"Mamma Mia".

Nottingham Royal Concert Hall.

You just can't beat a really good feel-good piece of theatre, and this is one that I wouldn't take a chance on missing. I don't need to have a dream to predict how successful this show is going to be over the next couple of weeks, because everyone likes the music of Abba, don't they?

20-year-old Sophie is about to say I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do to the love of her life, Sky, and be his Dancing Queen. The invites have been sent out and is ready to host the most idyllic wedding ever on a fictional Greek island, in the sun. But Sophie is also on a mission to discover who her real father is, as she wants him to give her away at the ceremony.

Donna Sheridan is Sophie's mother and is played by the gorgeous Jenn Griffin. What a lovely voice Jenn has and for me, the highlight of highlights was "The Winner Takes It All". That is a brilliant stand alone song but this arrangement is spine tingling, combine that with Jenn's vocals and you just don't get any better than what you hear on this stage.

Lauren Woolf is Rosie, and  Sarah Earnshaw is Tanya, the former band members of the band Donna & The Dynamos; Donna being the third of the trio. Rosie and Tanya are great fun and the chemistry between these life long friends are electric. Both women have supertrouper voices which they show off in various scenarios. I do love the scene with Tanya and Pepper which brings out the maneater side of Tanya.

Richard Taylor Woods is Sam Carmichael, Simon Victor plays Bill Austin, and Arvid Larsen plays Harry Bright, the three prospective fathers. Sophie had found their names in Donna's diary for around the time of Sophie's conception and had sent them invites to the wedding. Does Her Mother, Donna, Know? No, she doesn't until they are already on the island! What a wonderful trio of actors, and what a performance, and they can all sing better than their film counterparts. Then again, even I can sing better than Pearce Brosnan!

Hazel Baldwin, who plays Sophie Sheridan, is blessed with a beautiful voice and throughout you find yourself having her back, willing her to tie the knot with Sky. For anyone who has seen this musical, or the film, we all know how that ends, albeit a happy one. There is a real mother/daughter chemistry between Donna and Sophie, and that is thanks to the obvious chemistry between Hazel and Jenn. And the wedding dress is gorgeous, by the way!

Samuel Downey plays Sky, the fiancé. Well let's face it, a lot of ladies in the audience will have gone home very happy tonight for watching Sam in just a pair of pants. It's one of those musicals that everyone is beautiful, a bit like a Grecian Baywatch but without the slow motion running on the beach. But seriously, Sam is another well matched actor and you believe that his character is madly in love with Sophie, and his voice isn't bad either! "Mamma Mia" also marks Samuel's professional debut.

Rachel Seirian who plays the part of Ali, and Lex Richardson, who is Lisa, play the bridesmaids. What a bundle of fun these two are. They bounce onto the stage, full of energy and cheekiness, injecting their energy, fun and cheek into the first full song of the show, "Honey Honey" along with Hazel.

Ashton Sharp is Pepper, Sky's best man. Here is an actor who knows how to have fun on stage and he shows this by always having a cheeky look on his face and a twinkle in his eye. His dance moves are not only athletic and energetic, but amazingly good fun to watch, especially in the "Does Your Mother Know" section, where Pepper gets to be up close and personal with Tanya.

Albert Green plays  Eddie, Sky and Pepper's friend. Another ladies' man, but then again aren't all of these lotharios on this Greek isle? This musical is definitely one for the ladies. Another fun character.

Only one thing that I found slightly odd is that all of these young men live on a Greek island, spend many hours diving and wander around in just shorts, but only a couple actually had some kind of suntan!

Richard Vorster plays Father Richard, who pops up at the end for the wedding.

A large ensemble who dance their socks off, if they wore them, they would have been danced off, and creating, when all is said and done, a Taverna load of fun and energy. You just want to get on that stage and party with them, they are that kind of crowd. 

The Ensemble are made up of Ashleigh Jones, Rubi Mai Brown, James Brice, Aled Davies, Ryan Ebbrell, Gee Gillam, Marisa Harris, Jay Jobarteh, Sullivan Martin, Sarah McFarlane, Rachel Oates, Adam Stickler and Maisie Wignall. Brook Blackford Jenkins, Bethany Lythgoe, Megan Spiers and Luke Stone are Swing cast members with Megan also being Dance Captain and Luke being Assistant Dance Captain.

Directed by Phyllida Lloyd, this is a party that everyone needs an invite to. It's fun, very camp and, what I realised this evening, went so fast; slipping through my fingers, you might say. 

You may have already surmised that the choreography in this show, by Anthony Van Laast, is great fun to watch, matching the energy of Abba's music and creating another layer of fun throughout.

We can thank Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus from Abba for the music and lyrics and Catherine Johnson for the book.

The set is designed by Mark Thompson, simple by design with two main pieces of scenery which is rotated for alternate scenes. Simple but very affective and easily moved into place.

The lighting design by Howard Harrison, and sound design by Andrew Bruce and Bobby Aitken, help create this incredible party atmosphere. It's almost like being at a concert.

The show producers are Judy Craymer and Richard East.

Musical supervision, additional material & arrangements by Martin Koch. It's these arrangements which bring out the wonderful lyrics of the Abba songs and, unlike many jukebox musicals, the words fit well into the story, whereas some jukebox musicals seem to add the songs for no particular reason, maybe to fill a gap. Here it's different because listen to any Abba song and they tell a story, and that is what is so special in "Mamma Mia", it tells a story. Carlton Edwards conducts the Mamma Mia band.

Ramping the volume up also made it feel like a concert, and by the end of the show, where we were treated to three Abba classics with all the cast, that is how it felt with everyone on their feet singing and dancing along.

There's a Touch Tour on Saturday 3 October at 1.30 as well as an audio described/captioned show on the same day for the matinee performance.

There's a sign language interpreted on the Thursday 8 October evening performance.

I've seen "Mamma Mia" a few times previously but just adore the music of Abba and this musical story, so for me it never gets old. 

"Mamma Mia!" is at the Nottingham Royal Concert Hall until Saturday 10 October so exchange your money money money for a few tickets so that you can enjoy this super trouper of a show. Don't let it slip through your fingers, or you may need to call for an S.O.S!

 "X" by Alistair McDowall.

Nottingham Lace Market Theatre.

Billions of miles from home, the lone research base on Pluto has lost contact with Earth. Unable to leave or send for help, the skeleton crew sit waiting....and waiting.

As the crew waits, long periods of isolation cause time to distort, reality to unravel, and psychological terror to set in as they start to see things in the dark outside. And I'm sure that digital clock isn't quite right either!

As time goes by, the crew start to distrust the others and lack of contact from earth, in fact any outside communication, starts to play with their heads. Is there really someone looking through the window at them? Are their memories really playing tricks on them? And who is the person who keeps emerging from underneath the sink? Are we all really here at all?

Tom Pluse plays Clarke who carries poignant, mournful memories from Earth. In the claustrophobic void of Pluto, his emotional eloquence breaks. Alongside Gilda, his dialogue eventually deteriorates, but that's not all that fractures in this environment. Tom's character looks to be having the most fun out of them all. He is loud, brash and has some of the best comic lines, and this is a play which has a lot of humour in it, to my surprise, but humour can only carry a person so far before his environment starts to play tricks with his mind!

Malcolm Todd is Cole, an extreme mathematician. He realizes that the base's clocks are secretly resetting and that time is no longer operating as it should. He recognises the crew's doom, tracking the mathematical and temporal decay of their environment. Cole's short and long term memory is the target for whatever, or whoever is playing tricks within Cole's head. Malcolm also gets to deliver some explosive, and quite scary outbursts at times, a little like Gilda.

Mary Sullivan is Gilda. Constantly on the verge of tears and deeply stir-crazy, her mental stability unravels as time loops and breaks. Mary really makes you believe that the cracks inside her mind are turning into chasms, her, or I should say Gilda's, explosive and emotional outbursts are quite wonderful, reminiscent of many 1960's sci-fi shows that I used to love to watch.

Ally Saunders is Mattie, the systems manager, who spends much of her time maintaining the base's life support systems. Mattie sweeps in and out of the storyline until all of a sudden she's not there!

Richard Young is Ray, the oldest crew member and the only one with living memories of Earth's natural world. He represents a fading connection to true history and nature and burdened by impending doom and chilling hallucinations, which affects everyone else stuck in the Pluto station.

Megan Smalley is the Girl, and it's a bit difficult describing Megan's role in this story without giving too many spoilers. All I'll say is that when you get your tickets for this scintillating science-fiction based play, you'll see what I mean.

Laurence Bembridge, Wendy Silver, Ksenia Tsymbal and Guy Evans also make appearances, and once again, I'm not going to say why and when they appear but you'll see how they shape the outcome of this story, which is one that I hadn't even thought of, but did come as a really big surprise!

Directed by Nicole Driver, there's an awful lot of work put into this piece of theatre. There are echoes of the horror film "Carrie" in one section and also a Japanese horror flick from my youth called "The Ring". It kept the suspense going all the way to the end, with sections that you'd be able to hear a pin drop on a carpet. Even with the build up of the suspense, the ending is a very different scenario to any that I could have dreamt of.

The show is a very technical show, and that includes the timings of the cast and the stage manager, Jae Marriott, assisted by Guy Evans. The entrances and exit of the stage by the cast members makes for quite a cinematic effect, especially when timed with the lighting operation.

Responsible for the lighting design is Amy Burmuder, and that timing of the stage movements and the lighting design and operation created a stunning, as well as alarming visual group of scenes.

The sound design by Fred Baker also creates quite an unnerving soundscape, especially when combined with the lighting cues.

The set design, by Guy Evans, really encapsulates a room within a space station, especially with the large round window looking out at a pitch black exterior. The walls glisten, even more so in the second act, but no spoilers from me on that scene!

The digital clock is one thing that you'll only watch at certain times, but I found myself taking a quick glance every now and then and questioning the time that I'd been in the theatre, with minutes seemingly disappearing before your eyes. I actually felt quite worried with the clock's actions and ultimate visual appearance at the end of the first act. The Digital Design is by Laurie Owen with the Tech Operator being Jamie Clay.

If you're expecting big shiny suits with large helmets, then you may be disappointed, partly, because the costume design, by Maddie Gould, depict everyday clothes. None of the sci-fi style space travel wear here which also brings the horror of what is to come even more shocking because this isn't set in the far distant future, it could be something that happens in our own lifetime.

Props for this show have been provided by Ali Lit and Rebecca Steele, and some of these do represent a little of what you'd expect to see for a life in space.

There's one scene that makes this feel like a fairytale, dream scene with some eloquent choreography, bordering on modern ballet and contemporary dance, involving the whole cast. The positioning of this scene, and the choreographical style, really drives home the importance of this particular section of the storyline. Khaz Castle is responsible for the choreography and is Dramaturgical Support.

The lyrics of Marvin Gaye's big hit "I Heard It Through The Grapevine" state, "Believe half of what you see and none of what you hear, but I can't help being confused", well that could be the same with this play. Don't believe everything that you see to be the truth, and that confusion at the end is a twist worthy of any classic thriller! Xpect the un Xpected.

"X" is at the Nottingham Lace Market Theatre until Saturday 3 October.

Photography by Kathryn Edwards.

 "Bulwell Market Memories" 

Nonsuch Studios and Bulwell Theatre Group.

Bulwell Forest Gardens.

Bulwell has a very special place in my heart because that's where I grew up. It's where I lived for twenty seven years of my life. It's where my Mum and Dad lived. It's where I had my first pint. It's where my teenage pub crawls often started and ended. It's where I fell in love. 

When I was young, my parents did the weekly shop a lot of the time in Bulwell and it's where I started to shop for clothes, when I was old enough to buy them, as well as where I boosted my ever increasing record collection. There was a stall on Bulwell Market that sold records; mostly those old ex jukebox records with the centre taken out. If you were lucky, you'd find a record still in the charts with a plastic centre put back in. At that time, the market was on a large roundabout and the traffic circled the market place in the centre of Bulwell, where the market is today, but no longer surrounded by a moat of vehicles. I spent many happy hours snaking in between the stalls of Bulwell Market looking for bargains.

This open air piece of theatre by Nonsuch Studios was situated at Bulwell Forest Gardens, a 10 - 15 minute walk from the current market place, just up from the pub where I did my first ever mobile disco gig back in 1979 at the age of sixteen. Bulwell Forest Gardens is a gorgeous place with flowers and fruit and vegetables, children's play areas, seated areas dotted about under a canopy of trees, nature areas, a Bee and Bee construction, kids climbing frames, wildlife areas and allotments, plus a couple of buildings for educational purposes. 

Saturday was also the Harvest Festival so there was open air live music, dancing, food, drinks and activities going on as well as this mini play about Bulwell Market Memories.

Elizabeth, the Town Crier, played by Sheila Austen, welcomed us all into the "market" area with a loud clanging of her bell.

We were introduced to Prince, the Newspaper seller, the Bulwell Dispatch of course, with this very special issue containing some fascinating Bulwell history facts like the visit from Frank Bruno. I can remember when Diana Dors visited Bulwell though! Rehan Richards played the role of the Newspaper Seller.

We were then directed to the Market itself to spend our Bulwell pounds. Would I part with my Bulwell pond to Albert, the Bric a Brac seller, who bore a slight resemblance to a certain Del Boy, but taller, who was trying to sell things like a toy dinosaur which had "historic value" and bottles of Bulwell Bogs water! Albert was played by Michael Hurst.

Skulking around the stalls was a certain dodgy looking Charlie, who was trying to offload his toy ducks for a Bulwell pound each. Charlie was played shiftily by Roy Turner.

Just around the corner was Carrie, the fruit and vegetable seller, who also gave us a recipe for apple crumble, which made my mouth water at the thought of a chunk of crumble with hot custard dripping down the sides. Carrie was played by Michelle Mowby-Carter.

I decided to spend my Bulwell pound on a spray of yellow flowers to brighten up my front window.

The Assistants around the market were Rebecca Allen, Miranda Spencer Pearson and Omar Khan.

Directed by Claire Finn, who has been working with the Bulwell Theatre Group on this immersive project since July. The performers brought their memories to the table which was what was on show this afternoon.

This is part of an initiative called "Stage The City", which is all about bringing local people together and inspiring confidence through creativity. It focuses on three areas, Bulwell, Sneinton and The Meadows with drama workshops led by Nonsuch Studios and professional theatre directors. Each project responds to the stories, memories and experiences of the people who live there, bringing communities together to develop theatre-making skills and create brand new, community led shows. For more information about these projects please contact Nonsuch Studios by email to getinvolved@nonsuchstudios.co.uk.

There's a grand finale of Stage The City next year on 7 - 9 May 2027 which will be held in the Old Market Square in Nottingham.

Being a Bulwell lad I was so pleased to be invited by Ali Bakewell to pop down to see this wonderful celebration of a place that holds so many memories for me. the weather was perfect, the live music was perfect, the food was delicious and the backdrop scenery of nature itself was an absolute joy, and for half an hour I was back in the midst of a bustling community market, looking for a bargain again, until the elephants arrived!

People of Bulwell, if you've never visited the Garden on Austin Street, please do so because it's a beautiful place, so relaxing, especially on a day when the weather is warm and sunny. And you might even be able to pick up a bargain in the shape of fresh fruit, vegetables, freshly picked flowers and shrubs to brighten up your own gardens. Keep it in mind as well for next year when the weather returns in Spring and Summer, and take a family trip because the kids looked to be having an absolute ball there playing and creating stuff to take back with them.

 "Melody In Motion".

Act One.

Iveshead Theatre, Shepshed.

"Melody In Motion" is a celebratory concert to celebrate 30 years of Act One in song and dance, and boy did the time fly by!

The pieces chosen for the concert represented some of the musicals and shows that Act One have put on over the 30 years as well as some pivotal and memorable pieces from the history of Act One, not from performed musicals. The choices also represent the current group's abilities and talents.

What I liked about this celebratory showcase was the mix of backing tracks and live music; the live band playing the backing for the vocalists while the recorded tracks for the dance sequences.

Normally, for me, the vocalist sections take preference over group dance slots but this production's dance sections really impressed me, and I think it was due to the music choices used for the choreographed pieces.

Let me run you through some of my personal highlights of "Melody In Motion"......

"Think Of me", from "Phantom Of the Opera" is a really difficult song for a performer of any age to perfect, but my did Katie Sturla send shivers up my spine with her rendition of this beautiful song. Absolutely note perfect with just the right amount of fragility and yearning.

The first of the choreographed pieces came next with Ike and Tina Turner's "Nutbush City Limits", one of my favourite rocky/pop numbers from their catalogue. I loved the Tina Turner moves and the energy put in by this group. The ensemble of the group were brillinat but, as always with me, I manage to spot one person from an ensemble who then catches my eye every time they then come on stage. My God, what a mover Arlen Panesar is. He dances as if he is the only person in the room the way that music flows through him. Even at the back of a group you feel the energy he puts into his dancing.

Arlen looks to be an all-rounder because he then participated in "Easy Street", showing off his vocal talents. His partners in crime Heather Fitzpatrick and Layla Adelakun also shone beside him in a brilliant take on the "Annie" classic. A fun and well matched trio.

I love the song "Electricity" from "Billy Elliot", and in this case sung by Leo Gilbert. What I loved about this performance was that Leo didn't just sing it, he included all of the nerves that Billy had from the musical, and gave that as well as a lovely vocal performance. Leo's also got some moves in him I noticed during the ensemble sections. Watch out Billy Elliot!

Seeing showcases and concerts always provide at least one educational spot for me, and in this one it was a couple of pieces, the first from the musical "Alice" and the song "It Must Be A Dream", sung by Freya Walshe, backed by Elizabeth, Emma O, Emma S, Etta, Grace S, Layla, May, Orla and Pollyanna.

The second musical education came with the following piece, again another that I had not heard until tonight, "I Never Met A Wolf That Didn't Howl" from "Smash", which was a choreographed piece presented by Act One ensemble.

Another couple of energetic dance sections to 5ive's "Keep On Movin'" and Shakira's "Zoo" brought us to the end of the first act with an ensemble vocal piece in "Don't Stop Believing", one of those pieces that created a landmark in the history of Act One.

Part two opened with another great dance section to a mash up of several of Michael Jackson and the Jackson Five's biggest hits, complete with silver shiny gloves for many of the dancers. There are some great moves in this one, which straight away got the energy moving, and not only on stage.

Evie Hancock gave us a gorgeous rendition of "Burn" from the musical "Hamilton", and while the subject of the song may not quite have been right for such a young lady like Evie, she did an incredibly good version of the song, packed with emotion. If Evie can bring those lyrics to life now, I can't wait to see if she gets the chance to perform it in a few years' time because she is going to blow everyone's socks off.

Another funky dance break to Bruno Mars' "I Just Might", with some more funkalicious choreography. These choreographed pieces are perfect for this age group and sometimes when I see younger groups showcases choreography, I have felt in the past that the songs are a little too old for the dancers, but in this concert every piece is do relevant to the age of the dancers, and I like that, and obviously these dancers have enjoyed learning the choreography.

Getting the audience clapping along to another great choreographed piece to "I'm A Believer" from "Shrek The Musical" was another wonderful choice.

Closing the concert was an all-time favourite song of mine from a musical. "Bring On Tomorrow" from "Fame The Musical". This also included some returning members from Act One from years gone by and made a lovely touching close to the show, not only bringing previous members to the stage, but for the sentiment in the words, to bring on the next 30 years of Act One.

There wasn't one piece on stage tonight that I did not enjoy, but if I mentioned every one of the 25 pieces, I'd be here for a long time, plus I have to leave a few surprises for you when you book your tickets for Saturday evening's repeat show, now don't I?

Here's the list of everyone who gave their all tonight on stage.....

Abigail Corns, Amy Tarrant, Arlen Panesar, Caitlin Fitzpatrick, David Mhlanga-Nkansah, Elizabeth Cutts, Emma Offiler-Russell, Emma Salter, Etta Brompton, Evie Hancock, Freddie Walshe, Freya Walshe, Grace Clarke, Grace-Ava Smith, Halo-Grace Smith, Harriet Spencer-White, Heather Fitzpatrick, Hermione Spencer, Isabel Lamb, Isla Cooke, Katie Sturla, Layla Adelakun, Leo Gilbert, Lexie Collins, May Brompton, Nellie McLennan, Orlagh Corbett, Pollyanna Field and Sienna Taylor.

A bunch of performers who have so much confidence in what they do, and an obvious love for performing as well.

The concert was staged and choreographed by Wendy Spencer. Additional choreography is by Helen Starkey, Danni Wilson and Shelly White.

Musical Director is Adrian Dobson, who led the quartet made up of Richard James (Guitar), Jake Shelton (Bass), Andy Shelton (Drums) and Adrian on (Keys).

The stage management for this non-stop concert was by Kevin Spencer.

Lighting was thanks to James Cladingboel and sound is by James White.

As I said earlier in the review, there's one more chance to experience these possible stars of tomorrow, tomorrow at 7pm.

 "The Unfriend" by Steven Moffatt.

Burton Joyce Players.

Burton Joyce Village Hall.

While on a cruise ship holiday, Peter and Debbie befriend Elsa: a lusty, Trump-loving widow with an outrageous sense of humour from Denver, USA. They agree to stay in touch – because no one you ever meet while on holiday ever really does, do they?

When Elsa invites herself to stay a few months later, they decide to look her up online. And that's when Peter and Debbie decide to Google her and learn the truth about Elsa Jean Krakowski. Deadly danger has just boarded a flight to London! But how do you protect all that you love from mortal peril without seeming, well, a bit impolite? Because guess who's coming... to murder!

Peter is played by Danny Longbottom. Peter doesn't like to face situations head on, unless forced to do so by his wife, Debbie. He's a busy, busy man after all, and doesn't need the constant interference from his neighbour. I enjoyed the gradual increase in the eventual "red mist" brought on by the visitor, their sons and the neighbour, to which Paul brought the eruption of Peter's nerves to an eventual climax that brings him to his knees in frustration. I last saw Danny a couple of years ago and noted his comedic excellence at that time. With this character he gets to show how good his visual comedy is via his facial expressions.

Debbie, Peter's wife, is played by Claire Buckley. From the opening scene where Debbie has to badger Peter to pack his case, two hours before they are due to disembark their cruise, it's plain to see who was in charge in that relationship. Debbie also did all the digging and planning to try and cancel Elsa's visit, but you know what they say about the best laid plans! It's nice to see Claire back again with a lead role, and such a great one as this. There's a particular scene in the second act with quite a tirade, which was executed so well that it, rightly so, brought an unexpected burst of applause from the almost packed hall. As with Danny, her facial recognition of the script is perfect.

Elsa is played by Sheila Millington. I love the way Elsa twists every negative into her being the victim, but just wait until the final scene! This is another fabulous character-driven performance by Sheila, who has never been a stranger to comedy roles.

Alex, the first of the two teenage children we get to see, is played by Charlie Caudwell. Alex is the typical teenager, glued to his games console and rarely venturing out of his bedroom. Alex changes throughout the play, thanks to Elsa's advice and understanding friendship. I don't remember seeing Charlie on stage previously, but this young man is a cracking actor. He is completely natural and at ease playing a teenage boy and all the baggage that goes with a role like this. His comedy is delivered slickly and, as with the adults in the cast, facial recognition of the script and comedy moments are brilliantly projected to the audience. He is one to look out for and I am really pleased that he has moved from behind the sound operation desk, to stage front and centre.

I must also mention a skill which isn't that easy to master on stage, and that is the ability to  use a telephone and make the audience believe that there's a two way conversation happening. You could hear in your head the voice on the other end of the phone, and the spacing of the script to represent this was done perfectly by Charlie.

Rosie, the teenage daughter is played by Jessie Murdock. Rosie is another great role, and almost the opposite of Alex in several ways. There's that contrast in sons and daughters in a relationship that is such a natural part of a family with boys and girls, things that the daughter finds repulsive about her brother and his room for example are all brought to the fore in these roles. With a little encouragement from Elsa though she develops into a girl who is happy to give and receive hugs from her parents, and Elsa, and even compliments her brother to her parents. I remember Jessie from being in "Daisy Pulls It Off" by BJP and the relationship between the two teenage children in this comedy is a lovely arc to see.

It's great to see the younger acting generation being so confident on stage, especially in a comedy production, and showing incredible maturity with their acting skills. 

The Neighbour is played by Alistair Dobb. Debbie and Peter's neighbour is always popping round regarding an issue in the garden, and when I saw always, I mean every five minutes or so, adding to the stress already building from Elsa's visit. Alistair's vocal delivery is perfect with his pace and deliberation of the script, stretching out the words to wring every drop of comedy from the role. If you've ever watched the comedy programme "Friday Night Dinner", the character reminds me so much of the neighbour in that show, and especially with the vocal pacing.

The final character in the play is PC Junkin, the police officer who has been appointed to have a chat, or follow up enquiries regarding the death of someone who Elsa had come into contact with the week before joining Debbie and Peter. Junkin is played by Steve Armstrong. There's a lovely section which I can only describe as toilet humour. Well, what I mean is that the scene is all about PC Junkin asking to use the toilet with Peter and Debbie wanting to know about a certain sort of movement!!

Directed by Avril McCormick who has, along with her brilliant cast, brought this very funny piece of theatre to the Burton Joyce audience. In the original script the teenage children are both boys, Alex and Rhys, so it's really nice, and different to see a brother and sister relationship, which adds a whole new dynamic to their relationship and the feel of the play and the story. The timing and pace are brilliant, which is what comedy is all about, so nothing more can be asked of a Director when these things are in place. The audiences laughter, volume wise and quantity wise obviously shows that the whole cast and Director have succeeded in hitting the comedy nail on the head.

Set design is by Chris Mercer. The set starts off with three deckchairs which is where we first meet Peter, Elsa and Debbie. The deckchairs are removed and we go straight into the living room and kitchen of the main house. The stairs, stage left, lead up to a believable set of bedrooms off stage. A large screen shows the audience some of the things that Peter and Debbie see on their laptops. This part of the creative in the show is thanks to Dan Miller (89 Design).

I would have liked more of a separation between the on deck scene with the deckchairs and the house scene, as it looked as if the deckchairs were actually in the house itself. Maybe  having the house in the dark in the background with just the front section with the deckchairs illuminated, but I'm being  very picky here because I've seen the play before.

Stage managed by Molly Fitches.

Sound design is by Gregory Nicholas. The sound cues were all on time and a nice choice of music soundbites.

Lighting is by Jenny Cowan. A fairly simple design with the lighting design, but that is all the comedy asks for. Well operated advising of the separation of the five scenes in the play.

Prompt tonight was Kate Purdue, who was only needed on one occasion, right at the start. Well, it is opening night after all. Some people, who actually notice the prompt, may not realise what a concentration fuelled job this is, but the Prompt has to be on the top of their game to make sure that they don't have any lapses, just in case an actor has a lapse of their own. They are the vital safety net for the actor, and they have to follow every line unwaveringly.

I keep spouting on about how Directors can change the feel of a play, which is why I never tire of seeing shows that I've seen before with a different Director at the helm. They can make a play have a whole new feel, as Avril has done with her vision of the story.

For anyone who has been on holiday and clicked with another fellow holiday maker, professing that they will keep in touch, after the holiday has ended. This show is for you. It's also for anyone who loves a good belly laugh, or just needs a bit of cheering up.

"The Unfriend" is at The Burton Joyce Village Hall until Saturday 26 September.

 "Next To Normal" by Encore Performing Arts.

Duchess Theatre, Long Eaton.

Although I know the soundtrack, I've not seen this musical before. This is one of those rare musicals that doesn't have a happy clappy jazz hands feel, nor does it have a happy ending, in fact the ending has been left quite ambiguous with the writers creating an open ended finale, giving the audience an opportunity for discussion and personal decision as to what actually happens.

"Next to Normal" follows the Goodman family as they navigate the challenges of everyday life alongside Diana’s experience of bipolar disorder. Her husband Dan is determined to support her, while their daughter Natalie struggles with the pressures of growing up and finding her own identity. Combining a powerful rock score with warmth and humour, this intimate musical explores the impact of mental illness on a family, the complexities of love and the search for stability in a life that rarely goes to plan.

Diana Goodman is a suburban wife and mother who struggles with bipolar depressive disorder and severe delusions, and is played by Danielle Easter. This is one hell of a role to play as Danielle is on stage for practically all of the show. 

Dan Goodman, Diana's devoted but exhausted husband who tries desperately to keep the family stable and appear "normal" while hiding his own deep grief and strain, is played by Andrew Bould. I have never seen Andrew act with such emotion as I did tonight.

Craig Youngman plays Gabe Goodman, Diana and Dan's son. I've been reviewing Craig for several years now and have seen him play a variety of roles, and like the other five, this role tops anything done previously, and that voice is made for rock musicals.

Dan and Diana's teenage daughter, Natalie, is played by Darcie Cound. Natalie is a high-achieving, stressed-out student who feels invisible and overwhelmed by her mother's illness. 

Henry, Natalie's boyfriend, is played by Riley Halls Backler. Henry is a laid-back stoner, a romantic musician and philosopher who supports Natalie through her family crisies. The relationship between Natalie and Henry is a really nice constant throughout, both characters being positive for the other.

Dr Fine/Madden, Diana's psychiatrists who guide her through various treatments, is played by Adela Green. Adela is such a flexible actor, and these two roles, with their different ideas about medicine, shows how one actor can play two similar roles and still make both recognisably different.

This is one musical where every one of the six actors prove to be right at the top of their game. All six will probably not play another role like these, until maybe another musical comes along sometime in the future where the characters are as complex as these, and the story is as emotional and thought provoking as this.

The vocals are insanely good, and I've seen just how good this cast of six can sing by experiencing them all on stage over the years.

Directed by Kheenan Jones and Ollie Turner, both on a roll with great productions currently. Kheenan and Oliver have given the audience a musical with the sobriety and seriousness that a story like this truly merits. They have brought out the raw emotion, confusion, anger and love the story has sewn through it's tapestry that Brian Yorkey, who wrote the book and lyrics, and Tom Kitt, who wrote the music created in 2008. The comedy sections really provide some nice patches of light relief. I also liked the fact that Kheenan and Ollie didn't just keep the action to the stage, utilising the several entrance and exit points in the theatre itself.

It is also a big tribute to the cast, as well as the Directors, to be able to draw out the emotions that some of this audience showed at the end of the musical.

Sam Griffiths is the Musical Director who has yet another amazing score to work with. There are about 38 pieces of music in this score and is sung through with just very few parts that do not have music involved with the story, so Sam works just as hard as any of the actors or any member of the team. The harmonies could have been multi-tracked if I'd have not heard them sung live on stage, they are that good, and there's not many times that you can say that you've heard a six part harmony performed to this standard right before your eyes, and ears.

The six piece band consisted of Sam (Keyboards), Karen Bithel (Violin), Lizzie Spear (Cello), Jamie Nowell (Guitar), Sunim Koria (Bass) and Dave Shipley (Drums), were situated at the front of the stage, which I always reckon makes for a smoother sound mix, and they look good there as opposed to be situated in the room at the side of the auditorium. It's also ideal for Sam as MD because this is a sung through musical and we all know that with these, the perfect place for an MD is right in front of the cast.

There's an incredible range of vocals that this soundtrack demands. It demands, and receives that range and quality with this cast.

Stage Manager is Katie Bird, and if you stick around the auditorium during the break, you can also see a small section of the work that Katie puts into managing the set and props, which is another credit in the programme for Katie.

Set design is by Kheenan and Ollie. The set is based in one room at the Goodman's home, but we also get a section above stage level which acts as an upstairs room for Henry, Natalie and Gabe to  share a separate spotlight from the family room downstairs. The more I scoured the set, the more I noticed just how clever it was. I won't give any further spoilers, but there's also a connection with parts of the programme which seem to be replicated on the set walls itself. The set was constructed by Rob Stott-Marshall and Emma Kelvey.

Lighting is by David Price, and again there are subtle mood givaways with the colours used in the design, especially the blue and red hues. The rolling colour patterns that cascade around the walls of the set, I took to indicate in my mind, could have been to reflect an indication as to how Diana's brain and mind was working at several stages in the story. Maybe I'm seeing more into the lighting design than is there, but that is the wonderful thing about this musical, everyone will have a different understanding and recognition of various sections of Diana and the musical itself.

Sound is by Matt Haslam. You could not wish for a more balanced mix as the vocals were as clear as a bell. 

Produced by Adam Guest, who also designed the programme which has several very clever touches. Do you know why the front cover, which is designed to look like a magazine cover, has an issue number 21?

There's a really nice section of choreography in the first act, and is really the only choreographed piece in the show. Daisy Donoghue choreographed  the piece entitled "My Psychopharmocologist And I" for Dan, Dr Fine and Diana, creating an almost dream sequence for the trio.

I've deliberately tried not to give too much away about what happens throughout this play because the storyline deserves to be seen and ingested by actually watching it, and not by any level of spoilers. What I will say though is that a play like this one doesn't come around every  day, but when it does, it makes such an impact on an audience. The subject matter matters, it has the ability to be painful as an onlooker, but it's supposed to be like that, to have the impact it's intended to. It's educational and emotional, especially for anyone who has experienced even a ripple from this stone thrown into the pond of life.

Encore always choose a charity to support throughout the run of their shows and try to choose a local charity that is, in some way, connected to the show's message. This time around Encore have chosen two charities.

The Derbyshire Perinatal Mental Health Service, who support women and birthing people from 12 weeks of pregnancy to 2 years of age.

The Beeches Mother and Baby Unit, who support women and birthing people from 32 weeks of pregnancy to 1 year of age experiencing moderate to severe mental health. There's also a QR code in the programme that you can use to make donations.

The standing ovation opening night received was worth every minute of the play, and I also noticed that, if Andrew hadn't signalled that he wanted to speak, I think that ovation would have gone on even longer than it did.

This production has also been entered for the Derby Eagle Awards, presented in July 2027. I predict here and now that Encore, and this cast, should be outright recipients for the categories they'll be nominated in. Other theatre groups are going to have to go some to beat the quality of this show and the performers and Production Crew.

"Next to Normal" is at the Duchess Theatre in Long Eaton until Saturday 26 September. I thoroughly recommend ticking this one off of the bucket list, especially with a cast as talented as this one.

 "The Car Man" by Matthew Bourne's New Adventures.

Nottingham Theatre Royal.

It seemed that every time that Matthew Bourne's "The Car Man" swept into Nottingham, I was always somewhere else and missed it. I'd heard so many brilliant reports about the show that it feels like I had already seen it, but no, this is my first time of watching this spectacularly stunning piece of theatre, as far as I can remember.

Based on Bizet's "Carmen" and the 1946 film "The Postman Always Rings Twice", the scene is changed to a greasy 1950’s garage-diner in the American Mid-West town of Harmony, where the dreams and passions of a small-town are shattered by the arrival of a handsome and enigmatic stranger called Luca. He gets a job at the garage, belonging to Dino. Dino is married to Lana, who has a sister called Rita.

Luca immediately takes a shine to Lana, and that is where everything starts unravelling. One of the hired helps is Angelo, who is picked on by the others who work in the garage and Luca takes him under his wing. teaching him to fight and to stick up for himself. But things go a bit too far with Luca and Lana and Angelo gets caught up in the middle of a nasty situation.

Fuelled by heat and desire, the inhabitants are driven into an unstoppable spiral of greed, lust, betrayal and revenge. And soon there is anything but harmony!

I've stated many times that I love the ballet and the way that a dancer can tell a story so vividly without saying a word. I have also stated several times that I am a big fan of Sir Matthew Bourne and New Adventures work. I've not seen a New Adventures piece of theatre that I have not loved, and this dance thriller is right up there with the best of their work.

Harrison Dowzell (Luca), Ashley Shaw (Lana), Anna Maria de Frietas (Rita), Leonardo McCorkindale (Angelo), Adam Galbraith (Dino) are the main cast/dancers. 

Tanisha Addicot (Gina), Jamie Duncan-Campbell (Marco), Cameron Flynn (Dirk/Chuck/Dexter), Callum Mann (“Hot” Rod), Serena McCall (Monica), Eleanor McGrath (Mercedes), Jarrod McWilliams (Bruno),Nikolas Shikkis (Vito ), Xavier Andriambolanoro Sotiyo (Chad), Lyra Treglown (Frankie ), Jack Widdowson (Rocco) and Karishma Young (Delores/Shirley) make up the rest of the cast/dancers.

These dancers/actors/performers provide all the narrative for the story that you'll ever need. the comedy is there, the drama is there, the thrills and the danger, as well as the raunch is there. These are athletes of the stage as they are on the go every second of the performance, making every lift look as light as a feather, whether that be males lifting female, males lifting males, females lifting females, or females lifting males. This is a truly stunning piece of contemporary storytelling in dance.

Directed and Choreographed by Sir Matthew Bourne OBE. I really do not need to add anything more to this as anyone who knows New Adventures and Matthew Bourne's previous work knows that these dancers are the creme de la creme of the ballet world. This is contemporary dance crossed with ballet with not a ballet pump or tights anywhere to be seen.

Set and Costume Design is by Lez Brotherston, Both areas are superb, but, again, that's nothing as a surprise because Lez has been creating these incredible sets for as long as I have been attending New Adventures shows. The costumes, especially for the men are minimal, especially in the first act. The second act opens in a bar called "Le Beat Route" with some very stylish costumes for both men and women performers. These costumes are in complete opposition to the following scenes in the prison cells.

Lighting Design is by Chris Davey. 

The Sound design is by Paul Groothuis. 

Orchestration is by Terry Davies. The music is by Georges Bizet. the orchestration is lush.

Associate Artistic Director is Etta Murfitt

Resident Artistic Associate is Neil Westmoreland

You don't even have to be a fan of ballet, or dance, to enjoy this sexy and sizzling thriller of a show. The storytelling is exceptional, as it always is, and after watching this show, you'll be able to see just how these dancers stay in shape. If you multiply the number of abs in those six and eight packs by the cast members I wouldn't be surprised if they outnumber the amount of inhabitants of Harmony by the end of the performance. I'd also take one of those battery fans with you as well because the temperature onstage is as hot as the water in the engineers' shower scene in the first act!

Oh, and by the way, I hadn't seen "The Car Man" before, because I would have definitely remembered this show previously!

"The Car Man" is at the Nottingham Theatre Royal until Saturday 26 September.