"Till The Stars Come Down" by Beth Steel

Nottingham Playhouse.

This is the regional premiere of the play. It originally premiered at London's National Theatre in 2024. It subsequently transferred to the Theatre Royal Haymarket in London's West End in 2025. The production was nominated for two 2024 Laurence Olivier Awards, including Best New Play.

It’s Sylvia and Marek’s big day and the Stone family have gathered in Mansfield. The bride, her sisters and aunties are getting their glam on and everyone’s on their best behaviour. For now. But once the vows have been made and the drinks start flowing, deep-seated family resentments begin to bubble up. When secrets start spilling out, alliances shift, and by the end of the night, nothing will ever be quite the same again.

Having spent a good part of my working life being a DJ on mobile discos from the 1970's to the mid 2000's, you get to see both the happy celebratory receptions, as well as those that end up more like a boxing tournament as families clash and arguments spill over, mainly in the car park or on the dancefloor, as to minor issues like whether the DJ should play songs like "It Should Have Been Me" - that one is from personal experience, or which family member has, or has not snogged the bridesmaid or Best Man!

Sylvia, the bride, is played by local actor and theatre maker, AK Golding. From the morning of the wedding with worries about how Sylvia's hair looks and the wedding dress issues to the blow up of the family and some of the family not liking the groom because he is Polish, we see the happy, the melancholy and the angry, all within the space of a few hours. 

Marek is played by Ivan Ivashkin. This is a brilliant character and very fiery. Loved the dance scenes and the unexpected karaoke of "Can't Take My Eyes Off You", with alternate lyrics. Anyone who knows me, know that I love a good, accurate accent, and I realised why the Polish accent was so good when looking in the programme. 

 Joe Alessi plays Uncle Pete. There's a lovely scene which I can recognise from wedding discos regarding place mats on the top table which involves Pete and Carol. There's an air about Pete when around his brother which we find out about fully later on.

Maggie, who has returned to the family fold especially for the wedding after a year away, is played by Leah Brotherhead. Maggie is quite a hedonistic character and is very quick-witted. There are mysterious teases as to why Maggie moved away from the area, but the real truth is revealed during the melee of the wedding reception, and when that truth comes out, it does not end well for many of the characters.

Ellie Daley is Leanne, the teenage daughter of John and Hazel. This show utilises a lot of local actors and Ellie, who has trained at The Nottingham Television Workshop, is just one of them, making her adult professional stage debut as Leanne. Leanne is a troubled character, and again we discover why, throughout the play. Ellie is a fine example of the sort of quality that Nottingham can deliver from the Nottingham Television Workshop.

Graham Hawley, who you may recognise from playing John Stape in "Coronation Street", plays John, Hazel's partner. We can clearly feel the tension between this pair from the start, but it's not until later on that we find out exactly what the bone of contention really is.

Emma Pallant plays Hazel, the Bride's sister. We've all seen the chaos on the wedding morning, getting everything right, juggling several balls in the air at the same time, all the while trying to give that impression that all is in control. But it's when the wedding reception has ended and the chance to relax and have a drink with the family that brings forth the family history. She has a soft spot still for John, recalling what her first throes of love was like with him, and how they compare with the staleness of their relationship currently. You really do feel for Hazel because she is the archetypal mother of the bride, just wanting everything to go smoothly, but we all know that drink and loose lips are always going to reveal secrets and lies at a family do!

Auntie Carol is played by Sadie Shimmin. I absolutely love this character and I have seen so many Auntie Carols over the years. A person can become very comical when drink starts to flow, and even more so when that flow can't be stemmed. Sadie is obviously a fantastic actor to play a drunken Aunt so well; the off balance staggering and that facial look, plus the ability to start a sentence, repeat it and then forget what they were talking about. I also loved her comparison of old age with cottage cheese, it's something that you need to hear! 

Howard Ward is Tony who returns to The Playhouse after a break of over forty years to play the elder statesman of the Stone family. Many highlights with this character, but none more so in the Tarzan scenes with Auntie Carol. This in turn brings about a darker delve into the past with revelations of why he and his brother Pete fell out.

Sarah, who is the youngest daughter of Hazel and John, is played by Anya Marshall or Amelia Yates, depending on which performance you see in this run. On Thursday night it was Anya's turn. Both Anya and Amelia  are training at the Nottingham Television Workshop, and both make their professional stage debuts. Anya has a real stage presence and has that lovely natural feel about her performance, getting to run through a range of emotions from start to finish.

Directed by Caroline Steinbeis, there are really nice pace changes throughout but then comes that boulder rolling down the hill moment when nothing can be stopped, and that pace really takes you with it. There's some excellent comedy pieces and there are some scenes that hit you like a slap around the face. 

It's a beautifully observed and written theatrical piece which has the ability to make you recall possible flashbacks to your own past or recollections. The language is pure East Midlands with so many local phrases which soon had me smiling in remembrance of some that I had not heard in quite a few years. I had been waiting for this play for ages in anticipation - I adore local writing for theatre, and this is top class theatre, performed by a top class cast.

Oli Townsend's set design starts to come to view after scenes played out in front of the curtains. It's then we get to see the wedding reception set up with the long top table. This then changes to a buffet room where we get to see and hear a lot of the unravelling of the family secrets.

Lighting Designer is Johanna Town and Oliver Vibrans is the Sound Designer and Original Music Composer. The scene with the dancefloor music and the family strutting their stuff is another lovely comedy scene, which also led to a discussion about the DJ and who they had played for locally, and gave a background to some of the local characters, not seen on stage.

Kate Godfrey is the Voice and Dialect Coach, and someone else who brought the reality to sections of this play was Ruth Cooper-Brown of Rc-Annie, Director for the Fight and Intimacy scenes.

This play carries on the local writers season for the Playhouse, showing the talent of local writers as well as local acting talent alongside some great theatre actors. 

The play brings to the stage snapshots of everyone's past, and everyone can relate to a lot of the issues in the play, making for a brilliant night of theatre, so don't think about buying tickets for "Till the Stars Come Down", forget the thought process, just get your tickets now while you still can and the show sells out.

"Till The Stars Come Down" is at the Nottingham Playhouse until Saturday 26 September.

  "Come From Away" by LAOS.

Loughborough Town Hall.

This show 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 so 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; there was only a couple of places that the audience could actually manage to interject with applause, but, as I've seen every time that I've had the pleasure of seeing this wonderful piece of theatre, the audience make up for it at the end of the show!

The cast are made up of Andrew Bond (Ali), Laura Kidger (Beulah), Helena Stone (Beverley), Lewis Shaw (Bob), Jenny Pilbeam (Bonnie), Mark Chinnery (Claude), Natalie Littlewood (Diane), Jo Dring (Hannah), Freya Lakin (Janice), Jack Cooling (Kevin J), James Daw (Kevin T), David Burton (Nick), and Sam Tebbatt (Oz). The cast, while playing the aforementioned main roles, also take on other roles throughout the story.

Individually all talented singers, as an Ensemble they have the power.

Clare Proctor, Linda, Matt, Gemma and Ian, the "Swings", were on hand, just in case needed. Tonight they weren't. "Swings", as I've mentioned in other reviews, are cast members who know all of the roles between them and are ready to leap into action should required.

Directed and Choreographed by James Nelson. If you know the soundtrack, or have seen this musical before, you'll know there's an awful lot of Celtic music in it, so the choreography is very stylized, so not only did the music sound good, those Celtic inspired moves also looked great. This is one of the few musicals that is performed all in one go, no interval, so making sure the direction was fluid was also a mighty job, but having known James for quite a few years now, I knew that both of these areas would be full of that Nelson magic and hard work. I was not wrong!

Associate Choreographer is Alison Cundell.

The music and lyrics are by Irene Sankoff and David Hein. I have the soundtrack, but when you see that soundtrack actually performed live, everything takes on a whole new and wonderful meaning. There are musical intricacies of the like of Sondheim's "Into the Woods" and beautiful narration, the sort you'd find in a Jason Robert Brown musical.

 Musical Director is Josh Hill and the arrangements for this score are just gorgeous. I love Irish music and this score is incredibly beautiful as well as foot tapping. Most of the musical numbers are ensemble pieces, but there are a few that are sung by single or groups of actors, breaking up the colossal sound of the voices and adding intimacy and emotion into the soundtrack.

Jo Dring, as Hannah, sings a really beautiful song called "I Am Here", and another highlight for me was Helena's "Me And The Sky". But just listen to "Something's Missing" and the opening number "Welcome To The Rock" for lessons on just how good a group song can sound, and the timing of everything, not just the songs, is immaculate.

The set is supplied by Showtime Solutions, and is different to other productions I've seen in the past, majorly with cases used as chairs in many scenes, making the manipulation of these cases a little easier and quicker to remove from the set when not needed.

The props, which I think would also include the fish - if you don't know the musical, I won't give any spoilers for that part - chairs, tables etc are sourced and provided by Kirstie Bennett.

The costumes, and there are a few changes of costumes which are done quite subtly, are thanks to Gemma Baxter.

Tech Manager is Lynsey Bloomfield.

Stage Managed by Duncan Gadsby, and this is one show that really relies on great stage management, and Duncan is up there. The Stage Crew consist of Ian Dean, Kirstie Bennett, Ed Dring, Matt Leeson and Jo Shaw.

Flys are courtesy of Richard York.

Sound is thanks to Ryan Heath. Loughborough Town Hall has always, in my opinion, had some of the best acoustics and having a good sound designer and operator in charge make a good musical sound like a great musical. This sounded like a great musical to me.

The Lighting Designer, and I imagine Operator, is James Cladinboel, another expert in their field of excellence.

This story gets better and better, as do the several productions that I have seen over the last few years. There are lows that make you feel uncomfortable with, but there are also many highs, laughter and a few tears; I can think of two scenes that are guaranteed to make an eye moist, but it's the strength of humanity and kindness that shines all the way through this musical.

If you've not seen this show yet, you need to get yourself a ticket. Fans of great theatre and story telling, you also need to get yourself a ticket because this is great theatre and a masterclass of story telling. There's no interval and the show runs at about 100 minutes, but you will be so engrossed in this story that you won't want it to end; and besides there would be no where to insert an interval anyway, who would want to stem the flow of this story with a break? 

"Come From Away" is at Loughborough Town Hall until Saturday 12 September.

 "Heathers The Musical"

Book, music and lyrics by Kevin Murphy and Laurence O'Keefe.
Nottingham Theatre Royal.

Like the film, the musical follows teenage misfit Veronica Sawyer as she struggles to find her place in the stiff hierarchy at Ohio's Westerberg High - Home of the Rottweilers. The school is ruled with an iron fist by a trio of popular girls, known as the Heathers. Veronica infiltrates the Heathers' inner sanctum and becomes their "friend" to make her own life easier. Things take a dark turn though when she meets a boy named JD, who reignites her hatred for the croquet mallet-carrying clique, but he takes plans for revenge to murderous levels.

This show has almost hit cult status via the 1989 film, written by Daniel Waters, and that shows by the amount of people who came out to see this show on Tuesday night, as well as the queues for the show's merchandise. As with "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" there were also a number of women, and men, who came dressed as a Heather, complete with red, blue, green or yellow blazers and skirts to match; and that did include at least one male! there's obviously something about dark comedy in theatre that is incredibly attractive to an audience.

Veronica Sawyers is played by Gerardine Sacdalan. First off, let me say what a voice Geraldine has. She is a real soul singer, and she isn't the only one in this cast. Brilliant energy and delivery of some lovely comic lines. Neither of these talents are new to me with Geraldine as I can remember just how wonderful she was when she last came to Nottingham playing Juliet in "& Juliet". I commented then on her powerful voice and her comic ability.

Jason "J.D." Dean is played by Louis Searson. Bringing to Westerburg a wonderful mysterious and mystical presence, his demonic character grows throughout the show. I half expected his eyes to glow red and levitate above the stage. Louis brings intrigue, cool and sex to the stage, as well as a great voice for modern musical theatre.

The trio of Heathers, Chandler, Duke and Macnamara, are played by Liberty Stotter, who completely owns the stage and obviously relishes her bitchy status, Jessica Ibadin and Lou Henry respectively. Heather Duke and Heather Macnamara both in utter admiration of Heather Chandler's Queen Bitch role model. Both also wanting to take over the position, but wallowing in the shadow of Chandler. The trio of Heathers received applause even before they said or sung a word, showing the status these three characters have established from day one.

Sophie Manners plays Martha "Dumptruck" Dunstock, the "invisible" girl, until she lets rip with her powerful vocals on "Kindergarten Boyfriend", a song with darker undertones than first expected.

Marcus Sodergren as Kurt Kelly and Beau Jackson as Ram Sweeney, the two typical High School jocks. They create loads of comedy moments, not least when comparing their underwear at quite a crucial part of the musical. From this point, there are no costume changes for this pair, much to the delight of many audience members!

I'm not going to give anything away for anyone who has not seen this musical, and are coming to see it this week, but what happens at the end of the first act, creates an excellent opening to the second act, featuring Kurt and Ram's Dads, again extracting an amazing response from the opening night audience. Love their ties as well, costumes definitely to be worn with Pride!

Ms Fleming, as well as Veronica's mother, is played by Veronica Carabai, oh and what a character, and oh what a voice! As the Westerberg High School counsellor, she has her own little musical section, also utilising an audience member - I'll say no more about that. But the "Shine A Light" section was hilarious, and I loved the jackets worn by the students in this bit.

Reuben Browne as Kurt’s Dad/Veronica's Dad/Principal Rowan, John Gurdian as Ram’s Dad/Big Bud Dean/Coach Ripper, Thomas Oxley as Beleaguered Geek, Charlotte O'Rourke as Midwestern Surfer Punk, Ellouise Delooze as New Wave Party Girl, Tola Sokoya as Young Republicanette, Alexander Howarth as Hipster Dork/Officer, Caitlin Garcia as Drama Club Drama Queen, Carys Taylor as Stoner Chick and Christian De Gallerie as Preppy Stud/Officer.

Directed by Andy Fickman. It was great fun, it was dark, it had childish humour and it was sexy as well.

Choreographed by Gary Lloyd. This is one energetic show, and it's the choreography that provides much of that energy. It's also performed with amazingly sharp timing as well. Gary is also Co-Director.

David Shields' Set design is just perfect; the walls of the High School overshadow any prop changes that create the other settings, and with just subtle changes of lighting, get you to focus on the scene in hand, the scenes being enveloped by the walls of the set, rapidly moved and removed by the cast members.

Musical Supervisor is Will Joy, and he has quite the apt name, as the music was pure joy. The songs for "Heathers" include many catchy earworms, especially "Dead Girl Walking", "Candy Store", "Seventeen" and "I Say No", not forgetting the creepy duet "Our Love Is God" by Louis and Geraldine. Tender, but with that dark undertone never far from the surface, as if sung by a cult leader to his disciple, all the while enticing his victim into his own personal dark web.

Sound Design was by Dan Samson and the Lighting Design is by Ben Cracknell. What I loved about the lighting was that all three Heathers have a specific colour code for their clothing, and these were matched by the lighting spots for the trio, bathing them in their own soft spotlight, highlighting them and creating their own personal glow. The whole show is awash with colour, defying the darkness that the theme delivers. Take a look at the photographs below which show the fan "frickin" tastic lighting designs.

The sound was loud - but I love loud when it needs to be, and this show needed a big sound, and we certainly got that. At the start I thought that the volume may have been just a touch too loud, but then my ears started to acclimatise to the mix and from then on, the sound mix became as dramatic as the story.

"Heathers" has a feel of "Grease" but with menace. It had an operatic air in parts but with rap and an obvious musical theatre feel about many of the songs. What I am trying to say is that there is something musically for just about everyone in this show. There are uncomfortable comedy elements, as you'd find in "Book Of Mormon", and there are many childish comedy elements that teenagers will understand, as well as those teenagers who have grown up but still appreciate childish humour.

If you've seen the show before, see it again. If you've not seen the show, then you really need to treat yourself and come down to see this show. I guarantee that you'll enjoy it immensely, especially if you enjoy a darker edge to your theatrical experience! 

"Heathers" is at the Nottingham Theatre Royal until Saturday 12 September.

Photography by Pamela Raith.

 "Bette and Joan" by Anton Burge.

Nottingham Lace Market Theatre.

"Bette & Joan" depicts the two stars, Bette Davies and Joan Crawford, in adjacent dressing rooms, between takes on the set of "Whatever Happened To Baby Jane" over a period of one day in 1962. While Joan manages her anxiety by lacing her Pepsi with vodka and signing photographs for her beloved fans, Bette chain smokes and muses on her love life, and her ability to pick a decent script, never a decent man.

Behind the bitching and the practical jokes we see each woman's insecurities and regrets, and their rivalry is revealed to be underpinned by grudging respect as they attempt to identify their new roles in life as well as in their careers. The two chain-smoking Hollywood legends don’t hold back with their verbal attacks, finding faults to cause the most hurt to the other. 

Bette Davies is played by Dawn Gutteridge. Dawn really looked to have had the most fun in this play as Bette comes across as the most spiteful, malicious character, but loves every moment of winding her dressing room neighbour up. In contrast, there are some quite mellow and morose moments with Bette as she recalls her regrets, especially within her marriages. there are some excellent lines in the script for both actresses, including one for Bette when she compares husbands and men with dogs, stating that she has never met a dog she didn't like. The bitterness just spills from Bette's lips, but it's delicious bitterness from an audience point of view.

There's also that very different image that both Bette and Joan cultivated for themselves. Bette's goth like white plaster make up and bright red lipstick, possibly an inspiration for Robert Smith of The Cure, as well as iconic costume for Jane Hudson, the aging child star in the film, and the blonde, ringletted wig. Davies' snarling lip and fiery eyes completed the image with perfection. Dawn herself may not have Bette Davies eyes, but that's what we got on Monday night's opening.

Joan Crawford is played by Sarah Taylor. Joan acted the star, whereas Bette was the working actress straight down the line. There are several lovely lines for Crawford in this play; one being that when she goes out in public, she wants her audience and fans to see Joan Crawford, as in her films, and a brilliant one that will stay with me forever is when she described all of her ex husbands by saying that she kept friendly with them but made sure that when they had left she "changed the locks and the toilet seats".

As with Dawn, Sarah completely morphed into the character, especially with the wig, and again with her eyes. The clothes were classy throughout and there were several things that were highlighted that I didn't know before. Joan apparently was a clean freak, wiping the phone receiver every time she answered it or made a call, even though she was the only one who used it. Bette had obviously clocked this when she disposed of one of her half smoked cigarettes in a place that horrified Joan.

Another thing, which made this pair not only rivals but a good match, was their attempt at winding the other up with pranks and jokes. Bette changing scenes and schedules with the Director, and Joan getting her own back with one scene where Jane Hudson had to lift her wheelchair bound sister, Blanche, out of the wheelchair. I won't give any spoilers!

Two quite opposite women who were brilliant jokers and rivals on and off screen. And you could see that Sarah and Dawn were enjoying performing as these legends with the look that they gave each other at the final bows.

There are a couple of voices heard off stage belonging to Charles Haley and Debra Haley.

Directed by Gill Scott, this really must have been a labour of love to bring these two screen icons to the studio stage at the Lace Market Theatre. the balance between educational and entertaining was very well balanced.

• Lighting and Sound Design is by Matt Alcock. Both areas were spot on, especially with the telephone sound effects, cutting off the split second that either of the two actors picked up the phone. That may sound a simple thing to get right, but you have to have concentration to get the timing right. The lighting dimmed for whenever either Bette or Joan left their side of the stage, focusing attention on the other stage dressing room, both sound and light guiding the audience as to where they needed to concentrate on. Again, these actions may sound very simplistic, and if it were that easy, we'd all be sound and light technicians, wouldn't we?

  

  
  
• Stage Managed by Chloe Murcott, assisted by Vivien Brierley.
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• Costumes for the show are courtesy of Melanie Hamilton, Maddie Gould, Linda Croston and the company. All very stylish with just the right amount of retro look and feel.

Set Designer isn't mentioned but I will mention Hugh Philip who is named for the carpentry. Both sides of the dressing room have an area for the two stars to do their make up with the famous lightbulb lit mirrors. We immediately got that impression without there being any mirrors there, but when you see the design, you'll know what I mean, it's a clever one. The carpentry is the glam looking make up area. Black for Bette and white for Joan, again highlighting the differences in them both and also showing the darker side of the relationship points towards Bette again.

Every show will have a prompt somewhere hidden away. Julie Hughes was in one corner and had minimal work to do with these two class acts, but again, think of the amount of concentration and following the script for both is needed by Julie throughout.

Having never seen the play before tonight I couldn't wait to watch it, especially as I love the film "Whatever Happened To Baby Jane" and the legendary spitefulness that the press had fed reported. Were Joan and Bette just living up to their media image or did they really enjoy the spats to keep them both in the media spotlight. There may have been a clue about this near the start of the play, but it's one of those topics that I am sure will divide conversations after the play has ended, at the bar.

One advisory though, there's quite a bit of bad language in the play, and especially one particular word right at the end, which left my jaw dropped, but given which character delivered the word, came as no surprise really.

It is however an extremely lovable play with a lot of fun and laughter attached, and just a soupcon of melancholy, delivered by another two excellent actresses who are legendary ladies of the stage.

"Bette & Joan" opens this new season at the Lace Market Theatre and is on until Saturday 12 September.

 "Dear Evan Hansen" by Brightlights Theatre School.

Mountsorrel Memorial Centre (MMC Venue).

If anyone has told you that this musical is one of the best things they've seen, I have news for you! Believe every single syllable they tell you, because it is, and this production will back that up.

Evan Hansen, a bullied 17-year-old with social anxiety, depression, and a recently broken arm, is assigned by his therapist, Dr. Sherman, to write letters to himself, starting with "Dear Evan Hansen......", detailing what will be good about each day. Evan's overworked mother, Heidi, suggests that Evan ask people to sign the cast on his arm to make friends, although that doesn't always work with some of the people at his school.

One of Evan's letters, which he had left on a printer at school was picked up by another boy in school, Connor, who is also depressed and a drug user. Days later Evan is told by Connor's parents that Connor had committed suicide and, having found Evan's letter to himself in Connor's pocket, and jump to the conclusion that Connor and Evan were close friends. This results in Connor's parents inviting Evan over for dinner and him telling them what he thinks that they want to hear in order to make them think that Connor was more popular than he really was. 

As the untruths grow, Evan and some of his school friends set up The Connor Project and raise funds to restore an apple orchard, which ties in with one of the fibs that Evan has told, but soon the truth is out, thanks to the power of social media, and Evan's image of friendship is not quite as rosy, or believable, as first believed.

One thing that I love about productions like these is that I know the story, and know what it should look and sound like, as well as any new things that the Director may have added, or even taken away. Another thing I like about productions like these is the possibility of experiencing these songs and roles performed by people of whom I have no prior knowledge of, as in this case.

Evan Hansen is played by Dylan Kelvey, a name I have not had the pleasure seeing on any playbill before, but what an absolute treat. This young man really knows how to sing, and how to perform a song with real emotion. The vocals just seem to flow from him without any effort at all and he has a voice perfect for musical theatre. The emotion behind the words also come across as natural and combining these two talents make for a brilliant watch. There was something that Dylan brought to the role of Hansen that I had not seen, or at least can remember seeing in any other production I've seen, and that is the nervous pinching of Evan's shirt, showing when Evan's nerves got the better of him. At the final bows Dylan looked quite overwhelmed at the reaction and standing ovation he, and the cast received.

Heidi Hansen, Evan's mother, is played by Nicky Hignett. Heidi is a hard working mother who never seems to find quite enough time for her son, feeling guilty about this, especially as she is all that Evan has at home. There's a particular heart-breaking scene when she finally discovers the extent of the emotions Evan has been experiencing while she has been hard at work keeping the family home running and earning a wage. Nicky gives so much emotion. especially in the song "So Big, So Small" and that whole scene.

Any parent will always worry over their kids and want to protect them from hurt, and we often don't see the red flags that kids show, or don't show in some cases, and Alice's performance of that realisation of Evan's hurt is something that all of us parents ought to think twice about when we look at our kids; no matter what age they are. Just listen to the words of "So Big So Small" 

Connor Murphy is played by Thomas Hibberd. Even though Connor is a depressive druggie with no mates, there are some great scenes, especially with Evan and Jared that are really light hearted and immense fun, especially in the song "Sincerely Me".

Zoe Murphy, Connor's sister who Evan is infatuated with, is played by Edith Milsom-Hughes. There's a full and complex gamut of emotions that is run from start to finish with Zoe. There are two beautiful duets that Edith performs with Dylan in "If I Could Tell Her" and "Only Us" that send tingles everywhere a tingle can travel to, thanks to the melting of their two gorgeous voices on these songs.

Cynthia Murphy, Connor's mother, is played by Jodie Pearman, who I have actually had the pleasure of seeing and reviewing before. You really feel the belief and relief in this mother that her son, who she thought did not have a friend in the world, actually had such a close friend in Evan, only for those emotions to be dashed in the second act. This is Jodie's debut for Bright Lights Theatre School.

Larry Murphy, Connor's father, is played by Chris Warmington. Larry shows that he feels that Connor has wasted everything that has been given to his late son, and there's a sadness that you find when he almost becomes a replacement father for Evan. This is no more evident than the beautifully touching scene when the pair are together talking about baseball and the way to break a baseball glove in. Another smooth sounding blend of voices with Chris and Dylan in the bonding duet "To Break In A Glove". I've also seen Chris on stage before and his version of "Gethsemane" from "Jesus Christ Superstar" will stay with me forever.

Jonah Robinson plays Jared Kleinman, Evan's sarcastic and droll friend who helps fabricate the relationship between Evan and Connor. He also helps Evan and Alana found The Connor Project. This is where we get the lighter side of this musical with this character. Jonah's stage laughter is infectious, the character is blunt as well as course in his language, but you will love Jared, and you will love Jonah's portrayal of him as well, especially in the hilarious three way "Sincerely Me", which also has a fabulous piece of choreography to go with it.

Isla Greasley plays Alana Beck, one of Evan's classmates and one third of the triangle that makes up The Connor Project. Alana is also the one who spots the irregularities in Evan's stories and eventually brings down the web of lies, turning Evan the hero into a zero commodity. This results in the emotive "Words Fail", sung by Evan.

The ensemble consist of Jacob Coates, Serge Flitton, Jessica Marriott, Lillian McFerran, George Moore, Naomi Sandford and Michael Whelton. This musical shows just how important an ensemble is for a show, especially when it comes to a song like "You Will Be Found", and also for stage setting. The combined voices of main cast and ensemble is as uplifting as hearing a choir.

Direction, Musical Direction and Staging are by Sophie Kandola and Nick Sutcliffe, and I am sure that Choreography should also be added to this list as I couldn't see it mentioned in the programme. I think all the comments above show what a great production this show is and Sophie and Nick will be feeling extremely proud of their cast, as well as probably feeling quite drained because this show is no easy ride for anyone involved in it.

Scenery and Props are by Brightlights Theatre School and involved pieces of furniture, tables, beds etc effortlessly moved on and off stage by the ensemble.

The Video Design for the back wall of the stage is by Hybrid AV Ltd., and this is one area that I was looking forward to because I have never seen the same video wall twice. This looks a more technical design than some of the others I'd seen which almost created an additional role in the story of Evan Hansen.

There are some gorgeous musical theatre songs in this piece of theatre, the most well known being "Waving through A Window", "Sincerely Me", "For Forever", "Words Fail", "If I Could Tell Her" and "You Will Be Found", which is a really big production number in the show. I just know that if you don't already have the soundtrack to this show in your collection, you will want to remedy that after seeing this show.

Lighting design is by James Cladingboel. I love the lighting for this production because it makes you focus on the performer on stage with some bold square shaped lighting blocks for the individual performers. This is in complete contrast to the other style of lighting we see throughout the production.

Sound Design is by Core Production Services, and apart from a few mic cue issues with individuals, the overall sound is crisp and clear, making the clarity of the ballads perfect in order for you to hear every word, getting the most of these gorgeous songs. The volume of voices in the big number "You Will Be Found" was wonderfully balanced so that we could hear the individuality of all the vocalists without any muddiness.

Costume Design is by Kathy Ward and supplied by Brightlights Theatre School, and while Evan's top not being quite the correct shade of blue, a minor thing like that is insignificant when everything involved in this production is practically perfect.

Anyway, I'll round off by reiterating what I said at the start. If anyone tells you that this piece of musical theatre is one of the best thing they've seen, believe every syllable, and let's face it, would I lie to you? 

"Dear Evan Hansen" is at the MMC until Sunday 6 September. Prepare yourself for tingles and a possibility of tears as well.

 "American Idiot" by LEOS Musical Theatre Company.

Duchess Theatre, Long Eaton.

“American Idiot” is the story of three boyhood friends, Johnny, Will and Tunny, each searching for meaning in a post 9/11 world. The show features the music of Green Day with the lyrics of its lead singer Billie Joe Armstrong and book by Billie Joe Armstrong and Michael Mayer.

I'd read a couple of reviews of this production, something I don't normally do, and some of the things mentioned in the other reviews weren't that good. I can honestly say that whatever issues with sound and light occurred over the last two days have obviously been sorted out as I really enjoyed this production of the show.

I've seen the show several times before and have enjoyed every production I'd seen, and this one was not the one to make me change my mind.

For me, there have to be a couple of prerequisites to make it a success, and they are that it has to be loud and also to have raw energy. Well, that's two boxes ticked right away from the opening number, the title song. The show doesn't open, it explodes into life!

Johnny, played by Jack David, is the main protagonist of the story. On his journey, he experiences nihilism, drug abuse, and lost love with Whatsername. Jack just happens to be a singer in a rock band, away from the stage, so this role is tailor made for him. He looks like a rock star, he sounds like a rock star, he is a rock star (where have I heard that before?). What he also has is the ability to bring out the emotion in rock ballads like "Wake Me Up When September Ends", and Jack can play the guitar as well.

Tunny, played by Rhodri Denton, accompanies Johnny to the city, but soon joins the military and is sent to war. Tunny suffers serious injuries and during his rehabilitation, he falls in love with his nurse Extraordinary Girl, and she returns home with him. 

Will, played by Sultan Chaudhury, plans to leave town with the group until his girlfriend, Heather, reveals that she is pregnant with his child. Will stays at home in an alcohol and drug-infused depression, gradually spiralling to a very dark place.

All three main male leads have very different voices and that's what makes this show such a diverse project. Rock, and especially punk, doesn't suit everyone's voice, but it's that diversity that makes this musical such an interesting creature. The diversity of the voices really blend well and that creates even more emotion and passion from that rock base.

Whatsername is played by Megan Hill, Extraordinary Girl is played by Zoe Davey and Heather is played by Alice Goodall. This trio give brilliantly powerful performances, matching the attitude and passion of their male counterparts. Needless to say, their vocals are also powerful and, when required, full of attitude.

St Jimmy in this production is female, but of course this is a character who could be either gender, is played by Tessa Raum. In other productions St Jimmy has been overtly demon like in their attitude to temptation of sex and drugs and rock n roll, but Tessa has given the role a more human vision, which is probably an even more dangerous character.

Theo is another interesting character with a slightly devilish image, and played by Matthew McAuley. Matt has always had a really strong voice but has that tenderness in his vocals when called for. Both strengths are on show with Theo and the ensemble voices. 

Alysha is played by Carrie McNabb, who I can't remember seeing before on stage (apologies if that's not right), but what an impression Carrie made in this role.

Favourite Son is played by Andy Cattanach. This is a character that really exists in Tunny's imagination after watching TV ads and develops into an all singing, all dancing American soldier. There's a real glitz and glamour scene involving Favourite Son, complete with full on choreography for Andy and his backing dancers.

Something that is new, as far as I could remember, in this production is the introduction of the Seven Deadly Sins as an alternative ensemble set of characters. The Seven Deadly Sins are made up of Pride (Tassia Sissins) Envy (Nicola Adcock), Greed (Hayley Wood), Lust (Molly Parkinson), Gluttony (Joshua Read), Wrath (Charlotte Buchanan) and Sloth (Sian Hooton).

The ensemble consists of Laura Lawless, Eleanor Harvey, Mike Harvey, Tracy Hooton, Dan Bates, and Giacomo Ciccognani, fleshing out the stage perfectly and giving that extra vocal power.

Directed by Elle Bates and Assistant Director Becky Morley, they have slightly updated the period by setting the story in Trump's America. Along with only a few new touches, the story remains as powerful, raw and energetic as it ever was. Becky is also the Producer and, along with Elle and the rsst of the cast, responsible for the array of props used in the show.

Choreography by Sarah Lim Smith who really injects energy into these choreographed pieces. With this story being completely sung through, that also means that there is also a lot of choreography to go with the score, even the ballads. The choreography though is shared with various songs crediting other choreographers in the group like Tessa Raum, Meg Hill and Alice Goodall.

Musical Director is Ada Galen, who headed up the live band on  keys. The rest of the band consists of Ben Henderson (Bass), Herian Egan (Violin), Tim Yearsley and Tom Wakeley (Guitar) and Jack Hose (Drums). Green Day are a brilliant and exciting live band and that comes across on their recordings, and this band faithfully replicated that Green Day feel, and with Ada as MD also managed to strip back some of the musical pieces to create a simplistic and emotive score, which in turn really highlighted the lyrical value of Billie Joe Armstrong's songs.

The costumes have mostly been sourced from pre loved pieces, which is a great idea for a theatre company, cutting down the costs as well as recycling items that may have ended up in landfill. Sustainability is a core value for LEOS. They also match the feel of the era as well as the rawness of characters.

Sound is by Matt Haslam and was absolutely how I wanted to hear a rock jukebox musical, powerful and in your face rebellion style. The mix between the band and the vocalists was just right, even when you think back to the 1970's, with the birth of punk, the production of some of the records back then had the vocals slightly lower in the mix to get that rawness into the sound of the records. Take it from someone who was just a teenager when punk exploded.

The show includes the hit songs “Boulevard of Broken Dreams”, “21 Guns”, “Wake Me Up When September Ends”, “Holiday”, “Give Me Novocaine”, " Good Riddance (The Time Of Your Lives)" and the blockbuster title track “American Idiot”. Also included are several songs from Green Day’s 2009 release 21st Century Breakdown, and an unreleased love song, “When It’s Time”.

Lighting Design is by David Price and this was another exciting design and operation from David. The artist's palette of colour was splashed all over the stage at one point, almost taking on the image of a nightclub setting, raising the audience, and cast from the dark underbelly story of this show to a joyous and celebratory party.

Set hire is thanks to another theatrical legend from behind the scenes, Roydon Charlesworth. A triple tier stage set which allowed cast members to be above the stage floor, making the choreography look even more spectacular, and then on the top level, the band were situated.

Stage managed by the Queen of Stage Management, Katie Bird with Stage Crew of Vicky Palmer and Anakin Thain. Just having Katie on board promises to make scene transitions as smooth as silk.

Making theatre completely accessible is something that LEOS feel strongly about and there are several "helping hands", including a QR code in the programme to access the audio side of the programme and closed captions at every performance. There's also a touch tour and BSL Interpreted performance on the Saturday matinee, among other accessible things in place.

Throughout the run of "American Idiot", LEOS are also raising funds for their chosen charity, which is The Will Garvey Trust Foundation, a local charity based near Ilkeston (or Ilson, depending on where you hail from). The charity's aim is to prevent young suicide, and as September is Suicide Awareness month - why there is a month to highlight this I'll never know as it's something we should all be aware of 365 a year. So please give what you can to help such an amazing cause.

I'm not sure if Thursday was a special day, but as we walked into the auditorium, we were treated to an acoustic performance of some songs, not from the show, but a lovely way to ease the audience into the feel of the show, also to highlight the charity's cause.

"American Idiot" is at the Duchess Theatre, Long Eaton until Saturday 5 September with a matinee and evening performance on the final day.

Photography thanks to Ali Langton.