Terrific non Hollywood biopic, compelling, humorous and informative. there are some artistic inaccuracies ( Admiral Darlan’s assassination) but they are more than compensated for by the overall narrative arc, part one of a two part epic.
Part one covers the period 1940 to 1942, part grand historical saga, part suspenseful geopolitical thriller, and part biographical portrait by French director Antonin Baudry It combines key battles such as Dakar and Bir Hakeim, with personal moments , particularly his dynamic with Churchill
De Gaulle operates on three levels: opposing the German occupation of France amidst WWII battles like Bir Hakeim and student protests for freedom in Paris; challenging the Vichy government by attempting to take control of French colonies in Africa; and dealing with his allies while aware that France might come under Anglo-American influence. He must navigate complex relationships with Churchill in England and Roosevelt in the US. Actor Simon Abkarian’s portrayal gives De Gaulle a tragicomic, Don Quixote-like aura, with a stoic presence that highlights his stubbornness. De Gaulle emerges as a solitary, unconventional hero.
This was a warm up gig for the band’s appearance at the Rebellion festival in Blackpool the following day. This was my second gig of the mini tour, the fifth overall.
They have a core of gems which carry the set: Feed The Enemy/ Model Worker/ Permafrost/ Back to Nature/ Parade/ Definitive Gaze/ Shot by Both Sides/ Motorcade/ the Light Pours Out of Me. And so it was again this night
A Passionate Woman,by Kay Mellor15th– 26th Sept 2026
Summary: a period kitchen sink drama. Bogged down by a 30-year listless marriage, on the morning of her son’s wedding she takes refuge in the attic of her home where she relives her long-lost youth and a passionate love affair that she’d almost forgotten. Now surrounded by ghosts from her past, Betty finds herself torn between a man she doesn’t love, a son about to fly the nest and the memories of a man she shared a passionate affair with. A story of family, love and Leeds, that challenges the notion of what it means to be the family matriarch.Kay Mellor’s acclaimed drama premiered at the Leeds Playhouse in 1993. Running time around 90 minutes in two acts plus interval
Murder on the Nile– Agatha Christie 20th– 31oct 2026
Summary: based upon Christie’s book Death on the Nile, a murder mystery. Kay Ridgeway has led a charmed life. Blessed with beauty, enormous wealth, and a new husband, she embarks on a honeymoon voyage down the Nile. Fatal circumstances await when the idyllic surroundings are shattered by a shocking and brutal murder. Under scrutiny is a multitude of memorable passengers, all with a reason to kill. The tension and claustrophobia builds, as a shocking and audacious conspiracy is laid bare. Running time around 2hr 10 minutes plus interval.
Vicar of Dibley, Second Coming– Curtis. Paul Mayhew- archer 1- 12th dec
The play “A Vicar of Dibley Christmas: The Second Coming” is a festive adaptation of the beloved sitcom “The Vicar of Dibley.” It continues the story of Geraldine and her fellow parishioners as they navigate the challenges of running a village radio station and preparing for the Christmas nativity play. The play is set in the picturesque village of Dibley and features a mix of humor, drama, and the warmth of community spirit.
Quartet by Richard Harwood 26th jan -6th feb2027
Summary, a gentle four handed drama,warm and poignant- Ronald Harwood’s 1999 play ‘Quartet’
Set in a retirement home for opera singers and musicians – possibly based on a combination of Casa Verdi in Milan and Denville Hall on the outskirts of North London (though that is more specifically for actors) – the characters tell their own tales as they look at their past as performers, their present retirement and the future. The narrative is almost four stories told at the same time with the occasional cross-over and clash, before coming together at the end.
Wilfred, Reginald and Cecily are jogging along quite merrily when everything changes with the arrival of the formidable Jean. The newcomer doesn’t want to be in a home, doesn’t want to relive her past, and doesn’t want to partake in the annual celebration of Giuseppe Verdi; but the others have different ideas. It is the old relationships and lives they have lead which creates the, ultimately, warm-hearted and poignant plot of the play.
A gentle and hugely entertaining play which is uplifting positive .
Good by CP Taylor 2nd -13th March
“Good,” written by Scottish playwright Cecil Philip Taylor (C.P. Taylor) and first published in 1982, is widely regarded as a definitive English-language theatrical work on the Holocaust
Commissioned by the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1981, it has been performed worldwide and remains influential for its exploration of morality, complicity, and the seduction of ordinary people into atrocities
Summary: a historical drama. Good is a play about the causes rather than the consequences of Nazism, about morality and seduction. It explores how a “good” man gets caught up in the intricate web of personal and social reasons why the average person might be seduced in to what we see as abhorrent. The author thus rejects the view that the Nazi atrocities are explained as a result of the simple conspiracy of criminals and psychopaths. Furthermore, the lessons of Nazism and the play are not just about the revulsion resulting from six million dead but are also a warning about popular movements that lead to holocausts. Not judgmental of its protagonist, Good invites us to question just what a “good” man is and does and where the bounds of responsibility lie
Sleuth– Antony Shaffer 20th April- 1st may
Summary: a murder mystery The play is set in the Wiltshire manor house of Andrew Wyke, an immensely successful mystery writer. Wyke’s home reflects his obsession with the inventions and deceptions of fiction and his fascination with games and game-playing. He lures his wife’s lover Milo Tindle to the house and persuades him to stage a robbery of her jewellery. This proposal sets off a chain of events that leaves the audience trying to decipher where Wyke’s imagination ends and reality begins.
Shaffer said the play was partially inspired by one of his friends, composer Stephen Sondheim, whose intense interest in game-playing is mirrored by the character of Wyke, and by mystery writer John Dickson Carr, whose stories featured complex plots and seemingly “impossible” crimes.
Brassed off – Paul Allen 8th– 19th June
Summary: The heartening story of a community standing on the brink – where music becomes a defiant act of hope.
In the heart of Yorkshire, the mining community of Grimley is under threat. The colliery faces closure, jobs are at stake, and with them the identity of a town and its people. At its heart is Danny, leading a band of brass playing miners who must find a way to keep their community spirit alive.
Enter Gloria, flugelhorn in hand, carrying both the past and the possibility of something new. As tensions rise, relationships change, and pressure mounts, the band battles to reach the National Championships at London’s Royal Albert Hall.
A powerful celebration of courage, camaraderie, and the big brass spirit that refuses to be silenced. Running time around 2hours thirty plus interval
Yes it is long, very long. But it is an epic so what do you expect? Anne Hathaway, Matt Damon and Tom Holland star in Christopher Nolan’s Homeric adaptation .
Matt Damon as Odysseus in The Odyssey
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At a time when cinema has apeared artificial and soul less a starry cast and $250 million arrives for this once in a generation remake.Anne Hathaway (as Penelope), Matt Damon (as Odysseus) and Tom Holland (as Telemachus), give their all in a production that feels like a legacy project for all concerned
Anne Hathaway as Penelope
The sea storms, the half-human half-swine creatures , Cyclops and Troy ,the Laestrygonians, the wonderful Circe all swgger in this non linear narrative.The imagery from the film’s cinematographer, Hoyte van Hoytema, is beautiful, and , stirringly real. The dragging of the wooden horse, by a cast of thousands, through the gates of Troy is like vintage Werner Herzog, while the eventual sack of the city is disturbingly savage, far grittier than Spartacus, Gladiator or Clash of the Titans. But while violence is on, sex is out
yes the story varies from the modern translated narrative , but loses little and the original was a compendium of classic tales in the oral tradition anyway. This simply resets it for the 21st century
Securing Emma was a coup for the Midlands Fringe, a stalwart of the Brighton and Ledbury festivals she had come to promote her new show and book ,”Mid Life Lesbian”
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Emma Clowsley is a Queer, neurodivergent writer, bringing rural Herefordshire to urban Wolverhampton.
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Performing niche content to a blended audience is always a challenge. Fortunately, her commitment to addressing Lesbian/Queer themes is matched by her determination to break down societal barriers. Crucially, she understands what makes a successful live performance . This afternoon that included gleaning material from the audience for a lesbian acrostic poem, and inviting two audience members to compete in finishing a small pot yoghurt, without utensils, using only their mouths to channel their “inner lesbian”. Event organiser Steve Pottinger gamely competed, surprising himself on his inner lesbian credentials. She effortlessly handled a rogue mobile phone ring tone too, turning it instantly to her advantage,
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Her poetry did not disappoint. The content was sometimes sexually explicit, not least on the joys of scissoring. But her best poem effortlessly bridged the diverse audience- “ How to Break a Heart”. To paraphrase Dionne Warwick – anyone who had a heart would understand it. Structured , immediate, and with chiming rhymes it stood out amongst the rest. Whilst proud, she also was humorously self -effacing, as unfolded in her poem “National Trust” which gently had fun with its lesbian stereotypes.
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Raw, but not coarse, honest and unapologetic, she was her own woman, drawing you into her world as seamlessly as a pair of M&S knickers ( a pair of which she had lost). I liked her. I liked her poetry, and so did the audience.
It is not often that I am able to see a World Premiere, but that is what happened this evening for the debut of William Ivory’s new play . Ivory’s previous popular offering was the screen play for “Made in Dagenham” . Once again he is at the heart of British culture and mores.
When I was a child I had a model railway, as I entered the Theatre foyer i was struck how the audience demographic mirrored me.
The set is surprisingly sophisticated, such that it will challenge future Amdram productions, both in location and computerised backdrops. LNER sponsor the show in touching community spirit
The experienced cast is unusually strong no doubt in an attempt to lever a transfer to London at a later date.
The story is Calendar Girls v Dads Army , a period piece of a bygone age, yet it contemporaneously examines masculinity, male friendship and the quirkiness of the human condition set against a backdrop of Brexit Britain and the rise of populism and right wing prejudice.
William Ivory’s comedy is inspired by a 2019 crime , when four youths broke into the school hall at Market Deeping Welland academy only to find a model railway exhibition. For a laugh, they trashed it. They did it because they could in intriguing juxtaposition to the modellers who do it because they can.
The dialogue is very funny. Adrian Scarborough as the Chairman, when attempting to coax youngBabutunde Aleshe to join the old codgers declares “We’re not old- some even pay for their own prescriptions!”
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The almost all male cast is augmented by Lucy Briers as the put-upon club secretary who provides much needed colour and shade to proceedings directed by Adam Penford.
A modern soundtrack incorporates Bowie’s Rebel Rebel and the Pistols “God save the Queen” with a playfully amusing snippet from” Theme from S’Express”.
When their layout is destroyed by vandals, Rod Stewart not only comes to the rescue with cash, but also provides some good laughs as the members take up his songs too. I suspect he was generous with his royalties requirement.
Sharp, witty, laconic, and playful this play will run and run.
Rumour is that Nigel Farage sponsored the show for £5m
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This was my third visit to the show over the yeard, the two previously had featured Alexandra Burke in the starring role.
The billed star attraction was Sidonie Smith, but for this performance understudy Mireia Mambo filled the heels of Whitney Houston.
I have no problem with understudy performances, often they showcase considerable upcoming talent, invariably the performers give their role, and their chance, their all. Furthermore I have no idea who Sidonie Smith is, so did not feel I was missing out
Based on the 1992 Oscar-nominated film, which starred Whitney Houston and Kevin Costner, The Bodyguard is a jukebox musical that features the music of pop legend Whitney Houston. The stage musical follows much the same plot as the cult classic film. However I was surprised both at how much I had forgotten from my previous vivits, and how much I noticed updates from the previous production
The Bodyguard is a rare jukebox musical with a plot, ( book by Alexander Dinelaris based on the screenplay by Lawrence Kasden). Director Thea Sharrock does a good job t putting the “thriller” aspect into this romantic thriller.
Adam Garcia excels in the eponymous role as Frank Farmer looking unnervingly like a Pierve Brosnan er James Bond. His naked torse scene brought gasps from the middle aged female audience as restorative vapours were invisibly seized.
Mireia Mambo takes on the Rachel Marron with the v energy needed to convincingly play a famous pop star. Unexpectedly the musical highlight of the evening was ” I’m Every Woman”, one of those magical moments when a supercharged live band and the vocals entwined together and reached the skies.
Adam Garcia’s comic vocal scene was funny and heartwarming.
Rachel’s sister, Nicki, is played by Sasha Monique, whose vocals sparkle frequewntly duetting with Mireia. The hits keep on coming ‘Queen of the Night’, ‘So Emotional’, ‘One Moment in Time’, ‘Saving All My Love’, ‘Run to You’, ‘I Have Nothing’ and ‘I Wanna Dance with Somebody’, are all present and correct. “All the Man That I Need” , written by Dean Pitchford and Michael Gore and originally recorded by Linda Clifford in 1982 is earth shatteringly brilliant. The signaturet “I Will Always Love You” , performed on top of a podium is now a little hackneyed, the reprise at the end of “I wanna Dance with somebody i” feels a bit mechanical- but the boogying female audience did not care.
The big musical numbers in The Bodyguard are performed concert style, complete with a cast of brilliant supporting dancers , Karen Bruce’s choreography is sharp the costumes eye-catching and sparkly.
The Bodyguard is set in the 90s, and now on its fourth major UK tour in ten years. It hs probably run its course. Without the star quality of Alexandr Burke to carry it, the story, not the music, struggled. Burke is now starring as Chaka Khan in a new musical which is where the charabanc will probably move to. I will not be seeing this show again.
This was my second gig of the tour. I approached it with trepidation. The first one at Birmingham Symphony Hall ten days previously was dreadful . The sound was awful, as was the mix. Charlie Sexton’s guitar was barely discernible the set list was clunky, Elvis was uncommunicative. I regretted spending another £110.
But hey, live music! Elvis bounced onto the stage with a cheery greeting, the sound was perfect, the vibe positive and two hour and ten minutes later he left to deserved rousing applause, delivering a reworked set with enthusiasm and aplomb.
Sexton’s guitar shone, Nieve’s keyboards sparkled and you could distinguish between the bass guitar and bass drum
This was the third time I has seen Bowie Experience, this night also clashing with the England V Norway World Cup quarter final clash precipitating a 10pm sharp finish.
Confusingly the band’s name still intentionally clashes with that of The Bowie Experience a band fronted by Laurence Knight whom I have also seen. Essentially the former outfit is the original band minus Knight, the latter a different band with him.
Bowie Experience has now existed for five years with Knight’s replacement- Oliver Slee. He is at pains to point out that the show is attribute to Bowie’s music, not an impersonation, that is just as well. Oliver’s Ziggy Era red wig makes him look like Janet Street Porter, the post Aladdin sane blond wig likening him to Adam Rickets
This show I enjoyed least of the three I have seen. Slee enjoyins a similar lean physique and as Bowie. Has a repertoire of David’s moves , but is not as a good a singer, a shortcoming most notable exposed on “Life on Mars?”
A video back wall has images which are either cliched or random projected onto it.
“Space Oddity” opened well for the first half featuring Bowie’s older material , a set I found more satisfying than the second. Tthe eight piece ( Slee on vocals and occasional guitar), lead and rhythm guitar, keyboards, bass, drums and two backing singers one of whom plays saxophone, the other a multi instrumentalist make a pretty hefty sound in their own right.
Although I loved the older material, as did the veteran cognoscenti, the eighties hits era fans were noticeably subdued.
The Man Who Sold the World was imaginatively rearranged featuring an exquisite sax solo from Sarah who should have been given more time out front, particularly during “Sorrow”, Suffragette City was surprisingly insipid, “Life on Mars” missed a powerful enough orchestration and suffered from a weak vocal
First half
Space Oddity
Queen Bitch
Changes
Sorrow
Ziggy
Moonage daydream
Man Who Sold the World
John I’m Only dancing
FIve years
Rock n Roll Suicide
Jean Genie
Suffragette City
Life on Mars?
Second Half
Rebel rebel
Station to Station
TVC15
Golden Years
Young Americans
Sound n vision
Boys keep Swinging
Ashes to Ashes
Fashion
Lets Dance
China girl
Blue Jean
Under Pressure
Absolute Beginners
Heroes
All the Young Dudes
For the second half, Rebel rebel was a great opener, but I found the newer material less satisfying. TVC15 is a great live number , “Boys keep Swinging” and Blue jean were awful. china Girl as a pop song i hate.The home straight of Heroes and “Dudes” was euphoric stuff with the crowd baying for more . The crows loved it, the second half, more than the first..
A full band concert after several solo excursions with material drawn from the early years. Elvis pretty much defines the phrase “musically prolific” embracing different styles, formats and genres at a whim.
I first saw him 49 years ago as part of the Bunch of Stiffs tour ( Elvis is a stiff!- ho ho ho), so I predate Steve Nïeve and Pete Thomas
When Elvis broke he was competing with emerging British singer songwriters Graham Parker and Joe Jackson. Both formidably talented. But it was Elvis who endured, not least because he wrote more good songs than anyone else
Opening the night was an hour long set of eight Squeeze songs and anecdotes from Chris Difford. He was very good and won a standing ovation at the end- a rarity for a support act.
Take Me I’m Yours
Pulling Mussels (From the Shell)
Up the Junction
Is That Love
Tempted
Cowboys Are My Weakness
Labelled With Love
Cool for Cats
A healthy looking and vibrant elvis then delivered a nuanced 100 minute set, albeit beset by sound problems
This Year’s Girl
Mystery Dance
Watching the Detectives
Little Triggers
Clubland
Beyond Belief
Watch Your Step
(EC solo, announced as a prototype for AWH, from which he later took lines when writing AWH.)
Accidents Will Happen
Opportunity
Lovers Walk
Hamburg (A Postcard)
Almost Blue / All or Nothing at All
Who Will the Next Fool Be
Lovable
Heathen Town
Brilliant Mistake
Honey, Are You Straight or Are You Blind?
The Angels Wanna Wear My) Red Shoes
Everyday I Write the Book
Less Than Zero
Shipbuilding
Oliver’s Army
Alison
No Dancing
Pump It Up
(What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding
It was a performance that divided opinion. The set list was excellent, the sound was often awful. Some allege that this was deliberate, in order to mask Elvis’s faltering vocal abilities. However on “Shipbuilding”, “Watch Your Step”, “Oliver’s Army” and “Opportunity” he sounded fine. Steve’s piano and keyboard were too low in the mix, Auxiliary guitarist Charlie Sexton seemed to be doubling up on Elvis’s guitar parts. Drummer Pete Thomas looked ill as did Steve, but his drum opening for “This Years Girl” was incendiary.
A reworked Clubland was superb, a reworked “Detectives” was a mess. “Everyday I write the book” was unrecognisable. I loved the new “Oliver’s Army” I could have done without “Alison” and “pump it up”.
I am off to see him in Manchester in ten days,. His set lists constantly change, his performances have always been mercurial. Cant wait.
Garyswordz 