Dial M For Murder - Review - People's Theatre

Dial M For Murder
People's Theatre
21st Jan 2020

To launch the new season the People's Theatre have swapped their usual post Christmas Agatha Christie for the equally suspenseful Dial M For Murder by Frederick Knott.
Tony Wendice married his wife Margot for her money. Margot, having belatedly discovered that marriage to a tennis superstar is not all she had dreamed it would be, has an affair with crime writer Max. When Tony discovers the affair he plots the perfect murder - gaining his freedom from a loveless marriage but keeping Margot's money.

In Frederick Knott's play the audience are in on the plot almost from the start. We learn straight away about the short-lived affair. And we know that Margot believes her husband knows nothing about it. We learn that she has gone to great pains to ensure that he did not find out - even so far as paying money to a blackmailer. But so many things don't seem to add up. Is everything quite as the audience is being led to believe - or is there more to this tale? Tony Wendice is a man used to having his own way. And he is a man used to paying whatever it takes for something he wants. He is single-minded, dangerous, calculating, and observant - perhaps obsessively so.

This suspense is played out entirely in the living room of the Wendice's ground floor flat in London. A simple set - sofa, desk, drinks cabinet...three doors - one to the bedroom and kitchen, one to the hall and stairs, and French windows to the garden. all three doors will play an important roll in the development of the plot. The lighting is sinister and dramatic and used to great effect with blood red backlighting from the hall casts shadows across as characters enter and leave the flat. Adding to the atmosphere is the quietly malevolent score, specially commissioned, by James Jones.

The characters are all very different, Alison Carr plays Margot, the dutiful wife who is clearly intimidated by her husband, yet we see a lighter, more carefree side to her character when she is with Max. Sean Burnside is chilling in the role of Tony Wendice, switching from affable host to scheming murderer in the flick of a red spotlight switch. Robbie Close is the cheerful, but lovelorn Max Halliday, who appears easy going but has the presence of mind to see through Tony and is loyal to Margot to the end. I couldn't help but feel she didn't quite deserve him!
Tony Sehgal plays Lesgate (or Swan, or is it Wilson?), the hapless opportunist ex-con, who falls victim - in more ways than one - to Wendice's plotting. And finally there is Inspector Hubbard. The down to earth detective who unravels the mystery. Brilliantly cast in the role, Emma Weetch bring a touch of humour like a breath of fresh air, puncturing the tension -  imagine a female Columbo, with more style and a London accent and you just about have her. As much as the music and lighting created the atmosphere and ramped up the suspense, she burst it and brought us back down to earth. She was the star of the show for me.

Dial M for Murder is a well directed, well staged production and a great start to the Spring season!
It plays until Saturday 25th January.

Denise Sparrowhawk

Equus - Review - Northern Stage

Equus

Northern Stage
30th April 2019

I didn't know much about Equus before I opted to review it at Northern stage. I knew it was about a young man who committed heinous crime, I knew it involved nudity and eroticism. I knew this because of the furore that followed the announcement that Daniel Radcliffe was to take the lead role shortly after finishing his stint as the saviour of the world in Harry Potter. I suspect that most people - none theatre people, I mean -  if they are aware of this play at all, are aware of it because of this. I admit that it was partly Potter-induced curiosity that led me to raise my hand when the offer of reviewing Equus came up. I was curious to see what all that fuss had been about, had it been justified or was it all just media fuelled hysteria with little substance. I wondered if the cast of this production felt pressured by the play's recent history. And so I arrived not knowing much, not certain that the little I did know was accurate, and feeling just a little trepidatious. I really was not sure what to expect.

The stage as we entered the auditorium was clear - pale grey curtains, around the three sides, a grey
floor with the appearance of velvety texture - a dappled horse hide, perhaps? And in the corner a small brown clad figure. Martin Dysart, child psychiatrist. The best in the field and, as it turns out, a man on the edge. Martin, already over stretched, takes on the case of Alan Strang, a boy who has committed a terrible crime and it is through his eyes that we learn the truth, as he gently, patiently uses his psychiatrist's tricks to draw Alan out. He talks to the boy, to the parents, to his friend the magistrate who brought the boy to him and gradually secrets are revealed. Not just Alan's secret, but those of his parents and of Dysart himself. this story is as much about the doctor as it is the patient. As he unravels the mystery of the boy's actions, we see that he himself is unravelling, questioning the very core of his being, the validity of his skill, of his profession. The doctor is as chained as the horses, as much a prisoner in a world of his own making as the boy is. Both are trapped, and as the boy gradually breaks free from his prison, Dysart seems pulled deeper into his own.

The play is full of religious imagery and symbolism. The jealous, vengeful gods, demanding worship
and sacrifice and yet capable of  bestowing the most agonising joy, a spiritual and physical ecstasy. It shows how the extremes and contradictions of life, and love and devotion can influence an impressionable mind, and how imagination and fantasy can blur reality, with tragic consequences.

The performances are superb, throughout. Ethan Kai is a brooding presence on the stage, glowering with anger one minute, and painfully vulnerable the next. Zubin Varla's storytelling skills are matchless as he chain-smokes his way through Alan's strange and disturbing tale. And this tale is told as much through body language as words - most notably through the horses. They are noble and beautiful creatures - played by the actors without props, they stand, regally flanks quivering and nostrils flaring and at no point do you think that this is a man pretending to be a horse. They simply are the horse. Ira Mandela Siobhan as Nugget creates the most beautiful, regal creature.

The play is compelling, and disturbing, unutterably beautiful and unsettling, painful and sensual. I have rarely been so entranced by a performance, so completely absorbed by it - I realised as the first act drew to a close that I had been actually holding my breath and sitting so still for so long that the movement and noise of the audience as the curtain came down felt almost intrusive.

Was my trepidation justified? Not at all. There is no shocking sensationalism. There is a painful and sad story, an horrific act by a desperate boy, and a powerful and moving portrayal of the events and characters involved. Powerful, moving, compelling, beautiful. None of these words adequately describe the experience that Ned Bennett has created for this English Touring Theatre production. It is sensational for all the right reasons.

Equus runs until Sat 4th May.

Denise Sparrowhawk

Dial M for Murder - Review - Royalty Theatre

Dial M for Murder 
Royalty Theatre
18th Mar 2019

Tony Wendice (James Errington), former tennis player, discovers his wife, Sheila (Abbi Laidlar), has been having an affair. Having married her for her money, he plots the perfect murder to rid himself of an unfaithful wife but still keep her money. He "persuades" an old school housemate (Lee Wilkins) with a chequered past,  to execute the plan, and even enlists his wife's former lover Max (Alex Goodchild) to act - unknowingly - as his alibi. However, despite his careful planning not everything goes as expected and things soon begin to unravel. He manages to turn the situation back to his advantage but has not bargained on the tenacity of Max, or the investigating officer Inspector Hubbard (John Appleton).

This is a dialogue heavy play, with the history of the characters' relationships having to be explained so that the audience understands their current situation. It is a play of words rather than action - suspense builds as the audience learns each character's story and viewpoint. Sheila believes her once faltering marriage is now safe and stable; Max still loves Shelia despite her loyalty to Tony; Tony is devious, deceptive, self absorbed and unforgiving. James Errington plays the part with skill - wearing a mask of friendly civility which slips to reveal his cold, sneering true self the minute he is not being observed (the audience almost booed, but we contented ourselves with a sharp intake of breath and a collective "oooh!").

The tension is relieved with occasional touches of humour - Max wearing Tony's too small dinner jacket, Insp. Hubbard asking Shelia to hold off on her breakdown for a few minutes...

Direction from Billy Towers and Olivia Bowern allows the actors to give the audience glimpses of the true situation while their characters remain unaware, and makes the most of the nuances of the script. 

Lighting and sound are sharp - with excellent use of music appropriate to the period, both before and during the play. There were a couple of prop malfunctions on the night, and one or two stumbled lines - but the manner in which cast and technical team cope with these is always a good measure of  a production and they were covered skilfully,

with a degree of aplomb and a smattering of good humour. I'm sure first night nerves will calm as the week progresses and performances will be smoother.

One downside was the rather laboured footsteps to the door - while there had to be the sound of approaching footsteps, it seems every character regardless of build, has the same heavy footed tread which detracted from the seriousness of the moment and tended to puncture some of the tension at a point where it ought to be taut. But this is a minor quibble in what is an entertaining, and on the whole suspenseful production - and it does have a nicely revealed twist at the end and sharp curtain drop finish. 

Strong performances from the cast - in particular James Errington and Alex Goodchild - and excellent technical support make this well worth seeing. It plays until Sat 23rd March. Tickets can be booked in advance via the website or purchased on the door. 

Denise Sparrowhawk 

Preview - Mary Mary - Royalty Theatre

ROYALTY THEATRE BEGIN 2019 WITH JACK THE RIPPER-THEMED MARY MARY.

The Royalty Theatre will begin 2019 with the premier of local writer Billy Tower’s Mary Mary.

The play is based around the life of Mary Kelly, considered by many to be the fifth and final victim of Whitechapel killer Jack the Ripper.    Little is known of Mary Kelly’s life before she came to reside in Whitechapel – making her by far the most mysterious of the serial killer’s alleged victims.

Director Abbi Laidler says: “It is a fictional account of factual events and I try to explore how those events had an impact on the Whitechapel community and Mary Kelly in particular. The victims have been reduced to names in police files, but these women had lives that are often overlooked in the search for the killer. I am not interested in naming the killer in this play, I am using Mary to focus on how these events affected her as an individual.  I really hope you enjoy this show written by the talented Billy Towers.”

The play, which runs from 23^rd to 26^th January, stars Nikki Slack as Mary and Andrew Barella as Joseph Barnett.  Also appearing are Helen Bowie and Alex Goodchild.

Being performed in the Royalty’s studio theatre, which last year saw performances of Five Kinds of Silence, Temple and new piece Jesu Mercy, all tickets are £6.50 and are strictly limited to 60 per evening.

Over the years I have been reviewing I have come to relish the intimacy and immediacy  of a studio production. Performed in a small space these productions can have a greater impact on the audience members than plays performed in the larger auditorium.  The close proximity of the audience to the stage - often in the round - creates a sense of involvement and increases the intensity of the experience. There is no where to hide when emotions begin to run high. 

 Often studio productions are plays by established writers which  explore difficult themes, or they may be new works by writers testing their wings. Mary Mary is a combination of a new work by a local writer, and an exploration of a difficult subject. It sounds fascinating and I am looking forward to experiencing it. 

Tickets can be booked via www.ticketsource.co.uk/royaltytheatre or on 0333 666 3366 and I recommend purchasing in advance to avoid disappointment - Friday and Saturday are already sold out. 

DS

Season Preview - Royalty Theatre

ROYALTY THEATRE ANNOUNCES 2018/19 SEASON 

The Royalty Theatre have announced the programme for their 2018/19 season, and it is a strong programme with a great mix of plays which we are very much looking forward to!

They begin a packed season with classic comedy No Sex Please, We’re British. 

The farce by Alistair Foot and Anthony Marriott kicks off a season that theatre bosses believe has something for everyone.  It’s joined in the comedy stakes by May’s Barefoot in the Park, the film version of which starred Robert Redford and Jane Fonda.

For fans of suspense drama, Daphne du Maurier’s My Cousin Rachel will be performed in October and November, and the time-honoured favourite Dial M for Murder is the Royalty’s March offering.  Hobson’s Choice in February and Jane Austen’s Emma in June add to the drama.

The annual pantomime this year is Jack and The Beanstalk by local writer David Farn.

Once again, the studio is put to use for intimate small scale productions with the premier in  January of Billy Towers’ Mary, Mary, based on the life of Jack the Ripper victim Mary Kelly.  April’s studio production is John Godber and Jane Thornton’s Shakers (Re-stirred)

Thanks to the popularity of last year’s A Night at the Musicals, The Royalty are reprising this for two nights only on September 7^th and 8^th.

Visiting companies include Pink Floyd tribute act What the Floyd, appearing on 5^th October.  Sunderland Stages return to the Royalty with Red Ladder Theatre’s The Damned United, the story of Sunderland and Middlesbrough legend Brian Clough’s ill-fated 44 days at Leeds United, on 13^th and 14^th November.

Artistic Director Nikki Slack says, “We’re now raring to go for the 2018-19 season. We have a year packed with a range of diverse plays that will appeal to all. Recent media has been much focussed on equality and ‘Girl Power’ is certainly coming back with a bang! Our programme of plays this coming season shines the spotlight on our female talent from more female-centred plays to our female directors and technicians.”

Tickets are on sale now at www.ticketsource.co.uk/royaltytheatre.  
Tickets for The Damned United are available from the Sunderland Stages website.

Preview - Five Kinds of Silence - Royalty Theatre

ROYALTY THEATRE TO OPEN 2018 WITH FIVE KINDS OF SILENCE

The Royalty Theatre will begin 2018 with hard-hitting drama, Five Kinds of Silence.

Written by north-east writer Shelagh Stephenson, whose plays include The Memory of Water and An Experiment with an Air Pump, the play portrays a family living in fear of abusive husband and father Billy.  His wife Mary, and daughters Susan and Janet, have suffered his abuse for years, but have remained silent – until events take a tragic turn.

Director James Errington says, “I fell in love with this show the first time I read it; it’s dark, gritty and very powerful.  It's a pleasure to be able to direct such a play”.

Originally a radio play, the production will take place in the Royalty’s studio theatre, their first studio production since the sell-out The Vagina Monologues in 2015.

A strong cast includes Lorna Breeze, Helen Bowie and newcomer Becky Watson as the women of the family, and Andrew Barella as Billy.  Emma McLeary and Sean Landless, another Royalty debutante, also star.

Due to the play’s candid discussion of sexual abuse, the Royalty do not recommend the play for anybody 16 or under, though this is purely advisory and not a strict limit.

Five Kinds of Silence runs from 24-27th Jan. Tickets can be booked via www.ticketsource.co.uk/royaltytheatre or on 0333 666 3366, and are priced at £6.50 plus booking fee.   

Plays remaining this season are Rabbit Hole (19-24 Feb), Jeeves and Wooster in ‘Perfect Nonsense’ (19-24 Mar), Temple (25-28 April), Move Over Mrs Markham (21-26 May) and The Wind in the Willows (25-30 June). Tickets for these shows are £8 (£6.50 conc) plus booking fee. 

The Snowman -film review-

Review of film... The Snowman 

Boldon Cineworld 

October 18th 2017

The first thing to mention about this film is that whilst it may share the same title as the beautiful, heartwarming yet heartbreakingly sad in moments animated film by Raymond Briggs, that's pretty much where the similarity ends.

Set in a powdery, snowy and extremely picturesque Oslo, Norway, this character driven film is adapted from the book written by Norwegian writer Jo Nesbo. It's a British crime thriller film version of the ever increasingly popular Nordic Noir. It stars actors including Michael Fassbender, Toby Jones, J.K.Simmons and an almost unrecognisable at first glance Val Kilmer

The Snowman is about detective Harry Hole (played by Michael Fassbender)  who whilst battling his own inner demons, finds himself in a taunting cat and mouse game with the person responsible for a series of grisly murders. The film gets its title from the macabre looking snowman that the killer builds and leaves at the scene of the crime.

From the very beginning scene and throughout,  the story is dark, haunting and the murders gruesome (it's going to take a while before I forget the chilling sound of one of the bits of equipment that the killer frequently uses )  and the landscape on which it's set serves to contrast this magnificently.

It also has its fair amount of both quirky characters and moments, which is just one of the things I think makes this genre so brilliant (it's been a long while since I heard the song Popcorn which is used to brilliant  effect in one scene )

It’s not immediately obvious who the serial killer is, so it's great for those that enjoy playing detective or who just like to be kept guessing. 

I thoroughly enjoyed this film, it's one of my favourite types and in no way did it disappoint at all. With the hint at the end that there could be another film to be made with a different case, I'll look forward to seeing the next one. 

The film released on October 13th is currently being shown in UK cinemas 

Belinda Bekki-Winter 

Rattle Snake - Live Theatre - Review

Rattle Snake

Live Theatre
26th September 2017

Presented by Open Clasp Theatre
Written by Catrina McHugh
Directed by Charlotte Bennett


Rattlesnake - a venomous snake, with a potentially deadly bite, makes a noise like a rattle to ward off its predators. Snakes are hypnotic creatures, not all are dangerous, but some are. The rattlesnake is dangerous and duplicitous, rattling to warn you that it is there, rattling to make sure you don't interfere.

James rattles. He rattles to control the women in his life, he rattles to keep the neighbours at bay. He rattles to protect himself while he destroys the lives of two women.

This play is mesmerising - from the start, as the two characters beat out a complicated, rhythmic pat-a-cake game, through to the closing scene of this story that has no end. You daren't look away, because you never know what might happen while you are not paying attention.

Rattlesnake is a fictional drama based on truth, an amalgamation of the stories of many women who have endured coercive controlling domestic abuse. Eilidh Talman and Christina Berriman Dawson play the two women snared by one man - James. Together they bring to life the horror and insidiousness of the control he exerts on them. The two women at times speak together, at other times they repeat each other's phrases, marking the parallels between the way their two relationships develop and disintegrate as James manipulates, coerces and threatens them into submission.

The set is simple and stark - the outline of a box-like room, table and chairs. The open sides are symbolic - despite external appearances the women are trapped, unable to escape a prison that most people are not aware of. The single overhead light flickers ominously, brightening and dimming as the atmosphere tightens, and bright floor lights flash like lightning bolts to emphasize pain, or danger or the sudden realisation of a truth. In the background a quiet hypnotic beat echoes the pat-a-cake game and the rattlesnake's warning.

This is superbly directed, produced and acted. The two actresses are utterly convincing in their roles. It is emotional, taut, intense.

Writer Catrina McHugh says "I believe Rattle Snake is important theatre, it takes your breath away and will change lives." Throughout the performance there was barely a sound from the audience - I think we were all holding our collective breath.

Rattle Snake is at Live Theatre until 30th September and then goes on tour around the region so there are plenty of opportunities to experience it. It is important theatre. Don't miss it.

Denise Sparrowhawk

Autumn Tour 2017

• 21 - 30 Sep: Live Theatre, Newcastle www.live.org.uk / 0191 232 1232
• 2 Oct: Rape Crisis @ Morpeth Town Hall rattlesnakerctn.eventbrite.co.uk
• 3 Oct: Teesside University, Middlesbrough 01642 738232
• 4 Oct: Sunderland Stages @ The Royalty Theatre sunderlandstages.co.uk / 0191 561 3455
• 5 Oct: Riverside Community Health Project, Newcastle0191 226 0754
• 9 Oct: Linhope Referral Unit (closed performance)
• 11 Oct: Trinity Academy, Newcastle (closed performance)
• 12 Oct: West End Women & Girls Centre, Newcastle0191 273 4942
• 13 Oct: Durham University
• 17 - 21 Oct: York Theatre Royal yorktheatreroyal.co.uk / 01904 623568
• 24 - 28th Oct: Soho Theatre, London sohotheatre.com / 020 7478 0100

Royalty Theatre - New Season - Preview

2017/18 Season Preview
Royalty Theatre

The Royalty team never shy away from staging plays that challenge their performers and their audiences. Their 93rd season is no exception. There are some dark and chilling tales coming up with a spattering of comedy to lighten the mood.

The season kick starts fairly safely with an Agatha Christie classic. And Then There Were None is widely considered to be Christie's masterpiece and her darkest tale. The tension and suspense builds throughout to the climactic reveal. Who is next on the list of casualties and just who is killing off the guests? And Then There Were None runs from Sept 18th - 23rd.

From Agatha Christie they move to Dennis Potter's Blue Remembered Hills. A chilling drama set in the Forest of Dean in the summer of 1943. Childish games take sinister turn. Not supernatural but definitely something evil here, a good choice for Halloween and Guy Fawkes week it runs from Oct 30th to Nov 4th.

Christmas and the Panto Season rescue us from the darkness for a spell, thrusting us into the adventures of Dick Whittington, and a more light-hearted battle of good and evil. Will the streets be paved with gold? Maybe, maybe not, but the stage will be paved with song, dance and jokes from 7th- 17th December. Oh yes, it will...

New year brings more murder and madness with a studio production of Shelagh Stephenson's Five Kinds of Silence.  This dark play explores the damaged relationship between a man and his family. Its claustrophobic atmosphere makes it a perfect choice for staging in the studio. It runs from 24th to 27th Jan.

February brings a Pulitzer Prize winning play - The Rabbit Hole by David Lindsey-Abair. This play deals with the nature of grief and investigates with drama and humour how different family members cope with loss. From Feb 19th-24th.

The second half of the season takes a lighter turn with Jeeves and Wooster in Perfect Nonsense. This Goodall Brothers adaptation of  this PG Wodehouse tale runs from Mar 19th to 24th.

Their second studio production is a touching and witty fictional account of the Occupy London Protests of 2011. Temple by Steve Waters occupies the stage from 25th-28th April.

From a very British crisis we move to a typically English farce in Move Over Mrs Markham by Ray Cooney and John Chapman. Two couples separately arrange to use a friend's flat to meet up with their lovers...confusion and hilarity ensue between 21st - 26th May.

The final show of the season is Mike Kenney's adaptation of The Wind in the Willows. A great family show with Mole, Badger, Ratty and of course, Toad of Toad Hall. Explore the Wild Wood with them from 25th -30th June.

As well as the main programme, there are a number of one off performances including a concert by soprano Joanna Forest and an Open Clasp production of Rattle Snake from Sunderland Stages in October,  and in July there is the opportunity to see work by Lee Stewart, one of the Royalty's regular actor/directors as they stage his latest play There's Someone Coming Through.


All the details are available on the Royalty website. Tickets are available now and can be booked online or in person at the box office - times and dates are listed on the site. At under a tenner a ticket it's a night at the theatre that won't break the bank.

Denise Sparrowhawk

Oliver Twist - Royalty Theatre - Review

Oliver Twist
Royalty Theatre
19th June 2017


The Royalty's season finale is an adaptation by Jeremy Brock of Dickens' much loved tale of Oliver Twist.
A challenging play to stage for an amateur stage society - not least because of the association most people will have with the Lionel Bart musical, and the preconceptions that will bring. Fortunately the setting on stage has more in common with recent televised Dickens drama - with their dismal, murky interiors than with the old fashioned Hollywood musical style. Dicken's works are filled with dark settings, and larger than life characters. It's a big ask to find actors for all the parts and the Royalty cast list is 21 strong with many doubling up (I advise buying a programme to keep track of them all).


Just as some of the actors are playing more than one part, so too is the stage - all the scenes are played out on just one set. This is cleverly conceived and manages to serve as the workhouse, the undertakers shop, Fagin's lair, the courthouse and the house in Chertsey, as well as various London Streets. It's a tall order, but it works well, giving the flavour of Dicken's world rather than the actuality, and avoids any cumbersome scenery changes. Lighting is used to great effect - with spotlights highlighting characters and leaving the rest of the stage in darkness where the background scenery would be a distraction. Characters enter from either side, and from the top of two stairways as if from the alleyways of London, the corridors of the Workhouse, and from a set of double doors at the back of the stage for the grand entrances. This creates a sense of space beyond the stage with characters arriving from different directions and on different levels.

These characters are the usual mix of good, bad, ugly and beautiful people from Dicken's imagination. They are in some sense caricatures of humanity and some play this aspect to its fullest - David Armstrong as Monks is a kind of terrifying Ray Whinstone character as he delivers hoarse threats to Fagin, Bill and Mr Bumble, and Billy Towers' Fagin limps and shuffles his way through the play with false camaraderie and obsequious double talking. Bill Sikes, played by Jordan Carling is not the most dislikeable character in the play, he comes across as a hard desperate man but there is a sense of lostness about him which is evident in the short scene after the botched burglary where Bill, recovering from a fever, reveals his dependence on Nancy (Abbi Laidlar). Nancy, in her bright red dress provides a rare splash of colour. It's also indicative of her fate, a bloody death for trying to bring Oliver out of the dark existence that Fagin, Bill and Monks have set for him.

Oliver Twist, of course is the face of real beauty and true innocence and is played by Becky Lindsay - casting a girl as the lead character is another clever move, as it does give Oliver that unusually sweet appearance.

 Artful Dodger looks the part in his dapper tails and his top hat poised at such a precariously jaunty angle that I worried he would lose it off at some point.  I did wonder if actor Aidan Evans had similar concerns as he lounged rather nonchalantly against scenery, however he displays some pretty fancy footwork in the demonstration of "The Game" to Oliver and his hat stays safely in place!


There is a lot of story to fit into a short time with this play, and at times it is a little disjointed - there are one or two deviations from the book as I remember it (though I admit it is a few years since I read it). The sheer volume of characters and subplots can be a tad befuddling, but credit goes to Thomas Potts as The Narrator who comes in at opportune moments to introduce characters, set scenes, fill gaps and sum up.

This is a challenge to end their season, and they made a fair stab at it. Good fun, a few surprises and plenty of drama.

Oliver Twist runs until Sat 24th June. Curtain up is at 7.30pm each evening and a Saturday matinee at 2.30pm. At just £8 a ticket it is well worth a visit. Tickets are available online or on the door.

Denise Sparrowhawk

More Light -Review- Peoples Theatre

More Light
People's Theatre
9th May 2017

The new auditorium of this great theatre was buzzing with excitement for the production of More Light by Bryony Lavery.

The Theatre has gone through a huge transformation in recent times, and has created a fantastic light open area for people to congregate in before the show.

The show has a very oriental feel to it and hmm what to say about it??

The play takes us through an emotional journey with More Light and the other girls, as they find themselves in the inner tomb of the emperor without food and no leader.

They have the finest people in the next part of the tomb who are all dead before the end of the first half

This play is a group of ladies journey of self discovery!! After eating and killing all the men of course.
The cast is very big one for a People's Theatre Production and the lines are shared around greatly around the cast but some outstanding performances especially by Sarah Jo. Harrison who played More Light  exceptionally well and created an atmosphere from the start and has a startling shriek that wakes up the room.

The eerie silence is creepy and I was waiting for someone to say something for a bit too long but it did create a great atmosphere in the room.

This show you could say is a feminists wet dream. cannibalism and women fighting back and showing men what for, is technically what the play is about but it's also about the ladies finding themselves and creating a life which they find fulfilling.

Another few performances that deserve a mention are Sarah Scott who plays Pure Joy, Emma Jane Richards who plays Love mouth and Eileen Davidson who plays Many Treasures, these 3 help build a great story and bridge the gap between all the characters.

The male roles and there is only one really and he was played by David Parker fantastically and really brought his character to life.

The ending of the play is a bit to sudden and doesn't quite work for me but its a great play and I enjoyed it thoroughly and The Peoples Theatre Productions keep getting better.

Playing until Sat 13th May

Reuben Hiles

The Unexpected Guest - The People's Theatre - Review

The Unexpected Guest
The People's Theatre
17th Jan 2017





Somewhere in the remote welsh countryside wreathed in fog, a man blunders into a house seeking help. Lost in the fog he has run his car into a ditch and sought out the nearest house to beg use of a telephone and possibly a bed for the night. Unfortunately for him the house he finds is  the scene of a very recent murder...

The scene is set -  a fog of dry ice hangs in the air in the auditorium, on stage a room in darkness, a figure in an invalid chair silhouetted against the dim light from French windows. Someone knocks at a door, a voice calls out and a figure appears entering tentatively shining a torch into the room and speaking to the person in the chair. When no response is forthcoming he shines the torch at the person asking if he is asleep...he gasps and scrabbles to find a light switch. the man in the chair is dead, and in the corner stands a woman holding a pistol.

And so begins The Unexpected Guest begins. Richard Warwick has been murdered. His wife confesses to the unexpected guest but instead of phoning for the police he helps her establish an alibi and comes up with a plan to blame the murder on an old enemy. We have no idea why he would do this. he has no connection to the family - he seems simply taken with the beauty of the lady of the house and opts to help her. The alibi is set, the rest of the house are roused to discover the grisly murder and the police are called. In the morning each member of the household is called to account for their whereabouts at the time of the murder. Questioned by Inspector Thomas it becomes apparent that everyone in the household knows something more than they are telling.

The audience has the advantage of knowing that the story given by Laura Warwick and Michael Starkwedder (the unexpected guest) is a complete fabrication, and little by little we discover that Laura's confession is also false (that's not really a spoiler it is clear she is covering for someone, again, the question is who?).  So who in the household is the murderer? Everyone has a motive, Richard Warwick it is revealed was a despicable and cruel man, spoilt by his life of privilege and further ruined by the accident that took away that privileged life.
The characters one by one reveal their hands, the blackmailer, the lover, the all knowing "loyal" retainer, the downtrodden and the diminished family members. Each one played beautifully, revealing just as much or as little as needed to keep the audience guessing. Red herrings and false trails abound, and Inspector Thomas methodically works his way through the evidence - you feel certain that he will eventually unearth the truth. His doggedness is complemented by the the poetic Sargent Cadwallader. Steve Hewitt and Richard Gardner are a delight throughout, playing the two policemen systematically providing the audience with information, highlighting clues, revealing motives, illuminating character and background.

Other standout performances for me were Sam Hinton as the mysterious, unexpected guest Michael Starkwedder and Callum Mawston as the ingenuous, childlike Jan Warwick, though all the performances were well played and convincing. Jess Chapman and Vanessa Aiken have produced a tense mystery which leaves the audience guessing throughout. Excellent.

The Unexpected Guest is visiting The People's Theatre until Sat 21st Jan.

Denise Sparrowhawk
Photographs courtesy of Paula Smart

One Man, Two Guvnors - People's Theatre - Review

One Man, Two Guvnors
People's Theatre
4th Oct 2016

Pay attention because this plot needs concentration!
The year is 1963, the location is Brighton. Francis Henshall has just been dumped from his skiffle band. In need of food and money he accepts a job as a minder for Roscoe Crabbe, a small time East End hoodlum. Crabbe is in Brighton to attend his own engagement party and collect £6K from his fiancées father (Charlie "the Duck" Clench). This is something of a surprise to the engagement party since they believed Crabbe to be dead - murdered no less, and they are caught celebrating the engagement of Clench's daughter Pauline someone else. (Well, the sausage rolls were already paid for). Pretty straight forward so far? Wait, there's more. Ever on the lookout to make an easy bob or two Henshall accepts another job with Stanley Stubbers, a well to do crook who is hiding out at the Cricketers Arms, waiting for his girlfriend to arrive with the money for them to escape to Australia. This is where it gets complicated and you need to concentrate, Henshall has to make sure his two bosses don't find out he's moonlighting so he has to keep them apart. However, Stanley Stubbers is hiding out because he is the murderer of Roscoe Crabbe. The girlfriend he is waiting for is none other than Roscoe Crabbe's sister Rachel, who is currently masquerading as her brother in order to get hold of the six grand to pay for their tickets to Australia.

This play is full to the brim with everything from pantomime slapstick, farce, one-liners, and recurring jokes that just get funnier every time we hear them. It begins sedately enough, and if not for the lost skiffle band at the very beginning, we'd be forgiven for thinking this is not a comedy after all. But then Francis Henshall arrives at the party and the tone changes. Richard Gardner as Henshall bursts onto the stage in his checked suit, a stark contrast to the dark suited, somewhat sinister gentlemen at the party. His performance is full of energy and we are swept along with him as he tries in vain to keep his head above water and his two guvnors apart.

The whole play is a joy to watch - from the slapstick humour and asides to audience it has us laughing out loud. We begin to anticipate the jokes, knowing what's coming as Henshall invents his ludicrous stories to cover his tracks and trips at every step.

He is supported by a brilliant cast, Nathan Hussain as the flamboyant would-be actor Alan, and the vacuous Pauline played so well by Emma Jane Richards, Melanie Dagg as the savvy bookkeeper Dolly to name but a few.

Scene changes are cleverly covered by great performances by the skiffle band, with guest appearances by various cast members.

First time director David Downing has done a marvellous job with this play. It moves at a dizzying pace and the timing is spot on.

One Man, Two Guvnors plays till Sat 8th Oct. Come see it - you will chortle.

Denise Sparrowhawk