Growing up, I think it’s safe to assume that most children stumbled across at least one Roald Dahl story. Tales that oozed with magic, cheekiness, mystery and everyone, be that child or adult, ultimately getting what they deserved. The Twits, George’s Marvellous Medicine, James and the Giant Peach, the list could go on and on, but over the years a few of these classic stories have leapt from the pages onto our stages, with the biggest hits being Matilda and Charlie and the Ch

Oh look, just when you thought that she may have finally moved on and found something else to obsess over, she’s back and she’s talking about ‘The Play That Goes Wrong’ again. Okay, I’ll admit, you may be starting to wonder why on earth I keep going back, or how on earth I still laugh at a comedy that I have now seen 21 times, and I hope you’ll be satisfied with my answer to those questions. One – I keep going back because it makes me happy, pure and simple. I feel a sense of

These days, screen to stage adaptations is about as common as Sunday roasts and train strikes, but something that is perhaps a little bit less common in the world of theatre is a radio to stage adaptation, but here we are. ‘Bleak Expectations’ a comedy by Mark Evans premiered on BBC Radio 4 back in 2007, and has proved wickedly popular since, with the show still being broadcast on a regular basis on BBC Radio 4 Extra. A pastiche of the works of Charles Dickens, it follows Phi

What do you get when you mix a little bit of ‘Hamilton’ with a dash of ‘Six’, add a little drop of ‘Fantastically Great Women Who Changed The World’ and throw in just a smidgeon of ‘Horrible Histories’ for good measure? Well, dear reader, I’ll tell you what you get. If you add all of those things together, you get ‘Operation Mincemeat’, the little musical that is making a big impact and taking the West End by storm. In real life, Operation Mincemeat was a little known plot th

Please note - The photographs in this review feature the original cast, not the cast that are currently starring in the production It isn’t uncommon for stage productions these days to have had other lives before they even reach the stage itself, with screen to stage adaptations becoming increasingly popular and the idea of audience members having some idea of what to expect helping to put bums on seats. In the case of this particular production, it was Deborah Moggach’s 2004

First things first, I would like to apologise if I get any cast names wrong in this review. At the performance I attended, the matinee on Wednesday 29th March, the electronic cast board in the theatre foyer was not working. We all know the story of The Wizard of Oz, the tale of Dorothy being transported to the magical land of Oz where she becomes friends with a scarecrow, a tin man and a cowardly Lion on an adventure to find the wizard, escape the wicked witch and ultimately

Disney's The Lion King will be celebrating it's 24th birthday in London's West End this year, and ahead of the show's birthday, there's another momentous anniversary to celebrate. We caught up with Shaun Escoffery and George Asprey who will be celebrating fifteen years in Disney’s The Lion King at the Lyceum Theatre in London this April. They are now the longest serving actors for the roles of Mufasa and Scar in any production of The Lion King ever, and they've only ever pe

Okay, I’ll admit. Upon being invited to the press night of the UK Tour of Heathers at Theatre Royal Plymouth, I didn’t know masses about it. I knew it was an American high school drama, based on an 80’s cult classic, that took some dark turns and had a massive following of passionate fans, but that was about it. And if I’m being honest, sometimes I really enjoy going into productions mostly blind, ready to be both surprised and entertained, but when it came to this production

Many adults these days would be able to look back at their childhoods and say that they can remember settling down to watch the adventures of Winnie the Pooh and his friends in The Hundred Acre Wood and would probably remember the warm fuzzy feelings that came with it. Even now, the famous honey loving bear is just as popular, with today’s children still being drawn into his world. And now, Pooh, Tigger, Owl, Rabbit, Eeyore, Kanga, Roo, Piglet and Christopher Robin have made

Up and down the country, from the glittering West End to our much-loved regional theatres, stages are a new constant revolve. One show out, one show in, and the cycle starts again. But, nevertheless, some productions stick around a little bit longer, a year here maybe, a 3 three stint there? It’s pretty common, but what is more uncommon is that sometimes a show can run and run, the revolving door of change nowhere to be seen. The Phantom of the Opera, Les Miserables, and for

It’s not very often that the vast majority of the people in a room together can admit that they’ve had the same or even very similar experiences, it’s not very often that the vast majority of audience members for the same production can watch and say that they’ve been there, they know those feelings, they can relate. But here we are, it happened. After all, no matter what someone has gone on to do with their lives, they can all say the same thing. They all went to school, the

Okay, hands up in the air, time for some honesty. I did not know anything about ‘The Ocean At The End Of The Lane’ before I was kindly invited to the press night of the stage adaptation at Theatre Royal Plymouth. Beyond the knowledge of it being based on a novel by Neil Gaiman (Good Omens, Stardust, Coraline), I knew nothing of the plot, and made the decision not to look it up before going to see the show. Because, after all, sometimes going into something blind can be worth

London is big, it is bold, it is in your face; it surrounds you with noise and hits you full force. The theatre world that calls London home can be just as big, can be just as bold and can be just as loud, but not always. Like the night plunging the city back into winter weather after a sunny day, some shows sneak up on you, catch you unaware with their different style of approach, delving deeper and presenting you with the unexpected. Vault Festival, London’s smaller but jus

When it comes to comedy in the world of theatre, there is one company that continues to prove themselves to be at the very top of their game, and that is Mischief Comedy. With such successes as The Play That Goes Wrong, Peter Pan Goes Wrong, The Comedy About A Bank Robbery and Mischief Movie Night already under their belts, 2022 saw the company branching out and trying new things, only adding to their success story. Magic Goes Wrong has enjoyed two west end runs and a popular

It’s no secret that most of the attention and, in turn, audience attendance, goes to the bigger and perhaps better known large theatrical venues but up and down the country there are smaller theatres and performance spaces that are not only a hub for creativity but also a hub for their local communities. As the world opens up again, as people get used to going out again and as the cost-of-living crisis hits, these smaller venues are struggling to keep afloat more than ever. T

What makes a show a musical and what makes a show a play with music. It’s a thin line and one that many shows walk like a tightrope, especially when said show is about a musical act itself. ‘The Commitments’, currently touring the UK, walks this line, balancing music with story in a humorous and believable tale of a band trying to make it big. Based on the Roddy Doyle book, ‘The Commitments’ tells the tale of a group growing up in Dublin in the 1980’s, brought together by you

Decorations may be packed away, and trees sent off after another Christmas, but just as you may still be working your way through the leftover chocolates, the festive season isn’t quite over yet when it comes to pantomime at the Theatre Royal Plymouth, as ‘Sleeping Beauty’ continues through to January 14th. Whilst the classic fairy tale of princess Aurora (Stephanie McKenzie) being cursed to sleep on her 21stbirthday, with the hope of true love’s kiss being able to wake her,

Please note the photos in this review are of the original cast, not the current cast It’s one of the hottest tickets in town, and perhaps one of the most talked about shows around. The theatre has had a massive makeover and the audiences continue to flock over a year after opening. This is Moulin Rouge, the musical, the spectacle, the experience; and I’m not over exaggerating when I say that there really isn’t anything else like it. You may shake your head and simply call it

Oh look, what a shock. She’s writing about a mischief show again. But let’s be honest here, is that really a surprise? Mischief Theatre has something that just keeps on dragging me back, and the most addictive of the lot for me, ‘The Play That Goes Wrong’. People may, and do, ask me why I keep seeing it, how on Earth I am not bored of it yet and I give the same answer every time. How can I get bored of something that is different every single time. Different cast combinations

Mischief Movie Night, Fleabag and Six. What do they all have in common? Well, these three massive hit shows all come from humble beginnings, getting their start in the world at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and now another success story has come barrelling out of its Fringe starting block to global popularity: The Choir of Man, which premiered at the festival in 2017. Featuring an all-male cast of talented vocalists, musicians and wordsmiths, The Choir of Man invites the audi