Author Archives: garylongden

Crazy for You – Wolverhampton Grand Theatre

Posted on May 9, 2018 by garylongden

**** This was the first time I had seen this show. It seems as though it has been around forever, with the songs familiar by a process of popular osmosis. Yet upon conducting some dutiful pre-review research, I was surprised … Continue reading →

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Sarah Brigham – Derby Theatre

Posted on May 6, 2018 by garylongden

    As theatre reviewers we tend to focus on the script, score and cast of the shows we see. Production Directors are as anonymous to an audience as they are omnipresent to the cast during rehearsals. Yet their role … Continue reading →

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Not Now Darling – Sutton Arts Theatre

Posted on May 4, 2018 by garylongden

“Not Now Darling” is a 1967 farce written by English playwrights John Chapman and Ray Cooney, first staged at the Richmond Theatre, in Richmond, London, prior to a long West End run. It is  the tenth play penned by Cooney … Continue reading →

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Spamalot – Derby Theatre

Posted on April 18, 2018 by garylongden

  ***** This third UK tour of “Spamalot” opened in September 2017 in Blackpool, and reaches Derby as part of its nationwide travels. It is a brand new production of the show by Selladoor. The Monty Python team dominated British … Continue reading →

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Cacophony of Stardust – Al Barz

Posted on April 17, 2018 by garylongden

A poetry collection review: I have known Al Barz for several years, and seen him perform innumerable times. Live, he has a reputation for quirky, engaging, performance, an appearance is always an event. His first collection, Cacophony of Stardust, draws … Continue reading →

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Lynyrd Skynyrd – Rainbow Theatre, London, 1977.

Posted on April 17, 2018 by garylongden

There is always a temptation to view one’s youth through rose tinted spectacles. To be of a view that a time that was special to you, was special to everyone. Yet with live rock music, there really is a case … Continue reading →

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Football Grounds – memories

Posted on April 10, 2018 by garylongden

I attended my first football game in 1968, Doncaster Rovers v  Barnsley, as a nipper. I was instantly hooked, not simply on the game, but on the ground, on the atmosphere. What follows is a series of recollections of grounds … Continue reading →

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Rosliston Retreat Writing

Posted on April 5, 2018 by garylongden
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Joanna Skelt

Posted on March 27, 2018 by garylongden

    One of the unattractive aspects of growing older is that increasing numbers of people whom you know die. I was saddened today to learn of the death of a past Birmingham Poet Laureate, Joanna Skelt. I did not … Continue reading →

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My Ten Favourite Albums

Posted on March 19, 2018 by garylongden

Mal Dewhirst has been promoting “My ten favourite albums of all time”, along with Gary Carr and Jayne Stanton. Just ten was agonising. Favourite? But there are so many. How coud I leave out David Bowie’s “Ziggy Stardust” and “Low”, … Continue reading →

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