Review - Waiting for God - People's Theatre

Waiting For God 
People's Theatre
15th July 2025

As ever the People's Theatre have ended the season on a high, though to be fair, it you'd be hard pressed to find any lows!  Their final show of the season is an adaptation of the sit-com Waiting for God. Set in a retirement home, it follows the adventures of Diana (Karen Elliot) and Tom (Jim Boylan) - a couple thrown together by the vagaries of age and singledom, who are not yet ready to be "old". Tom is a widower, having lost his wife 15 years earlier, Diana an ex photo-journalist struggling to come to terms with an aging body that doesn't allow her to do everything she once did. Both have built up defences to keep people at arm's length; Tom goes off on imaginary journeys, Diana has cultivated a persona with more prickles than a cactus. They discover that they are unlikely kindred spirits, and they join forces to outsmart and out manouvre the managenmnet. They threaten sit ins in protest at the terrible food, they take off  on an illicit trip to Bournemouth in Diana's niece's porche, and they shock the staff of the centre by (God forbid) getting drunk and sleeping together! 

Michael Atkins adaptation captures all the elements of the original series, concentrating into just few
choice scenes. The writing is clever, witty and uncompromising. Full of  one liners, quips and puns,  it highlights the challenges of aging - physical, emotional and mental; the failing body parts, the social expectation or lack of - "old people" don't do these things. The frustrations of being treated like a child, and the fear when things do start to go wrong - falls, funny turns, problems with your piping (I'll never hear Aretha Franklin now without laughing)! All these issues are there but ultimately this is a positive, life affirming play. 

All of this is dealt with with such humour - sometimes quite dark, sometimes ridiculously physical, but always with integrity. The characters bounce off each other - the incompetence of the younger ones a foil for the sagacity of Diana and Tom. The four main characters give outstanding performances throughout, but keep an eye on the ensemble too as they sashay in to change scenes, moving tables and chairs (so many times, and with such efficiency!) in time to the excellent sound track, and watch for the flirting going on in the back ground at the hospital! These little details, easily missed if your're not paying attention, only add to the humour and to the overall sense of fun that runs through the play. 

Brilliantly done. 

Waiting for God runs until Saturday 19th and is an absolute joy from beginning to end. It is a worthy Finale!

*images by Paul Hood

Denise Sparrowhawk

Preview - Waiting for God - People's Theatre

Much-loved sitcom WAITING FOR GOD comes to life on stage in a hilarious and heartwarming new production at the People's Theatre!

 

“Don’t you ever call me a senior citizen”

 

The timeless wit and irreverent charm of WAITING FOR GOD, the BAFTA-nominated BBC sitcom, is set to delight audiences once again - this time on stage!

 

The outrageous antics of the Bayview Retirement Village residents are brought to life in this side-splitting and unexpectedly poignant production.

 

Opening on Tuesday 15th July at the People’s Theatre in Heaton, this all-new script by the sitcom’s creator Michael Aitkens captures his original sharp dialogue and lovable characters, while introducing fresh theatrical flair for longtime fans and newcomers alike.

 

At Bayview, feisty battle-axe Diana Trent (Karen Elliott) finds herself constantly at odds with the Home’s conniving manager. But when new resident Tom Ballard (Jim Boylan) arrives, Diana gains a sparring partner and ally, and the pair team up to deliver some hilarious comeuppance!

 

Directed by Sam Hinton, the production sees Diana and Tom get up to all sorts of hijinks, including a high-speed trip to Bournemouth in a stolen Porsche!

 

Head to the People’s for a night of laugh-out-loud comedy, biting satire, and a touching celebration of aging boldly and living life unapologetically.

 

Tickets are available from the People’s Theatre Box Office on 0191 265 5020 (option 2) and online at www.peoplestheatre.co.uk

Review - Steel Magnolias - People's Theatre

Steel Magnolias 

People's Theatre

10th June 2025 

Written by Robert Harling

Directed by Mark Burden

Cast:

Truvy Jones - Emma Jane Robson

Annelle Dupuy-Desoto - Ashton Matthews

Shelby Eatenton-Latcherie - Minnie Dobson

M'Lynn Eatenton - Anna Dobson

Clairee Belcher - Moira Valentine

Ouiser Boudreaux - Alison Carr

This week The People's Theatre are taking us back to the 1980s with the stage production of Steel Magnolias and the experience begins from the moment you take your seat in the auditorium. The stage is set to perfection as Truvy's salon, complete with sit under hairdryers, various bottles and sprays, stacks of towels, a coffee table strewn with beauty magazines for the ladies to peruse while they wait, and of course a ribbon curtain to separate the salon from the staff only storage area.

The opening scene sees Truvy (Emma Jane Robson) trying out a potential new stylist. The new girl, Annelle (Ashton Matthews) is nervous and worried that her styling might be too "poouffy" because of her nerves. Truvy reassures her that is is fine, she has done a good job and offers her the job...but when Annelle goes into the back room, Truvy quickly readjusts her hair. When Annelle girl comes back out Truvy carries on chattering to her as if nothing is amiss. Truvy reveals that today is a big day because not only do they have the regulars to do, they also have the daughter of one, Shelby, who is not a regular but is getting married that afternoon and so is a special case!  One by one the regulars start to arrive - their arrivals punctuated by the sound of shots from outside - this we learn is Shelby's father scaring birds from the trees so that the wedding guests will not be inconvenienced. Wedding nerves are a little frayed the gunshots are not helping. Annelle is introduced to them all and thye welcome her with friendly questions - but Annelle is polite but evasive questioned about her background. They are intrigued by her and suspect a story, but their curiosity is warm and concerned and when her truth is revealed they welcome her into their circle of friendship, and she fits right in with their quirky personalities. 

Each of the women in this circle have burdens to deal with - mostly husbands with varying degrees of useful/uselessness. Clairee (Moira Valentine), recently widowed is learning to cope with her husband, and without the status she enjoyed as the wife of the mayor, Truvy throws herself into her work in the salon as her way to cope with an idle husband and two challenging sons, while M'lynn (Anna Dobson) and Ouiser (Alison Carr) find ways to disagree over M'Lynn's husband and a boundary dispute between their properties. Shelby (Minnie Dobson) has to deal with being type 1 diabetic and everything that that brings - including an over protective mother! Despite their differences they are firm friends and they laugh and complain and squabble and make up again on a daily basis. Their friendship is stronger than their differences and has survived many fallings out. 

The characters are all larger than life but there is a truth and reality to them. They are well observed, rounded characters, full of wit and sass. This is undoubtedly due to the fact that Steel Magnolias was inspired by Robert Harling's sister, and the character of Shelby was based on her. He has clearly drawn on his experience of to create these southern women - fragile, yet with a core of steel. The cast and director do full justice to his writing. The women are gloriously practical, and funny - their humour cutting through any and all situations, making even the unbearable bearable. 

The play skips along, taking us from laughter to tears and back again. The casting is spot on; I can't imagine anyone else for each of the roles, and each one gives a stand out performance, but do watch out for M'Lynn's speech in the final scene as Anna Dobson's performance is heart-wrenching  - you will need tissues! 

I don't usually give stars, but this one is absolutely a five star production. 

Steel Magnolias runs till Saturday.

Tickets are available online at www.peoplestheatre.co.uk 

*photo credit Jess Williams

Denise Sparrowhawk

Previews for June 2025

June 9th Progressive Players present Pressure by David Haig at the Little Theatre, Gateshead.

The rarely told story of why D-Day happened on 6 June 1944, this tense dramatisation of  real events is set in Southwick House, the Headquarters of the Allied Expeditionary Force. Pressure follows the 72 hours up to the launch of forces for D-Day and the critical decisions meteorologists had to make that could win or lose World War II.

Progressive Players are taking the pressure off with a special offer of 25% of all tickets for opening night, on Monday the 9th of June. 

So really you have no excuse! Book here https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/gateshead-little-theatre/e-jkagxl 

The Royalty Theatre in Sunderland are going back to the 1980s with The Wedding Singer.  Rock star wannabe Robbie Hart is New Jersey’s most in-demand wedding singer: “Love is what I do”. However, when his own wedding plans go down the pan and he is left standing at the altar, Robbie's heartbreak suddenly makes him the worst wedding singer you can find. He ruins every wedding he plays at until he connects with Julia, a pretty young waitress who dreams of her own perfect wedding. There’s just one problem: she’s already engaged.

Playing from 24th-28th June, tickets are

available from www.royaltytheatre.co.uk 

Preview - Steel Magnolias - People's Theatre

Big hair, big hearts, and timeless friendship at the People’s Theatre in Heaton next week in STEEL MAGNOLIAS!

Photo credit:Mark Burden

 

“I don’t trust anybody that does their own hair. I don’t think it’s normal.”

 

In a small-town beauty salon in Louisiana, six women set the world to rights.

Each facing highs and lows in their work, marriages and parenthood, the women unite to gossip and unwind. And when faced with adversity, their deep strength and devotion to each other comes to the fore.

 

This celebration of female friendship was adapted into a successful film starring Dolly Parton and Julia Roberts. 

Filled with unforgettable characters and heartfelt moments, it will have you laughing at its whip-smart jokes, then crying at its devastating heartbreak.

 

Make an appointment at the People’s for this funny and poignant exploration of life, love, grief and sisterhood!

 

Tickets for STEEL MAGNOLIAS are available from the People’s Theatre Box Office on 0191 265 5020 (option 2) and online at www.peoplestheatre.co.uk

Review - Sides - People's Theatre

Sides 

People's Theatre

5th May, 2025

The People's Play Award 

Written by Alex Joynes

Directed by Ian Willis

Showing this week in the studio at People's Theatre is the winning play from the People's Play Award - an award that champions new northern writers. This year Alex Joynes joins (excuse the pun!) a list of illustrious winners, which includes recent Oscar winning Peter Straughan. The bar is set pretty high, so it is no surprise that Sides delivers an excellent evening's entertainment. 

Set in a deli sandwich franchise in Bolton, Sides follows the relationships between three people: Terry, the manager of the shop, Beth a delivery girl, and new employee Charlie (short for Charlotte, with an ie not a Y).  Right from the start the connection between Terry and Beth is obvious, as the joke and compete over a crossword in the local paper. Friendly rivalry and clear affection between the young delivery girl and the manager. Into this comes Charlie and there is an instant spark between her and Beth. 

Charlie needs a job, and Terry needs a new worker, but the interview doesn't quite go to plan and it looks as if neither one will get what they want, until Charlie breaks out of the uncomfortable "interview" mode and shows some real character. Terry explains his dilemma - about to retire and in desperate for a replacement - his only other applicants have been even worse than Charlie! And so a tentative truce is reached and Charlie takes up her post, learning the art of sandwich making, the "Uncle Del" way. there is a process and an art to making and serving an Uncle Del's sandwich. 

As the days go by, Terry notices the attraction between Beth and Charlie, and also that neither of them seem able to do anything about it themselves so he contrives to encourage them. They meanwhile contrive to get Terry out on the town for his retirement do... Reluctant at first, Terry runs out of excuses and agrees. After a few drinks things progress, and all three reveal something more of their hopes and dream, and their disappointments - with interesting results. Terry goes awol for a day, Charlie improvises with the sandwiches and Beth takes a step towards a more fulfilling job!

John MacDonald is completely believable as the avuncular Terry, with a passion for Uncle Del's. Hattie Easton as bubbly Beth delivers witty one liners, then stammering embarrassment, when she thinks she may have offended, but rises quickly to attack when feels she or Terry are under attack. Rhiannon Wilson as Charlie, is by contrast quiet, quirky, self conscious, but with an inner strength and it's a delight to see the character's confidence grow. It's also a delight to see the friendship's between these three unlikely characters develop. Three excellent performances, in a play written with wit and warmth. The production team created a brilliant set with attention to detail - everything from the blackboard menu to the condiments bottles was spot on. 

Sides is a gentle and humorous look at relationships, friendship and more. It looks at the way society can colour expectation, and how our own perceptions and fears can hold us back. But it also shows how, if we embrace who we really are, we can be who ever we want to be, and do whatever we want to do. 

There are two more chances to visit Uncle Del's this week - but you need to book in advance to be sure of a seat at the table! 

Check www.peoplestheatre.co.uk for availability! 

*Images by Paul Hood 

Denise Sparrowhawk

Review - Goodnight Mister Tom - People's Theatre

Goodnight Mister Tom 

People's Theatre

1st April 2025

Adapted by David Wood

Directed by Ellie Pullen

This week's production at the People's theatre is an adaptation of Michelle Magorian's book, Goodnight Mister Tom. 

Set in World War II, it tells the story of evacuee William Beech and his host, the gruff widower Tom Oakley. The two two each have their problems, both are isolated and uncommunicative. William is a victim of abuse, while Tom has withdrawn from life after the death of his wife and son some 40 years ago. Thrown together by the war, they both must adapt to their new circumstances and gradually a relationship develops between them and they both begin to heal. 

This is a delightful story of rehabilitation and resilience. There is the natural sense of community within the country village, juxtaposed against London where the community spirit has been imposed by the war. People look out for each other in London but they don't interfere, whereas in Little Weirwold the whole village actively support each other - whether the support is welcome or not! And it is this community spirit which wins through for both Tom and William - gently forcing them to come back to life. 

There are a lot of characters and a many scene changes within the story and the cast step up well playing multiple parts, and there are some lovely performances from the supporting actors, notably for me Zac Salah as the exhuberant Zac, who befriends William instantly, and Reg White as George Fletcher, whose friendship with William is not quite so instant but becomes just as strong. The scene changes are dealt with creatively, and with minimal actual changes to the set; the addition or removal of props to transform Tom's home into Williams bleak London basement, gravestones or a shop counter to show different views of the village, plus the creative use of light and sound to create air raids, train stations, and countryside. 

There is a lot to pack in but the production team and director successfully set the scene and develop the story and characters within the confines of the time and space available, recreating the essence of the original story; heartwarming and poignant. 

*images by Paul Hood

Denise Sparrowhawk

Preview - Goodnight Mister Tom - People's Theatre

People’s Theatre in Heaton present Michelle Magorian’s much-loved classic GOODNIGHT MISTER TOM.

As World War Two looms, young William Beech is evacuated to the English countryside to stay with elderly recluse Tom Oakley. This unlikely pairing gradually form a friendship, finding that neither are how they first seem.

Since its publication in 1981, Michelle Magorian's hugely successful first novel GOODNIGHT MISTER TOM has sold millions of copies and been translated into multiple languages, as well as being adapted for television starring the late John Thaw.

This stage adaptation by David Wood premiered at the Chichester Festival Theatre in 2011, and went on to win the 2013 Olivier Award for Best Entertainment and Family.

Wood has a hugely successful track record in adapting children’s novels for the stage, his credits including Babe The Sheep Pig, The BFG and The Witches. 

In this production at the People’s Theatre, young local actors Dexter White and Nathaniel Campbell are role-sharing the demanding leading role of eight-year-old evacuee William. William is timid and anxious when he first arrives in the village of Little Weirwold, but his friendship with gruff-but-kind Tom (Keith Wigham) helps him to feel safer, and come out of his shell. Life seems perfect until William’s mother devastatingly summons him back to London.

A testament to the enduring power of kindness, compassion and love, Magorian’s GOODNIGHT MISTER TOM has resonated with readers for over 40 years, and this is an opportunity to see this much-loved tale and its characters brought to life on stage.

Tickets are available from the People’s Theatre Box Office on 0191 265 5020 (option 2) and online at www.peoplestheatre.co.uk

Review - Pygmalion - People's Theatre

Pygmalion 

People's Theatre 
18th March 2025

George Bernard Shaw's Pygmalion has been showing at The People's Theatre this week and by all accounts has been wowing the audiences every night. We attended on the opening night and I admit to a slight trepidation. Although I know of Pygmalion, my only experience of it is as the musical adaptation, My Fair Lady. Would I be able to watch the play without wanting to burst into song at key moments? Or would the musical be so far removed from the original play that it be barely recognizable? 

I need not have worried - the musical version has stuck pretty closely to the original, and the People's team have, as usual, staged a first class production! Jake Wilson Craw plays Professor Higgins, in all his insufferable, self-importance and flamboyance. Jim Boylan balances him out with as the polite, gentlemanly Captain Pickering. Both of course get carried away with their own enthusiasms for speech and language, which manifest as the childish glee with which they undertake their experiment to transform Eliza. And then we have Eliza! Daisy Burden performs the vocal equivalent of a hundred metre dash with every sentence she utters - the words tumble out of her mouth at such a rate as she strangles ( Professor Higgins would say) the Queen's English selling her flowers and inveigling small change from the passers by. As Higgins berates her, and discusses her mangling of the language with Captain Pickering, we can see Eliza watching and listening and Daisy Burden manages to convey through her facial expression and posture that she is listening and taking in - if not all - then a goodly amount of what they are saying. Eliza Doolittle may be uneducated, but she is not stupid. She is streetwise, and being her father's daughter, she knows how to use a situation to her advantage. 

She transforms under the bullying guidance of the professor into a refined, well spoken lady. The men, of course, take all the credit and Eliza is given none. This leads to the climactic final scenes when she confronts Higgins, she having perfectly understood the social dilemma she is now in, while the professor, for all his education can not. The play raises issues of a woman's place in society, and the problems inherent in rising above her station, as well as the major issue of an unmarried woman accepting the help and support of a man. As a street seller it was assumed she was selling more than flowers; as a pupil of the professor, living in his house, it was assumed she must giving "favours" in return. Eliza comes to realise that the only way for her to survive is to be married. 

Eliza learns much more from Professor Higgins' experiment than how to talk and behave like a lady, and she learns much more from it than the Professor. The ending of Pygmalion is much stronger than that of it's musical twin and is the better for it - Eliza is triumphant, as she has always been, but now she knows it, while the professor still has not grasped his own lesson! 

The play itself poses some challenges for the crew. It is set in various locations from London streets, to various rooms within the homes of Professor Higgins and his mother. It begins in Covent Garden, which is simply portrayed with a sign and boards plastered with posters, behind two objects suggesting market barrows. When the scene changes, the boards at the back are swiftly and smoothly turned to create a living room, the covers on the barrows are twitched away to reveal a chaise-long and a settee. Similarly, the boards turn to reveal a bathroom. Members of the cast bring on or remove props for each scene adding in the various touches to transform the scene. 

This has been beautifully produced and was a joy to watch.  

Information on the rest of the season - the next production will be Goodnight Mister Tom - is available at www.peoplestheatre.co.uk

*images by Paul Hood

Denise Sparrowhawk

Review - Hangmen - People's Theatre

Hangmen  

People's Theatre

4th March 2025

Hangmen, by Martin McDonagh tells the sad tale of Harry Wade - the second best hangman in the country, Whose pride and ego get the better of him. Recently retired after the abolition of capital punishment, Harry is making his way as a pub landlord, surrounded by a motley collection of pub regulars who swarm round him like flies on a corpse, attracted by the stench of  his morbid former profession. A young reporter sees his opportunity for a scoop if he can just get Wade to give his views on the abolition of hanging...Wade makes a show of being principled and refusing to be drawn, until the mention of his rival, Pierrepoint. His hubris is such that he cannot bear the thought that Pierrepoint might beat him to the chase once again and the young reporter gets his story.  

Into this maelstrom of male posturing comes a stranger from London - Mr Mooney. He seems affable, yet his presence is disturbing and sends ripples of uncertainty through the pub. Mooney is trouble - we know it, but we don't quite know how, or why.

As the play progresses, Wade becomes more boastful, Mooney more menacing. There is talk of a miscarriage of justice, a teenager goes missing, a former colleague seeks revenge and things do not go to plan. Not the stuff of comedy, you might think, yet this is a very funny play. This black, if you'll pardon the pun, gallows humour, is distinctly British and we are very good at it. McDonagh's play presents an array of eccentric characters, in an absurd situation and with them he raises questions about the cruelty, the unfairness, and ultimately, the absurdity of life: questions that we might find difficult to deal with without the humour.

Director Matthew Hope's direction, has produced an astonishingly funny play. The casting is excellent. Ian Willis excels as the posturing "cock of the north" Wade, strutting and crowing for his audience, while Alison Carr as his wife Alice, punctures his hubris with beautifully acerbic commentary on his character and achievements, or lack of them. Craig Fairbairn, as Mooney, imbues the character with menace through a shrug, a glance and a sudden chill in the tone of his voice. 

You can almost smell the stale beer oozing from the set, and a selection of sixties songs makes for a very apposite sound track.  

Hangmen plays until Saturday 8th March.  Disturbing, and darkly funny, it is the People's at its best!

*image by Paul Hood

Denise Sparrowhawk