"The Silence Of The Lambs"

Indigo Productions and Crossroads Live in association with Curve.

Nottingham Theatre Royal.

The play had its world premiere at the Curve Theatre in Leicester earlier this year, and is Directed by Curve's Nikolai Foster. It's written by Gina Gionfriddo, based on the book of the same name by Thomas Harris.

The 1991 film has been one of my favourite thrillers probably since its' release, and this stage play is based more on the novel rather than the film, and you may notice a few slight differences in the stage version, one of them around "Buffalo Bill".

 FBI trainee Clarice Starling is sent by her superior, Jack Crawford, to interview the brilliant but dangerous Dr. Hannibal Lecter. The FBI needs Lecter's unique psychological insight to track down "Buffalo Bill," a serial killer who kidnaps and skins women.  Lecter agrees to help, but only if Clarice feeds him details about her difficult childhood and innermost fears. Their sessions turn into a tense mind game that feels like a twisted form of therapy. 

John Partridge plays Hannibal Lector, the  brilliant, imprisoned psychiatrist and manipulative cannibal who offers Clarice psychological insights. I've reviewed John's stage performances several times now, but this is a role like no other. John has that ability to outwardly look like the nicest bloke on the planet, and then with just a change of his features, morphs into a look that will terrify you; and that is Hannibal lector. All he has to do is stand there and look out from the stage in his glass box to send the chills down your spine, with or without Lector's iconic mask. Add that voice to the equation and a glass of chianti is the last thing on your mind! It almost reminds me of a visit to one of those sea life centres where you can walk through a glass tube and there's a vicious shark in the tank, watching you, slowly circling, looking harmless until the teeth show and you pray that the glass is strong enough to keep that distance between you; frightening but thrilling all at the same time.

Clarice Starling is played by Coronation Street's Mollie Gallagher in her professional stage debut. Starling is the young FBI trainee assigned to help catch the notorious killer. You get so used to hearing an actor talking one particular way, with a certain accent, especially a soap actor who is in your living room several times a week, so when you first hear Mollie as Clarice, you have to hand it to her for sounding, and looking so different to Nina from Corrie, and so much like Jodie Foster. The accent, and you know I love accents, is so spot on it almost throws you for a second. Mollie is on stage probably about 99% of the time, an absolute mammoth of a task for anyone making their first outing as a professional stage actor. I can't wait for Nina to come back from Whitby, and then on the other hand, I can't wait to see Mollie on stage again.

Jame Gumb, aka "Buffalo Bill", the main serial killer hunted by the FBI who abducts women and skins his victims, is played by Sam Jackson, who I last saw on stage back in 2013 as Billy Caspar in the play version of my all-time favourite film "Kes" at Derby Theatre. You may recognise Sam from playing Alex in "Skins". Sam gives another excellent lesson in how to play a psychotic, unhinged serial killer, and the scenes where he dresses up as his late mother using human skin and hair is incredibly unnerving; the scenes near the end of the play are also made even more chilling with the lighting design in that particular scene.

Oliver Farnworth, who you'll also recognise as serial killer John Sugden in "Emmerdale", plays Jack Crawford, the head of the FBI's Behavioral Science Unit who recruits Clarice for the dangerous assignment. Crawford comes across as quite hard-nosed at the start but then he starts to mellow out when he sees the quid pro quo results Starling gets from Lector. Oliver is a seasoned stage performer and has worked with Director Nikolai Foster previously. This character is a million miles away from the roles we have seen him play on the TV, showing his flexibility as an actor.

Dr. Frederick Chilton. a pompous and unpleasant supervisor of the psychiatric hospital where Lecter is locked away, is played by Minal Patel. Chilton is a real slimeball and soon changes his attitude with Clarice when he realises that she is not just going to cowtow to his demands because of his position. As with film, theatre of TV, a good actor will really make you feel things about their character and Minal has no problem making the bile rise with Chilton.

The rest of the cast are Jo Mousley, no stranger to Derby Theatre, (Senator Ruth Martin / Kimberly Emberg), Lottie Amour (Catherine Martin / Frederica Bimmel), Mark Peachey (Lucas / Pilcher / Greg), Andrew Joshi, another regular to the area, (Peterson / Lamar / Pembry), Jonny Magnanti (Brigham / Miggs) and Mary Timbrell Hill (Ensemble).

Having four extremely well recognised actors upfront can make believing the characters that they are playing sometimes a little difficult, but not this time around. It was long before I was watching the characters from the film/novel, and completely forgot that I was watching some of my favourite soap/drama actors on stage.

Directed by Nikolai Foster, the Leicester Curve legend who has brought so many great musicals and dramas to life on stage. The tension and the build up to the explosive sections were subtly done, building to a dramatic crescendo. Associate Director is Julia Thomas.

Michael Taylor's stage design is equally as thrilling. The glass enclosure housing Lector was superb and claustrophobic, and the journey to his prison would give anyone the creeps, especially when other crazies were shooting their arms out and shouting out obscenities. The rapid and smooth scene changes to the FBI Office all helped with the fluidity of the play, almost becoming cinematic. Gumb's hide out made you believe the threat he created for the women while having that cold feel, even though Gumb rarely wore more than just his pants, the starkness of his abode screaming serial killer. 

The lighting design by Howard Hudson is enough to provoke nightmares, the dim lighting, the smoky alleyways, the glaring white lights illuminating Lector's glass case presents a wonderfully overwhelming sense of doom and danger.

Carolyn Downing's sound design is also an important aspect to create the mood of the play. You can hear that creeping menace approaching which sets your nerves on edge, and of course, when it's combined with the lighting design it's guaranteed to have you on the edge of your seats.

The Projection Designer is George Reeve. Brilliantly designed to create that butterfly effect, only with moths, and of course the red designs of many of the video designs screams danger at you. It's also used to show the news report about Senator Ruth Martin's missing daughter, heightening the horror that she may be the next victim of Buffalo Bill.

Grant Olding's musical compositions are like another member of the cast. They creep up on you, surround you and swallow you up, giving every hair on your body permission to stand to attention, I love this musical score.

Costume Supervisor is Debbie Bennett and all the iconic costumes from the film are here, immediately positioning all of the characters in your mind, breaking down any need for introductions and background to the characters.

Wigs Supervisor is Bev Chorlton. It never fails to amaze me just how a good, accurate wig can change a person's whole look, and with Starling's look, the wig changed Mollie's appearance straight away.

Props Supervisor is Robyn Harding. At first glance you could be mistaken into thinking this stark set is just that, stark. But then just take a look around and tot up all of the props used, there's loads of them, all bringing the story to life.

The Movement Director for the show is Dale White. This area is most prevalent with Hannibal Lector. He has a very distinctive way of moving while cooped up in his tiny glass cell, almost as if he is saving energy, with only the odd outburst of angry energy. There's a very different set of movements with Dr Lector near the end of the play when he resembles an uncaged tiger, making sure the rest of the creatures know that he is the boss; a very confident swagger.

Everything you could want from such an iconic chiller thriller is here in this play, along with the perfect cast of actors. Anyone who has seen the film, or read the book, will know what happens at the end, so make sure that you don't have nightmares, and check that your front and back doors are securely locked, and in the words of Shaw Taylor, "keep 'em peeled". Sleep tight!

"The Silence Of The Lambs" is at the Nottingham Theatre Royal until Saturday 19 September. The Doctor is expecting you, so book your appointment, it's best not to keep him waiting!

 "Grindr The Opera"

Nottingham Arts Theatre.

Here is a musical that is different from any other musical I've seen in the past, but is every bit as entertaining as the best of them, with its' tongue thrust well into it's cheek!

This musical parody takes a deep dive into Grindr, the gay dating app, and four characters who use the app for hook ups and all have a connection by the end, with each other.

Devon, the romantic one of the four characters, is played by Patrick Barrett. Devon is a doctor by profession and after a few failed romances decides it's time to get back on the dating wagon again via Grindr. What a voice Patrick has, in fact everyone in this show are blessed with really powerful voices that can easily accommodate both operatic and classical styles of singing.

Tom is the cynical one, played by Kane Verrell, who I last saw on stage about seven years ago in the musical "Club Tropicana" at the Theatre Royal. Tom doesn't quite know what he wants from love and life so uses the app to find out what he really wants from future relationships.

Jack is the twink and played by Will Joel who is just discovering this new world and is up for absolutely everything, well almost!

Don is the Daddy of the bunch, played by Dereck Walker. Don is married, has a son and is the opposite to Tom because he knows exactly what he wants and how and when to get it, even if he has to pay for the pleasure. Despite this tough, devil may care image, there's a song that Don sings which shows another side of the man, but his closeted side reappears when he is almost outed by one of the other characters,a nd then the full discretion is revealed in a later scene from one of the other characters!

Christian Lunn plays Grindr, who apparently is the mythical siren of casual sex (you see how educational theatre can be?) and returns as an app on smartphones. Christian has a large range vocally, playing and flirting with the comedy lyrics of the songs. You must admire Grindr's footwear as well as he is blessed with a pair of killer heels, which are almost as high as the notes he reaches.

Grindr has two helpers, Trogorium, played by Oliver Cartwright and Versipellis, played by Will Loader.

Will and Oliver are also Swing members of the cast with Will also taking the role of Dance Captain.

The book, music and lyrics are by Erik Ransom, all of which are immensely funny and incredibly rude, fortunately I have a sense of humour so found the whole show very humorous, although there are some parts which really make you think about modern day dating, gay, straight or whatever, and whoever you are into, and about the pros and cons of finding love via an app as opposed to the old ways of actually meeting someone face to face.

There is one scene which is saucy, maybe even risque but nothing ruder than what you'd see on the TV after the watershed. I was advised that the content was filthy, I wouldn't describe it as filthy, just saucy and a great deal of fun; after all, we're all adults here. Maybe my level of depraved viewing is lower than I once thought because I saw no filthiness in two consenting adults having fun in the comfort of their own bedrooms!

Director and Choreographer is William Spencer, who is a local Actor/Director, who I've had the pleasure of reviewing several years ago, so it's great to see him return to the Arts Theatre stage with this show. If this sauce had to be rated, it would definitely be Heinz; it's great fun with just the right amount of male flesh on stage to satisfy the predominantly male audience. The choreographed pieces work really well with the score, which is absolutely excellent. If I were to make any comparisons, the show is a cross between the gothic fun of "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" and a lesser appreciated musical called "Jerry Springer The Musical", which I have only seen on TV over the Covid period and absolutely loved it. After all, sex is supposed to be fun, as well as funny, isn't it?

Associate Director is Lilly Butcher

Musical Director and Orchestrator is Aaron Clingham. What a band indeed, completely tucked away stage left, they sounded absolutely awesome. The volume was immense as the comedic value from the script, sounding powerful and classical/operatic in tone, at times quite Wagner-esque, at other times pure musical theatre with songs like "We Met On Grindr". The vocals were powerful, as was this band that accompanied the vocalists.

Set & Costume Design is by David Shields and has a real Gothic design in both set and costume, obviously to show the darker underbelly of the dating game via mobile apps. In the foreground though we saw the more modern design with the various character's natural environments, so there's a nice mix of Grindr's gothic habitat with the contrasting modern environment.

Lighting Designer is Chuma Emembolu. I loved this design because it made sure that it pointed you to whatever part of the staging and character we needed to focus on, as well as creating a thrilling and exciting artist's palette of colour for the whole stage, giving another layer of thrills, especially whenever Grindr was on stage.

Sound Design is by Dominic Young. As mentioned previously, the sound volume was perfect for me, and combined with the lighting design, they created atmosphere.

Production Manager is Jacques James Moussi.

Intimacy Director is Emma Bailey.

Producer is Peter Bull for Above The Stag Theatre Ltd.

This show was the final outing for "Grindr The Opera" of its' current tour, and I was so pleased to have caught it here in Nottingham. Having downloaded the soundtrack before seeing the show, I just knew that I was going to love this show, mainly because of the humour, and seeing the music connect with the actors and storyline just created the perfect fun, saucy night out.

I'd certainly recommend anyone who has a sense of humour to see this show the next time it comes round. If you expected full nudity and things being waved in your face, you'll be disappointed - you see more male flesh in "The Full Monty". What you will get is a brilliantly and cleverly written piece of theatre, smothered with sauce, as well as food for thought about modern dating. I loved it.

 "One Man Two Guvnors" by Regis Theatre Company.

Duchess Theatre, Long Eaton.

Written by Richard Bean, this is the comedy that rocketed James Corden’s theatre career. Set In Brighton in 1963 it tells the story of an out of work skiffle player, Francis Henshall. He goes from being unemployed to having two jobs and two masters, Roscoe Crabbe and Stanley Stubbers. This is where the confusion and comedy arises as he tries to keep the two masters from meeting and discovering his joint employment.

Fired from his skiffle band, Francis Henshall becomes minder to Roscoe Crabbe, a small time East End hood, now in Brighton to collect £6,000 from the dad of his fiancee. But Roscoe is really his sister Rachel posing as her own dead brother, who has been killed by her boyfriend Stanley Stubbers.

Complicating events still further is local mobster Charlie the Duck, who has arranged his daughter Pauline's engagement to Roscoe despite her preference for over-the-top amateur actor Alan Dangle.

Holed up at The Cricketers Arms, the permanently ravenous Francis spots the chance of an extra meal ticket and takes a second job with one Stanley Stubbers, who is hiding from the police and waiting to be reunited with Rachel. To prevent discovery, Francis must keep his two guvnors apart. Simple.

I've seen this farcical piece of theatre on several occasions and have never seen the exact same show twice. Regis have created another different version of this brilliantly comical theatre piece.

A wonderful slice of slapstick and physical theatre which requires brilliant characterisation and comic timing. The play is like a bottle of wine, fruity, fizzy, very smooth and gets better with age and like a good cheese matures well and gets tastier every time you go back for a piece.

I could go into the history of the play and it's Italian roots and "Commedia Dell'arte" but what really matters here is that it is so very funny when performed with the panache and comedy timing of the cast of Regis Theatre Company.

Francis Henshaw is played by Kheenan Jones. This is a great role for Kheenan as it really pushes him. The speed and quick thinking of Francis is spot on and so is the tongue twisting script. Maybe not as tongue twisting as some productions that I've seen but there's additional comedy in other parts of Henshaw's role. We don't get the rapidity of James Corden, but what we do get is Kheenan Jones with a twinkle in his eye and a chance to show off improvisational skills as well as delivering some of the best language in the British sentences. Wonderfully funny guy on or off stage, and I love the tie style and I am sure that Francis must have another pair of shoes almost exactly the same back at home; one show per Guvnor?

Roscoe/Rachel is played by Emma Kelvey. There really isn't one character in this comedy who doesn't deliver comedically, and with Emma we get double the fun. Emma has really perfected the "man walk" and stature and that attitude with Roscoe, and then we get Rachel with a noticeably softer side. Plus we also get to hear Emma playing the flute!

Charlie "The Duck" Clench is played by Kim Harris. Kim has taken the laugh of "Only Fools And Horses" Boycie and incorporated it into the character of Charlie, which plastered a grin on my face every time that laugh was released.

Pauline Clench is played by Shannon O'Donnell, who portrays this slightly dim character perfectly and it's through that "naivety" that the natural comedy shines through, especially the way that Pauline scuttles off stage at speed.

Alan Dingle is played by Jack Readyhoof. Dangle is wonderfully over the top, and Jack presents the character just as he should be, as the actor who is always in the spotlight, probably even when opening the fridge door. The semi tragic, almost Shakespearean Dangle is one of my favourite comedy characters, and every time I've been to see this play, the actor always delivers it just a little different every time. Some wonderfully pained but funny facial expressions which all adds to the comedy. I must say as well that it's so refreshing to see Jack play a character like this because we don't often see Jack playing overtly comedy roles and this really suits him, but it also shows what a flexible character actor Jack is. I'll also let you into a secret, Jack has played this role before in 2016.

Stanley Stubbers is played by Adam Guest, who a whole decade ago played the role of Francis. This time around Adam is just as hilarious in the role of Stanley Stubbers and injects a bit of a speech impediment for Stubbers along with some saucy hip thrusting. During the scene changes, instead of a skiffle band playing songs to cover the changes, we are treated to various cast members providing a brief musical interlude, and it was with great joy that one of Adam's party classics was revitalised in "The Typewriter" by Leroy Anderson. If you've never seen this done before, get yourself over to the Duchess on Saturday to experience a classic piece of comedy, additional to Adam's portrayal of Stubbers.

Mariko Jones plays Dolly, Charlie "The Duck" Clench's book keeper and flirty floozie who attracts the eye of Francis. Like all the actors in this show they show off their comedy talents perfectly with these characters. Great accent as well from someone who lights up the stage, whatever role she plays.

Harry Dangle is played by Andy Cattanach. Another great character performer as Alan's Dad for Andy. You can never be too sure with this character if the references for his work, especially getting the "MowMow" off charges, are actually true or is this lawyer just stretching his legal abilities a little too far. Dangle's wink after some sentences may tell the audience a different story!

Luke Grainger is Alfie, the octogenarian waiter, one of the hardest roles in this play. The characterisation was wonderful and as Luke has a real flair of comedic roles, this part was just perfect for him. Ten years ago I saw Kheenan play this role, and as I have said with every production, the characters are always presented differently, which is why I love seeing shows, especially comedies like this, over and over again. I love the slow pace that Luke gives to Alfie, often looking like he is delaying the action while he slowly exits the stage, often to the amusement of the other actors on stage waiting to move the show on. Brilliant slapstick scenes with the door, and just how much talcum powder is used on that hair?

Lloyd Boateng is played by Des Francis. I can't recall seeing Des before, I'm probably wrong, but I will remember this role played by Des. I love accents, this show is full of them, and Des's accent for Lloyd is reminiscent of the kind that actors like the brilliant Rudolph Walker delivers with his characters, proper East End Jamaican style.

Harvey Latter plays Gareth, the head waiter at the Cricketer's Arms. The voice is the kind from someone who believes that they is further up the pecking order than they actually are. Wannabe upper class but slips into their natural voice every now and then. Yet another lovely gentle comedy part that does stand out.

Directed by Ollie Turner, assisted by Kayleigh Turner, and you may have noticed my referencing a production from ten years ago, featuring several of the same actors. Ollie was also the Director for that same production, but a decade on he has created something that seems to be very fresh and still as hilarious as the one I remember from 2016. A good Director will change and update sections of a play, and Ollie has done just that. There are bits that have been taken out but with absolutely no detriment to the story or the laughs, plus I suppose a suit of armour may be quite expensive to source and not something you could find in a charity shop nowadays for a few quid.

The decision to remove the musical element almost completely by a skiffle band is also relatively different, but I loved the fact that the scene changes were masked by the various musical talents from the characters in the production. The drama of the music produced by Alan Dangle created a wave of laughter from the audience, and we just about managed to recognise some of the other tunes, pre 1963 and Cockney related. We do get the classic song that ends the show, "Tomorrow Looks Good From Here" performed by the whole cast.

Talking of scene changes, Milly Bould is the Stage Manager, making sure the various changes were completed swiftly and smoothly behind the curtains.

Lots of props, all managed by Katie Bird, who also makes a quick stage appearance.

Lighting Designer and Operator is David Price.

Sound Operator is not credited but there are some additional sound effects involved in the show.

Set Designer is also not credited in the programme, but this also is a different look from other productions that I've seen in the past; different but just as good as any other I've seen. I love the design for the pier front, and whether Charlie Stubbers was aware of the length of the pier when he walked into the end of it, nobody knows if it were for comic effect or merely just an accident. Whatever Adam brought even more laughs from the jubilant audience on Friday night.

Wardrobe is also another area uncredited in the programme, but are all marvellous. From the simple black snug fitting black sweater and trousers for Alan Dangle to that wonderful tie, and especially the way that it was worn by Francis, the clothes were obviously very well thought out to extract even more comedic value from this show.

I could see this comedy over and over again and not see the same performance twice, in fact I could see this production over and over again full stop because the whole cast were wonderful, and they all looked to be loving just being part of the show, probably because they were being entertained while entertaining us, the audience.

There is a serious side of this particular production though and that is the charity that Regis are collecting for; Pancreatic Cancer UK. Andy's wife Lisa sadly passed away during the rehearsals of the play from Pancreatic Cancer, and the show is dedicated to Lisa.

If you want to give your chuckle muscles a good weekend workout, then pop along and see "One Man Two Guvnors" at the Duchess Theatre which ends with two more shows at 2.30 and 7.30 on Saturday 12 September.

 "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.