Mar 16The Wicker Husband - The Watermill Theatre REVIEWAs I write this it is March 16. It will always be a significant day in the theatre world. In 2020 when the theatres were forced to close,...
Feb 4Spike - Watermill Theatre, Newbury REVIEWThe latest production to grace the Watermill stage tells the story of Spike Miligan’s battles both in war and with the BBC as he fights...
Jan 8Dreamgirls - Bristol Hippodrome REVIEWThe first UK tour of Dreamgirls was due to kick off in 2020, but with that being the year that everything was cancelled, it eventually...
Nov 23, 2021The Jungle Book - Watermill Theatre REVIEWFor those looking for the classic Rudyard Kipling story or lighthearted Disney tale, this version of The Jungle Book might not be for...
Nov 21, 2021The Brothers Grimm Present: Cinderella - The Barn Theatre REVIEW The Barn in Cirencester brings a darker side to festive shows this Christmas with their offering of The Brothers Grimm presents:...
Oct 21, 2021REVIEW: Everybody's Talking About Jamie - Bristol HippodromeAfter a year's delay due to Covid-19 Everybody’s Talking About Jamie has finally strutted into Bristol Hippodrome with plenty of joy and...
Sep 23, 2021REVIEW: The Dresser - Cheltenham EverymanTwo well-known names have joined forces in the latest production of The Dresser to tour the UK. Matthew Kelly and Julian Clary star in...
Sep 18, 2021Lone Flyer - The Watermill Theatre, Newbury REVIEWWhen I saw this show pop up I knew there was one person I had to take along - my partner. He loves theatre, which falls only second to...
Sep 14, 2021Andrew Lloyd Webber's Cinderella - Gillian Lynne Theatre, London REVIEWFive weeks after the show’s aborted July 14 premiere, and with numerous other dates offered and then dropped along the way, Andrew Lloyd...
Sep 13, 2021Matthew Bourne's The Midnight Bell - Cheltenham Everyman REVIEWMatthew Bourne’s latest project takes us into the under-belly of 1930s London life; following ordinary people doing relatively ordinary...
Sep 7, 2021Amélie the Musical - Criterion Theatre REVIEWOpposite the roaring mayhem and flashing lights of Piccadilly Circus, the Criterion Theatre sits with an exquisite yet humble musical...
Aug 27, 2021Educating Rita - Cheltenham Everyman REVIEWI first saw the production in 2018 with the same cast but this time around it has been cut down and condensed into a more Covid-friendly...
Aug 18, 2021Groan Ups - Theatre Royal Bath REVIEWMischief Theatre has delighted us for years with their productions of The Play That Goes Wrong, Peter Pan Goes Wrong and A Comedy About A...
Aug 10, 2021Priscilla Queen of the Desert - Cheltenham Everyman REVIEWI’ve seen a few productions since theatres reopened but after experiencing Priscilla it really feels like the industry is back with a...
Jul 27, 2021Priscilla Queen of the Desert - Theatre Royal Bath REVIEWEntering the theatre for Priscilla Queen of the Desert I had a rain cloud above my head and I really wasn’t in the party mood. However,...
Jul 22, 2021Charlie & Stan - Theatre Royal Bath REVIEWLaurel and Hardy are arguably one of the most famous comedy duos, but what if it wasn’t really meant to be. Stan Laurel met Charlie...
Jul 2, 2021As You Like It - Watermill Theatre, NewburySustainability, singing and Shakespeare. The Watermill’s latest creation is an enjoyable outdoor production of the rustic comedy As You...
Jun 23, 2021Oleanna - Ustinov Studio, Theatre Royal Bath REVIEWDavid Mamet’s three-act Oleanna was originally presented at the Ustinov Studio back in December 2020 but if you missed it then don’t...
Jun 3, 2021Four Quartets - Theatre Royal Bath REVIEWRalph Fiennes was met with a standing ovation on press night of his newest production, Four Quartets, featuring T.S Eliot’s finest poems....
May 27, 2021Touching The Void - Bristol Old Vic REVIEWThe line from Bristol Old Vic's Tom Morris of “Live theatre is back!” was met with applause on the opening night of the Bristol theatre...
May 25, 2021A Russian Doll - The Barn Theatre REVIEW Pre-covid we could watch theatre without a worry in the world, during covid it was all about the streaming and now as the world begins to...
Dec 28, 2020The Play That Goes Wrong - Covid-19 edition - Theatre Royal Bath REVIEWThe Play That Goes Wrong took things to a new level at the Theatre Royal Bath this Christmas. In fact, things went so wrong that the...
Oct 21, 2020Marry Me A Little - The Barn REVIEW The Barn Theatre has built itself up based on strong morals, a tight-knit community and quality creatives. For it to be able to burst out...
Oct 4, 2020Private Peaceful - Barn Theatre REVIEW The Barn Theatre is back and they’ve not allowed a global pandemic be a reason to let their standards slip. They’ve powered through the...
Aug 27, 2020The World Goes 'Round - The Barn Theatre REVIEWSince my last review of a live show a lot has changed, the theatre world has become worryingly close to extinction, industry...
Jul 14, 20208 ways to keep theatre alive during lockdown Missing theatre? Feeling like there is no light at the end of the tunnel? (That is an unintentional Starlight Express reference). I've...
Jul 3, 2020Hamilton - Disney + REVIEW Where do you even begin reviewing the show of the decade? Seeing Hamilton live in the West End in 2017, I didn’t feel like I could gather...
Jul 1, 2020The Grinning Man - Bristol Old Vic At Home REVIEW Referring to Bristol as “A human cesspool of inescapable misery” and then plainly stating that “Life is pain and then you die”, it wasn’t...
Jun 27, 2020A Midsummer Night's Dream - National Theatre At Home REVIEWThis week's National Theatre At Home treat was A Midsummer Night’s Dream and I must admit I was a little confused by the futuristic...
Jun 18, 2020Eugenius! Archive footage REVIEW How have I only just realised this has been released?! Eugenius! was one of those shows I would have loved to have caught during its run...
Jun 14, 2020The Wiz Live! - NBC - The Shows Must Go On - REVIEW With the Show Must Go On programme still in full swing, this week is in keeping with the current wave within the Black Lives Matter...
May 30, 2020Hairspray Live! - NBC - The Shows Must Go On! REVIEW The current rival of Hairspray in the West End is on pause due to Coronavirus… sigh! But that won’t stop us enjoying this high-energy,...
May 24, 2020Post-lockdown list: Shows I want to see once theatres reopenWith lockdown in full swing and no sign of a theatre reopening any time soon we are all pining to see our favourite shows once more. Here...
May 19, 2020Cats – Adelphi Theatre – 1998 production recording – REVIEWAs a child I had an Andrew Lloyd Webber trilogy of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat, Jesus Christ Superstar and Cats on VHS....
May 19, 2020Letdown list: Musicals that didn’t live up to the hypeIt feels like day 4732 of Coronavirus lockdown and I feel like being contentious… I’ve written out all my top shows I’ve ever seen so now...
May 4, 2020Frankenstein – National Theatre At Home – Olivier Theatre REVIEWThis week during lockdown we are treated to a viewing of the 2011 production of Frankenstein directed by Danny Boyle and starring...
Apr 28, 2020Love Never Dies – Regent Theatre, Melbourne (recording) REVIEWI can totally see why those who love The Phantom of the Opera often aren’t keen on Love Never Dies and those who can take or leave POTO...
Apr 20, 2020The Phantom of the Opera – 25th anniversary recording – Royal Albert Hall – REVIEWI have a confession. Up until this point, I have been a fraud. It’s true, I mean can you really call yourself a theatre fan if you’ve not...
Mar 15, 2020Ben Hur – The Barn REVIEWNot sure what Ben Hur is all about? Think ‘The Play That Goes Wrong’ mixed with ‘Spamalot’. The production, written by Patrick Barlow, is...
Mar 5, 2020Matthew Bourne’s The Red Shoes – Bristol Hippodrome REVIEWMatthew Bourne’s The Red Shoes returns to UK stages for the first time since 2017 to dance its way back into our hearts. This production...
Mar 3, 2020Once – Theatre Royal Bath REVIEWBased on the budget film, the musical Once picked up eight Tony awards during its run on Broadway in 2011. Now as it tours the UK,...
Feb 26, 2020Beautiful: The Carole King Musical – Bristol Hippodrome REVIEWSadly I have become somewhat of a cynic when it comes to jukebox musicals. I often leave them feeling a little rushed, confused and...
Feb 19, 2020SIX – Theatre Royal Bath REVIEWDivorced, beheaded, died, divorced, beheaded, survived… If this doesn’t take you right back to your school days then I don’t know what...
Feb 10, 2020Jeeves and Wooster in Perfect Nonsense – The Theatre, Chipping Norton REVIEWCo-produced by the loved-by-me The Barn Theatre in Cirencester and the new-to-me The Theatre in Chipping Norton, this production of...
Feb 5, 2020Blithe Spirit – Theatre Royal Bath REVIEWNoël Coward’s Blithe Spirit has returned to its home of the Theatre Royal Bath after touring the UK. This production was hailed a success...
Feb 1, 2020Richard Alston: Final Edition – Theatre Royal Bath REVIEWSet to close in April of this year, the Richard Alston Dance Company (RADC) is reaching 25 years of service to contemporary dance. Due to...
Jan 31, 2020The Importance of Being Earnest – The Barn REVIEWThe Oscar Wilde play, The Importance of Being Earnest, is already brilliantly funny and witty but add The Barn’s clever twists on a loved...
Jan 25, 2020Romantics Anonymous – Bristol Old Vic REVIEWLife is like a box of chocolates. There are bitter ones, sweet ones, strange ones that nobody quite understands and totally indulgent...
Jan 17, 2020The Book of Mormon – Bristol Hippodrome REVIEWI was still singing my way out of the theatre after the Book of Mormon when a leaflet was thrust into my hand. I look down and see ‘The...
Jan 11, 2020Kneehigh’s Ubu! – The Marble Factory (Bristol Old Vic) REVIEWPing pong fights, porangi politics and the pandemonium of participation performances, Kneehigh’s Ubu! has arrived in Bristol and it...