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Shirley Valentine
PHOTOGRAPHS: MANUEL HARLAN Expectations were varied at the New Victoria last night as the audience filed in to see the latest touring production of Willy Russell’s Shirley Valentine. Some expected a musical, recalling that the star had cut her teeth winning the singing and dancing role of Nancy for a London production of Oliver. Others… →
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Rent
PHOTOGRAPH: MATT CROCKETT I missed the original performance of Rent back in the late 90s and the subsequent film, although was aware of its impact and acclaim, so was pleased to hear that a brand new production celebrating its 20th anniversary was coming to Woking. The multi-award winning rock musical, inspired by Puccini’s opera La… →
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Gaslight
Gaslight is a classic Victorian melodrama. It was first staged in 1938 in London, played as Angel Street in New York, and has enjoyed revivals on both sides of the Atlantic. And here it is again, this time billed by the promoter as one of the greatest thrillers of all time. Perhaps it was in… →
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Blood Brothers
A constant interest to psychologists exploring the competing effects of nature or nurture on an individual’s personality is twins who have been separated at birth. Given their equal nature their different upbringing provides insights into the effect of their nurture. Willy Russell takes this theme for his musical play, Blood Brothers, but adds the… →
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The Story of British Comics So Far: Cor! By Gum! Zarjaz!
If you’re of a certain age and enjoyed what some might describe as the golden age of British comics, you should get yourself down to the Lightbox and savour their latest exhibition. It don’t ‘alf take you back. Never mind the fact that the title of the exhibition – ‘The Story of British Comics… →
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Wells’ War of the Worlds: A Visual Celebration
If HG Wells had stumbled up on a magical elixir of youth – of the kind he might have written about in one of his sci-fi novels – he would have been 150 years old this year. Sadly he did not – but in the absence of the great man, Woking is celebrating the birth… →
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Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
Here’s the idea. Take a children’s story, get the Sherman brothers to write some memorable music and lyrics and then introduce some sophisticated choreography from Stephen Mear and you’ve got yourself a hit that appeals to all ages. Well, based on the evidence of music and lyrics and the West Yorkshire Playhouse’s production of Chitty… →
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Pride and Prejudice
“It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.” Yes, as the novel opens, so does the play and therefore so must this review, as an opportunity to quote probably one of the best opening literary lines cannot be missed –… →
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Little Shop of Horrors
A man, a plan, a carnivorous plant – Little Shop of Horrors is the musical (immortalised in the 1986 film) based on a 1960 B movie that was shot on a borrowed set in two days and featured an unrehearsed young Jack Nicholson. I only dimly remember the 1986 movie, but have never seen the… →
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