Back in London for the first time since 2015, Patrick Barlow’s hit comedy The 39 Steps has recently taken up residence at the Trafalgar Theatre where it continues to delight with its small cast, low budget tale of espionage.   This adaptation of John Buchan’s spy novel along with Alfred Hitchcock’s 1935 film adaptation tells the tale of Richard Hannay (played by Tom Byrne), a civilian left bored at home who finds himself drawn into the world of spies after meeting a beautiful

Things move very quickly at the Fringe, and the action is thick and fast with shows coming and going all over the place. Of course, you do have some shows that return to the festival on a yearly basis, but I think that it may be a rather difficult job to find one that has a history as vast of News Revue.   Now in its 45th year, News Revue is a current affairs parody show that sees a cast of four, accompanied by a talented musician, play a multitude of well-known figures from

A theatre nestled in the arches under a railway bridge seems an appropriate home for a show about a train journey, and ‘Cockfosters’ at The Turbine Theatre is exactly that. James (Sam Rees-Baylis) and Tori (Beth Lilly) board the Piccadilly Line at Heathrow for the long 38 stop journey to Cockfosters, and along the way meet a cacophony of fellow travellers, from man-spreaders, buskers and partygoers to sports fans and tourists. This hilarious Rom-Com has had a number of sell-o

What is it really like to be a performer in musical theatre? What really happens backstage? What do the cast members really think of each other and think of their audience? Well, if you would like to know the answers to these important burning questions and would like them set to fun, catchy show tunes, then look no further then Alexander S. Bermanges ‘I Wish My Life Were Like A Musical’, playing at Gilded Balloon at the Museum. This production is a deep dive into the world o

I love a murder mystery. I’ve seen a fair few on stage, ‘The Mousetrap’, ‘And Then There Were None’, ‘Witness For the Prosecution’ and yes, I do call ‘The Play That Goes Wrong’ a murder mystery. I am that person who delights in shows such as ‘Midsummer Murders'’, ‘Vera’ and I will admit to watching ‘Death in Paradise’ on repeat. Safe to say, I’m a fan, and that is what brought to a show that I saw last year at the Fringe ‘It’s a Mystery’, a celebration of all things Murder My

Charlie thought that he had done everything right with his life; he’d found a girl and gotten married, he had a good job, and he thought that everything was going to plan. But when his marriage breaks down, and he’s let go from his job, he is forced to sit back and re-evaluate his life. A simple text ‘Anyone fancy a pint’ in the group chat leads Charlie down a different and unexpected path in ‘Did You Mean To Fall Like That’, a one-man show written by Stephanie Martin, direct

There are many many different genres and types of shows available to see at the Edinburgh fringe but take a stroll down the royal mile and I can pretty much guarantee that you will end up with at least half a dozen flyers for various improv shows. Coming from a girl who absolutely loves a good improv, the range of choices in the genre at the festival can be a little overwhelming. There are musicals, hospital drama, murder mystery, crime scene investigation, the list could go

What do Titanic, Pretty Women, Dirty Dancing, Beaches, Legally Blonde and The Notebook all have in common? Well, they all fall into the genre of movies that have come to known as Chick Flicks and you may think that there is not much more to them than being crowd pleasing entertainment for a girl’s night, but that is where you are mistaken.   Enter KK Apple and Kerry Ipema, the double act behind ‘Six Chick Flicks’, (...or a Legally Blonde Pretty Woman Dirty Danced on the Beach

Unless you have filled up your diary far in advance, a trip to the Edinburgh Fringe can be filled with off the cuff decisions as you find yourself with hands full of flyers and surrounded by walls of colourful posters advertising the multitude of shows on offer. And with so much going on, plans can change at the last minute and hidden gems may suddenly present themselves.   Picture the scene, after a few days escaping it under greyish skies and a ferocious wind, the heavens o

There are over 3000 shows to choose from at the Edinburgh Fringe, and the ranges of genres is so vast that you couldn’t even begin to name them. That being said, there is one genre that perhaps boasts the most shows involving at least an element of it, and that is improvisation. Over the years, the Fringe has played hosts to many famous names of improv, and it continues to be an incredibly popular element with many a show. And one of the best things about a improv show is tha

True stories from history are no strangers to be worked upon and adapted for the stage, inspiring countless new stories along the way and we love to see it.   Anne Bonney and Mary Read, two famous female pirates whose stories have been a topic of conversation and speculation for many years, are the main inspiration of new musical ‘Tit Swingers’ by Le Gasp Productions. With the title based on the idea that both Bonny and Read fought off their enemies whilst bare breasted, the

How many people can you fit in a karaoke booth?   No, this isn’t the beginning of a bad joke. It’s an honest question and one that I’m pretty sure comedian and musician Alex Prescot would know the answer to. And said answer would probably have something to do with depending on how many fluffy cushions he can get his hands on.   In I've Got A Song About That, Alex Prescot (who also stars in Gigglemug’s A Jaffa Cake Musical), brings his musical talents to Laughing Horse @ City

There are some big questions floating around in the world: what is the meaning of life? Why are we here? What came first? The chicken or the egg? To name but a few. And, of course, that big question on everyone’s lips. Is a Jaffa Cake a cake, or a biscuit? Well, let us turn to Gigglemug to tell us the answer to that one. Based on the famous 1991 court battle between McVities and HMRC, Gigglemug’s A Jaffa Cake Musical takes the trial, packs it full of fun catchy songs, squeeze

Car chases, secret weapons, hidden villainous hideaways, schemes and the battle between good and evil; all things that we are associate with the classic spy genre, and Spy Movie The Play (written by Matthew Howell and Jack Michael Stacey) takes all of that and flips it on its head in a hilarious love letter to spy movies that will have the whole family in fits of laughter. Meet Albert Cabbage (Matthew Howell) and his team as they aim to present the greatest spy movie ever mad

Meg (Victoria Serra) is nine months pregnant, worrying about the future of her unborn child. She doesn’t know what to expect, she doesn’t know what this creature is going to be. She’s read all the parenting books, but doesn’t know what the reality of all of it is. She gives birth to a seal, but doesn’t know what kind. Is it prey, like the Harp Seal, or is it predator, like the Leopard Seal? Is she the mother of a defenceless innocent, or the mother of a villain? Walking a fin

In a world where acceptance, understanding and kindness seems to be dwindling, a musical that tells the story of a young man trying to be their truest self, set against a backdrop of inner-city Sheffield, where inclusivity is in short supply, is as important as ever.   Based on the BBC3 documentary Jamie: Drag Queen at 16, ‘Everybody’s Talking About Jamie’ tells the story of Jamie New, ‘the boy so nice he came out twice’. Unlike his Year 11 classmates who dream of popstar sup

Agatha Christie. A mere mention of the name is enough to draw images of mystery, deception, distrust, and puzzles. To be able to construct a mystery in such a way as Christie is perhaps the dream of many a writer now, for not many could piece together a puzzle so intricate and clever that it keeps you guessing until the dying moments of the story itself. Her classic tale ‘The Mousetrap’ is the longest running play in West End history, but that, of course, isn’t her only hit.

On the stage at least, you would be forgiven for immediately thinking pantomime when you hear the show title ‘Aladdin’. Up and down the country, every festive season, the story of street rat Aladdin, his genie and the magical carpet is performed to eager panto goers, ready to cheer the hero and boo the villain, but let’s step away from that. Because this isn’t panto, this is a Disney Theatrical production to the highest degree. Large cast with a larger set, beautiful costumes

Livestream - Gifted I’ve seen quite a few pantomimes over the years, and if I’m being honest, I’d gotten quite used to the formula; a classic fairytale, in most cases, the princess and the prince, a dame, the clumsy always the bridesmaid never the bride best friend and the villain. It’s something that we are used to, families go into a pantomime knowing what to expect, and sometimes, these classic pantos can, in my opinion, feel a little tired. Jokes can feel overused, and a

Kylie. Bananarama. Donna Summer. Rick Astley. It’s a throwback of mammoth proportions, hit after hit, a dance party here and a dance party there. That’s Stock, Aitken and Waterman, the song writing record producing machine that brought us such hits, and now combined with a brand-new tale from writer/director Debbie Isitt (the brains behind Christmas hit Nativity and its sequels, admit it you love them all), there’s a new jukebox musical in town, and it’s one that is a guarant