demise, following her handling of a faulty electric kettle, and telling him that he can get engaged to Susan over her dead body, promises a peaceful solution. But Alice as a vengeful ghost is even more formidable than as a living wife and mother.

Set in Castleford, Derbyshire in 1972 in the living room of the terraced council house of the Early family.

Terry Early is played by Lennon Marr, an actor, like several in this production, who is a new name to me. An ex Carlton Le Willows student and this is his first adult role, in which he shows a natural confidence, something that I am sure will stand him in good stead for any future acting roles. Male actors are in great demand in every drama group, and to find one with a natural feel for being on stage will mean that he will be welcomed into any theatre group.

Susan Rickworth, Terry's intended one, is played by Isabelle Williams, like Lennon a new name to me, and also like Lennon a very natural performer.

Mabel Sutton is the neighbour no one wants but actually needs, and is played by Kathy Matthews, one of the regulars in the Burton Joyce Players. This role is a beauty, and I am sure that everybody who has seen this play this week will know someone exactly like Mabel. A real character driven role, the sort that Kathy delivers so perfectly and so wittily.

Sam Early is just a normal Northern bloke; the sort that likes to relax after work with a pint or two with his neighbour and read the daily papers. Sam is heavily under the thumb and possible has to borrow a pair of trousers to wear from his wife, when she allows him to wear them. As Alice says, there's only one boss in their household, and we all know who that is! Alistair Dobb is Sam Early who thinks that all his whippets have come home when his terror of a wife keels over in the kitchen, but that is only just the start of his nightmares. Alistair is a lovely character actor and this Northern character is a real treat to see.

Alice Early is played by Avril McCormack, an actor I've enjoyed watching on several occasions. Playing Alice, both alive and dead, is great fun to watch, and I loved all of the Northern sayings written into the script by Robbins, all of which bring the character alive - or not as the case may be!

Joe Gittings, the other neighbour, is played by Richard Hesk. Every good Northern bloke needs his mate and drinking partner and that is Joe's role. So under the thumb is Sam that he has to arrange a couple of pints with Joe like a secret military operation, and when he discovers that Mabel has snuck into their kitchen and overheard what the plan was, and is threatening to tell Alice their plans, he stoops as low as to bribe her, which of course she accepts. Loved the drunken scene with Richard and Alistair when they come back from the pub, celebrating the passing of Alice.

Reuben Rickworth, Susan's father, is played by Greg Nicholas and Lucy Rickworth, Susan's mother, is played by Rebecca Kent. Two lovely roles that provide some brilliant comedy moments, especially in the latter part of the play when Sam is trying to get Terry and Susan's engagement back on even keel.

It's so nice to see so much fresh talent on stage as well.

Directed by Patrick McDonough. I've had the pleasure of seeing several plays that Patrick has directed and he manages to get the pace and comedy elements all in the right place, as he does with this little gem of a comedy. Great casting decisions as well. Patrick is assisted by Deborah Craddock, who is also no stranger to directing a successful play or seven.

The set design, as you can see in the photos attached has a lovely 1970's floral wallpaper design, fireplace, comfy looking sofa and a family table and trio of chairs at the table. There are two doors facing the audience, one leading to the kitchen and back door entrance (all hidden of course), and the other leads to the upstairs and the front entrance. A window allows the outside lighting to shine in.

Sound is by Chris Mercer and Deborah Craddock and well executed, as is the lighting design by David Matthews and Steve Armstrong. The sound of the archetypal brass band used for the scene changes was a lovely touch as well.

There are two scenes per act which showed the deftness of the stage management team headed up by Molly Fitches, assisted by Lilly Musson.

Lovely use of props, sourced by Patrick McDonough, and so pleased to see actual drinks poured from teapots. The era the play is set in has obviously been well observed with the style of the props for ornaments and dressings.

It's been a busy week and Saturday night, which was the final performance of this play, was the only time that I could get, but I'm pleased that I was able to see this spooktacularly funny play.

 "Legally Blonde" by Bingham Musical Theatre Company.

Nottingham Arts Theatre.

It's the story of Elle Woods who is madly in love wither her man Warner Huntingdon III, but when he takes her to dinner, a dinner she thought was going to see her becoming Warner's fiancée, he announces that he is off to Harvard Law College and needs to break up with her. Elle takes this badly and vows to win him back by also applying to get into Harvard to show him that she is what he wants and that she is serious!

Elle is played by Amy Flatman, and it's no surprise that the choreography for Elle is carried out with great vigour and style, because for anyone who doesn't know, Amy's background is in dance, and that shows in this role. When you tie that in with a lovely, strong set of vocal chords, you know that you're guaranteed a fun night; and that's what you get in this show with Amy as lead.

Emmett Forrest is played by Riley Halls Backler, a young man who I've seen rise from the stages at University to the stages outside the campus, like he does tonight. Last time Riley was involved in "Legally Blonde" he played the dual role of Schultz/Carlos, but this time he's the main man. I noticed that some of the arrangements for Emmett's songs have been arranged slightly different which really played to Riley's vocal skills. Nice chemistry with Amy and the two characters vocalise well and actually look like they should be a couple; Elle and Emmett that is!

Elle's boyfriend to start with, Warner Huntingdon III, is played by Nathaniel Halls. What I liked about this version of Warner was that as soon as he appeared on stage, you got the cut of the character; arrogant and selfish. I have a feeling that this is the first time that I've seen Nathaniel, but he has great confidence in both his acting and his vocals, despite this being the first production that he has been involved in for a few years. 

Warner's Harvard love, Vivienne Kensington, is played by Megan Leahy, who I didn't recognise to start with due to the black wig she wears for Vivienne; there's no mistaking that voice though. Vivienne is a wonderful character who has that epiphany moment when she sees the full picture of what's happening with Callaghan and takes action, redemption for initially throwing Elle under the bus.

Professor Callaghan is the badman that we all love to hate due to his slimeball attitude, thinking that he has the pick of the crop of the pretty interns. Played by Craig Youngman, another young actor who I've seen several times and who always makes me feel comfortable with the roles that he plays. You may have caught him this year in the 40th Anniversary production of "Les Miserables" at the Nottingham theatre Royal. With that in mind, you know that Callaghan's role is not doled out to just anybody, but to an actor with a powerful voice and stage presence. Enter Mr Craig Youngman.

Brooke Wyndham, the keep fit guru who is accused of murder is played by Emily Scott Cox, who skipped from previously playing Elle in a previous production a couple of years ago, to skipping on stage as Brooke. Her voice is as strong as ever and looks as gorgeous as ever in this high energy role.

Paulette Buonafonte, owner of the hair salon The Hair Affair and saucy quip, is played by Meghan Borg. Meghan is another actor of whom I've had the pleasure of performing on stage on several occasions, who has come up through Nottingham University's Musicality. Love the Brooklyn accent that Meghan adopts for Paulette and she also gets to perform one of my favourites from the soundtrack "Ireland".

Although Kyle B O'Boyle, the UPS Delivery man, is only a small part, but with a large package, he certainly makes his presence felt, and is played by Rory Long. Rory really plays up to this "walking porn" role and looks as if he has been working out in the gym, even throwing in a couple of pec flexes. This man knows how to fill out a uniform. Some other productions of "Legally" shows Kyle as not the sharpest tool in the box but here Rory plays the character as knowing the affect that he's having on Paulette.

Evelyn Johnson (Margot), Erin Hill (Serena) and Sophie Benner (Pilar) simply sizzled as Elle's BFF's with some energy filled dance routine, especially the "Bend And Snap".

Helena Cave (Kate), Eloise Lowe (DA Joyce Riley), Beth Duffy (Shop Manager/Judge), 

Nikos Argitakos, the Wyndham pool boy is played by Brogan Hayes and Nikos' boyfriend Carlos, sorry "best friend" is played by Will Jackson Cartlidge. Love the role of Nikos, even though it's only a small part - well have you seen the uniform he has to wear - but it's one of those roles that everyone remembers due to the fun. Being the subject of the song "Gay or European", which has some wonderfully fun lyrics, you just can't forget this pair.

Enid Hoops, the ballsy University intern, is played by Tex. Another fun role which does not take herself that seriously, but is great fun to watch.

Elle's Mum is played by Mandy Simons and Elle's Dad is played by Simon Hawkins.

The ensemble consist of Emily Holder, Theo Northcote, Preston Nash, Harriet Campion, Hermione Mae, Connie Tegredine, Sophia Goncearenno

Brooke's step daughter, Chutney Wyndham, Aaron Schulz, Sandeep Padaman, Grandmaster Chad are played by various cast members not specified in the programme.

Rufus and Bruiser, the two four-legged stars are played brilliantly by Skye and Picasso - so well behaved - and naturally get the "aahhs" from the audience.

Directed by Dom Mills, ably assisted by Karen Richards. When you've seen as many productions of this musical as I have over the years, you can often notice little changes, and there area  couple of small amendments made in this production; none of the changes detract from the production one bit. This show is pacy and immense fun to watch, which obviously means that Dom and Karen have, yet again, done an excellent job.

Choreographed by Charlotte Clay. There's a lot of choreography in this show, and lots of fun stuff, for the audience, but also I imagine for these talented dancers and cast members. Love the energy in these dance routines.

Musical Director is AJ Hill, who has held this post previously for this show, so he knows the score back to front and inside out. A couple of changes to some of the song arrangements sound like they have been made to make sure that the songs themselves are perfectly matched to the skills of the individual actors, which is what you'd expect any MD worth their salt to do.

The band themselves are meaty and punchy and loud, and there's absolutely nothing wrong with that. To start with I did think that the volume of the band slightly overpowered the vocalists, but within a few songs, this was equalised in the sound mix.

"Legally Blonde" has a wonderfully memorable soundtrack which includes "OmiGod You Guys", "What You Want", "Blood In The Water", "Positive", "Whipped Into Shape", "Bend and Snap" and the lyrically clever "Gay Or European".

The set is hired in from Proscenium and the layout for this production is not one that I'd seen before with an upper level, but it worked well.

Stage management is by Katie Brougham, and I liked the way that at the start where Warner and Elle are first seen, the chairs and tables for that scene just seemed to evolve around them, and then disappear with the ensemble. I do know that if there's anything been left on stage accidentally, like a coat hangar, or something small, the ensemble aren't known for removing these but gold star to Preston for discretely removing the coat hangar from the "Take It Like A Man" scene.

Costumes co-ordinated by Caroline Moreley.

Sound Design is by George Wilson. On the whole the sound was really good and powerful, but there were a few missed mic cues, but you know that I listen out for them, where some audience members may just miss them.

Lighting design is by Nick Elliot, and again a really good operation. I know that the production team are operating a new system that has been hired in for this show. Only one scene where I thought should have been illuminated which was where Emmett, Elle and Paulette are going to get Paulette's dog from Paulette's ex, Dewey. there was just a spotlight on the door where Dewey emerged from but the rest of the stage, where the trio were was in the dark. Apart from these couple of picky observations, the sound and the lighting looked and sounded issue free.

"Legally" is just a great big bundle of fun musical which is beloved by most theatre goers and cast members alike, and you can see by the faces of this cast at their final bows just what an enjoyment this show is for them.

"Legally Blonde" is at the Nottingham Arts Theatre until Saturday 27 September; it would be criminal to miss out.

 "The Poitin Maker's Child" by Shane Lammond-Lynch.

Nottingham Lakeside.

Here's something very different. A queer folk cabaret with drag, live music, and ritual with Irish storytelling traditions. Inspired by history where Irish boys wore dresses to confuse the fairies, apparently they used to wait for little boys to come along and carry them off, so little boys wore dresses to confuse the fairy folk! And that's just one of the tales that's on offer. I love folklore, myths and legends and this show kept me gripped throughout.

It starts off reminiscent of a version of "The Wizard Of Oz" as we see an umbrella on the floor with just a pair of legs sticking out - a bit like when the Wicked Witch had Dorothy's home dropped on her after the whirlwind struck Kansas. From this umbrella emerges Shane to tell us stories of his Da and Ma and the folklores and myths that surrounded his childhood, including puppetry.

Woven into  these stories the audience become part of the entertainment, and I won't give too much away, but a game similar to pass the parcel is initiated with a lucky dip style pulling out of the bag "guilty secrets" that audience members have been asked to proffer on labels as they enter the auditorium. A nice ice breaker that gets the audience involved without really doing too much or being embarrassed. In between the wondrous stories there's a call and response section, taken from the programme that you're given, an anthemic piece to be sung manlily as well as a recipe for Ginger Beard Biscuits. That does have a connection with part of the storyline, as does all the little bits given in the free programme.

I love a good story, as well as a good storyteller and that is what you get in this show. Interspersed with music, provided live by Joe Lammond on guitar, as well as recorded music, sound effects and the odd banshee wailing through the magic portal.

When you get to your seat, take a bit of time to take in the set which has many fascinating things to look at, making yourself question their relevance to what you're going to see; it'll all become apparent as the hour progresses.

Ali Bakewell is Stage Manager as well as providing the voice of the Banshee, and Rufus Walker provides the voice of Finn and The Shadow.

Shane is the Writer, Creator and Producer of the show, which has been Directed by Kitty Winter.

The Production Designer is Ivy Richards with the Sound Design by Wayne Walker-Allen.

Joe Lammond's music score for the show has a real Celtic influence, with parts of the musical backdrop not sounding out of place in TV shows like "Peaky Blinders".

The only thing that stops this entertainment appealing to a younger audience (under 16 years old) are just a couple of swear words, but without them, this show would be fantastic for young kids as well as bigger kids (over 16 years old). It's entertaining, great fun, educational something really different, and I loved it.

Shane's Derby Studio Theatre show sold out and there are only two performances here at Lakeside Arts, the second one being tonight at 8.25, each show lasting an hour long.

 "Come From Away" by Zak Scott Productions.

Duchess Theatre, Long Eaton.

"Come From Away" shares the real-life story of the 7,000 air passengers from all over the world who were grounded in Canada during the wake of 9/11, and the small Newfoundland town of Gander community that invited these "come from aways" into their lives with open hearts.

The comedy is gentle and in abundance, balancing well with the obvious confusion and terror from the passengers who had no idea what was happening and the reason for their flights' diversions. There's emergency panic from the townsfolk who had no idea as to how many people to expect and where they were going to put them up, or how to feed them.

The feeling of comradery though becomes infectious with even Walmart staff offering them to come home with them for a shower!! Can you imagine that being offered by an Asda employee? (other supermarkets are available of course).

Strangers become friends, and friends become lifelong friends, some even staying in the town, and some become even closer friends. But of course, there's those who lost family and friends because of what happened on September 11 2001, and they are also remembered.

Many of the stories related were not known about until this musical, let's face it the pregnant Bonobo monkey or the cat who was on tablets didn't make front page news, but is equally as interesting to hear about, as well as Bonnie Harris who realised that there would have been animals on the planes and, as she worked in an animal shelter, made it her job to go looking for them, and caring for them.

The stories of the local news reporter, who had just started working for the TV company, the Mayor Claude Elliott, the Police Officer, the female flight staff, as well as the passengers, some of which didn't speak English and had specific dietary needs, the party of children who were travelling over as part of the "Make A Wish" foundation, so many different people of different ages and religions, all scared and unaware of the horrors that were unfolding on that day.

It also depicts how in a situation like this, people can also become very wary of some people and treat them very differently, especially if they are Middle Eastern, the horror and embarrassment of a strip search before they let him on the plane told in such a way that you almost feel ashamed for what he had been put through, just because of his religion.

There's also the story of the gay couple, Kevin and Kevin, who didn't want to reveal their relationship for fear of a backlash, and the Jewish man who discovered that one of the Gander residents was also Jewish, but had never revealed that fact.

There are so many wonderful human stories that are woven into this wonderful comfort blanket of life happenings, all bought about by such a sad turn of events by such evil forces. The resilience and love though won through.

This show is truly an ensemble piece of theatre that was non stop with the cast members all playing several roles, so here's that talented cast with their main roles listed.

Kirt Hammonds (Claude), who I'd not seen since "Les Miserables" at the Royal Centre. Claude Elliott is the Mayor and Kirt cuts an imposing figure, with an equally noticeable voice. Kirt, as Claude, kicks off the show with a real stomper of a song called "Welcome To The Rock", and if that does not get your feet going, there must be something wrong with you (check for a pulse). For some reason, Kirt always reminds me of Robbie Rotten from the kids TV show "Sportacus" (look it up on YouTube or Google).

Laura Spencer (Beverly) is a new name to me, but what a gorgeous voice she has. The programme states that Laura is a backing vocalist in the Uk as well as in Los Angeles, I for one am so pleased that she has decided to let us hear her vocals upfront instead of backing someone else for a while. There's a beautiful song in this musical called "Me And The Sky" which Beverley performs and will give you goosebumps. Hopefully this won't be the last we see and hear of Laura around the area.

Claire Collishaw (Bonnie). I love seeing Claire on stage and her energy is boundless.

Curtis Taylor-Tipton (Oz). The last time I saw Curtis on stage was two years ago in the musical comedy "Curtains", also at the Duchess Theatre. I've enjoyed seeing Curtis on stage now for over a decade and he never rests on his laurels performance wise, and this performance shows that.

Shantanu Bhumbra (Kevin), is another one of my favourite performers having had the pleasure of seeing him in various roles over the last five years (now there's a great musical). Kevin is one half of the gay partnership in the story with his partner, also named Kevin - let's face it, where would the theatre be without a "Kevin" in it? 

David Page (Kevin T), I last saw in "Kinky Boots" for Carlton Operatic, if I remember rightly, but it was so good seeing him once again in a more central role as Kevin's partner, where we get to hear his vocals. Long Eaton is so rich with stage talent and David has been a big part of providing that talent in many ways.

Adela Green (Diane). This show provides an actor to really show off their vocals, due to the various styles and singing combinations, and Adela has one of those voices that turn your legs to jelly when you hear her, and there are some beautiful songs in this show that give vocalists like Adela the opportunity to display those vocal talents.

Joanne Kay Shearsby (Belulah). Another amazing voice (the show is packed with them), and an incredibly emotive voice at that. I've had the pleasure of hearing Jo sing opera as well as operetta, and I know the strength and control that Joanne has over her instrument. Beulah is one of those roles that has to keep it all together in the face of adversity and Joanne gives a great performance as this character, and only lets that facade slip near the end when she receives a phone call from Diane.

Hilary Leam (Hannah). This show is like a "who's who" of theatre performers, and I've seen Hilary play some brilliant roles over the years, like Madame Thenardier in the recent  40th Anniversary of "Les Miserables" at the Nottingham Theatre Royal. This is another great role to add to the CV, and of course, another great voice.

Matt Wesson (Nick). Matt gets to pull a variety of accents out with his roles, and it's not often that you hear matt put on an accent, and this production must have really got matt's juices flowing for treading the boards again as, apart from the aforementioned 40th "Les Miserables", you don't often get to see him on the stage itself. Matt is a lovely character actor so it was no surprise to me that all of his roles were completely different and with the added accents gave a real pot pourri of characters for us to enjoy. Great fun to watch, but then again, he's a fun guy!

Zain Abrahams (Bob). I have been reviewing Zain for a long time now in various theatre shows, but there is one thing about Zain that it very different about him that I don't think anyone else over the years can match, and that's his vocals. I'm not saying that he has a better voice than any other actor, but he has one of the most distinctive voices I've heard for decades. Even when he speaks, he has distinction, and that's because he sounds so much like Terence Trent D'Arby (again kids Google the name or go to YouTube). Zain has a raw soulfulness to his vocals, singing and otherwise, and that comes out in the characters that he plays in "Come From Away".

Izzi Parsons (Janice) is another new name to me, maybe because she has been taking a sabbatical from the stage, and has chosen to make her return in this show. Janice is the news reporter who has been given this set of tragic consequences to debut her reporting job for the local TV company. Talk about a baptism of fire! as with everyone else involved in this incredibly talented cast, the acting from Izzi and the vocals are off the chart, and I really hope that we get to see and hear more Izzi in the future.

Directed by Zak Charlesworth and Oliver Wheddon (who I've not seen in years, and was so lovely to see him again on Thursday night). This is a big show, it's performed straight through and is almost entirely sung straight through, but Zak seems to enjoy giving himself mountains to climb, and he always reaches the top. This show has been a favourite of mine since I first saw it last October when it toured professionally, and this production is as good as the professional touring one, stage and direction wise.

Choreographed by Shannon O'Donnell, and I found out something about Shannon on Thursday night that immediately made all the choreographical jigsaw pieces fall into place.  If you know the soundtrack, or have seen this musical before, you'll know there's an awful lot of Ireland in it - being part Irish myself, I spotted that! The music is Irish and Shannon grew up in a family of Irish musicians with traditional roots, therefore it goes without saying that the choreography for this style of music comes deep from within. 

But it's not just the dance choreography that was perfect, but the whole placing of the stage props to coincide with the music that made this show as slick as it is; the timing of the stage management of the tables, chairs etc was excellent.

Musical Director is Ben Ward, and as soon as I saw that, knowing the soundtrack to be brilliant, I automatically knew that the music side of this show was in some of the best hands an MD could have. Traditional Celtic music sounds incredible when performed faithfully and Ben's band of musicians Jamie Newell (guitar), Dan Emery (Bass), Dawn Bratby (Woodwind), Karen Bithel (Fiddle), Andy Sheltonagn (Percussion) and Dave Shipley (Drums) really stirred my Irish roots. My feet were dancing but the top half of my body was still.

Lighting design is by Ethan Hamblett and sound design is by Dave Dallard. There were a few issues with crackly mic pacs and a couple of late mic cues but nothing that marred my enjoyment of the production. There were a couple of times when the spotlight had a quick search to focus on the actor on stage, but that said, this is quite an energetic piece of theatre so there's plenty of movement and mobile mic pacs are often not as robust as  maybe they could be, and when an actor is on the move, landing a perfect spot is not always as easy as it sounds, or looks.

An easy decision to provide a standing ovation for such a worthy production and an impeccable cast.

"Come From Away" is at the Duchess Theatre, Long Eaton until Saturday 27 September. It's well worth a gander.

 "Dear England" The National Theatre production, written by James Graham.

Nottingham Theatre Royal.

I'm not really a football fan; I take a passing interest in World Cup games, when England make it through, but that's about it, and I'm not a fan of football matches disrupting my usual schedule of what I watch on TV. That aside, it's with a very basic knowledge of the game that I watched this theatre production. So, for those like myself, this is what "Dear England" is all about.....

The play follows the England men's football team under Gareth Southgate in the run-up to, and aftermath of, three tournaments: its unexpected run to the semi-finals at the 2018 World Cup in Russia, its defeat in the 2020 European Championship final at Wembley Stadium, and its quarterfinal exit from the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

The first act opens with a flashback to young Southgate as he misses a penalty at the 1996 Euro semi-finals, something I do remember watching on TV, causing England to be knocked out of the competition.

The second act focuses on the more emotional side of the game as the players develop under Southgate's leadership and take nerve-wracking penalties. "Dear England" also touches on racist abuse experienced by black players on the England team following their loss to Italy in the Euro 2020 final in 2021. It ends with Harry Kane missing a penalty and England getting knocked out of the 2022 World Cup, but with Kane receiving the support from his teammates that Southgate himself had not received as a player.

Along with the factual and emotional side of the sport there's also plenty of comedy to keep the story buoyant for audience members who aren't real football fans, which is probably only about 1% like myself. There are comedy caricatures of Sven-Goran Eriksson, Fabio Cappello, Graham Taylor, Gary Lineker, Matt Le Tissier, Liz Truss, Theresa May and Boris Johnson.

Music plays a part in the football arena, and that is also a part of this play with "Three Lions", World In Motion", Bitter Suite Symphony" "Crown", "Sweet Caroline", "Samba de Janeiro", "Let Me Entertain You" and "Vindaloo" all featured. The additional music is by Max Perryment.

David Sturzaker plays Gareth Southgate. Without knowing who David was playing, you'd have been able to guess from the kick off because he looks the spitting image of Southgate. We see the real character behind the man and also all of the workings that went into creating Southgate's team, which I found to be electric. It was like having an enigma dissected before your very eyes in a language that you understand, and everything about Gareth Southgate and the way that he pieced together his England side suddenly seemed to make sense. A outstanding performance, and his was not the only one!

Samantha Womack is the team psychologist Pippa Grange. Once again the clever dissection of the process of breaking down and reassembling the mindset of a football team and how their minds worked, to get the best performance from a footballer, just seemed to be so simple. Knowing nothing of how a footballer's brain works and what they think before they go into battle, or while they are out there for ninety odd minutes, this psyche was fascinating and immensely educational. 

I have been a fan of Samantha's since the TV series "Game On" back in the 1990's. In this production you get to see more of the serious side of Samantha's acting ability as opposed to her musical theatre/comedy side in "The Addams Family" or the baddie in "The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe"; more like the straight "Eastenders" acting. Whatever style Samantha takes on, she can do no wrong by me.

The rest of the cast, some who perform several character roles, are as follows...

George Rainsford (Mike Webster), Liam Prince-Donnelly (Dele Alli), Jack Maddison (Jordan Pickford), Tom Lane (Eric Dier), Ian Kirkby (Gary Lineker), Connor Hawker (Harry Maguire), Jayden Hanley (Marcus Rashford), Oscar Gough (Harry Kane), Courtney George (Alex Scott), Steven Dykes (Sam Allardyce), Ashley Byam (Raheem Stirling), Jass Beki (Bukayo Saka), Ian Bartholomew (Greg Dyke), Luke Azille (Jadon Sancho) and Jake Ashton-Nelson (Jordan Henderson).

The actors portraying the footballers have obviously been chosen for their likeness to the footballers they are playing, as well as their wonderful mimicry talents. Oscar Gough's Harry Kane is spot on with the looks and the way that he speaks, and no one would have mistaken Jayden Hanley's baby-faced resemblance to Marcus Rashford. Ian Kirkby's Gary Lineker sounded even better than Lineker's "Spitting Image" puppet and, if you squint, you'd have swore it was the Leicester lad himself on stage - complete with a packet of Walker's crisps. No one would have mistaken the three PM's, especially with Theresa May's choreography - I almost expected Abba's "Dancing Queen".

 The ensemble are made up of Stuart Ash, Natalie Boakye, Ebube Chukwuma, Sam Craig, Miles Henderson and Alex Wadham.

Directed by Rupert Goold, this show is absolutely Goolden. The choreography for all was executed with split second timing with the sound and light. The transportation of sections of the set, all carried out by the actors made for a very smooth and tight stage management of said set pieces.

Es Devlin's set design brought, not only the football field to the stage, but also the dressing rooms as well as several other settings to life minimally but extremely effectively, allowing you to completely concentrate on the script and the action.

The Video Designer is Ash J Woodward and this really takes this play to another level. You are taken, almost as if on a magic carpet ride through various countries and matches, all thanks to a brilliant video design that also gives you a time rundown for events and shows iconic pieces of the original football matches over the years, including the 1966 World Cup.

The Costume Designer is Evie Gurney, and as expected there were several football focused outfits, including the style changes for Southgate from tracksuits to three piece suit to polo shirt and blazer; taking you through the various stages of the England manager's stylish wardrobe.

Lighting design is by Jon Clark and Dan Balfour and Tom Gibbins are the Sound Designers. These sections to me are as important to any theatre show as bass guitar and drums are to any rhythm section of a band, because they are the backbone of it all. The sound was wonderfully loud, so much so that you could feel the bass resound in your chest. The lighting created all the visual excitement you require for a sensory and sensational piece of theatre.

There were two sections which revolved around the penalty shoot out; one at the end of the first act and the second one later in act two. I actually found myself holding my breath and tensing every sinew in my body as each nominated player stepped up to take their penalty. It's not that often that theatre gets me like this, except maybe in a good thriller, but this play is full of thrills. The football arena is a theatre of sorts with emotions that run as high as the proscenium arch, or even the floodlights that light the pitches.

I went in the theatre not being a footie fanatic but James Graham, who is one of today's best and most exciting writers for TV and theatre, and this incredible cast may just have swayed me towards the excitement of the game. It was definitely a match of the day for me!

The title of the play, incidentally, comes from the open letter Southgate wrote to England fans in 2021 during the Covid 19 pandemic.

"Dear England" is at the Nottingham Theatre Royal until Saturday 27 September.

Photography by Rick Guest.