Author Archives: garylongden

Live at the Brixton Academy- Simon Parkes

Posted on March 25, 2015 by garylongden

A riotous life in the music business As a teenager I learned the gig going ropes in London. The Hammersmith Odeon, Rainbow Theatre Finsbury and Wembley Empire Pool (as was) became regular haunts, as well as occasional visits elsewhere. It … Continue reading →

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Bedroom Farce, Sutton Arts Theatre

Posted on March 20, 2015 by garylongden

When you ask Barrie Atchison to direct an Ayckbourn play it’s like recruiting Jose Mourinho to manage your football team, you are guaranteed a safe pair of hands, and success. And so it proved on this, the opening night. Although … Continue reading →

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Boston Marriage, Highbury Theatre Studio, Sutton Coldfield

Posted on March 9, 2015 by garylongden

A three handed play, with all -female cast, by David Mamet, written in 1999. “Boston Marriage” is set a century earlier, the title being a euphemism, said to have been in use in New England in the decades spanning the … Continue reading →

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Hansel and Gretel- WNO, Birmingham Hippodrome

Posted on March 8, 2015 by garylongden

“Hansel and Gretel” is a Märchenoper (fairy tale opera) by nineteenth-century composer Engelbert Humperdinck, based on the eponymous Grimm brothers’ fairy tale . The first four rows of the stalls at the Hippodrome had been removed to accommodate a full … Continue reading →

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Solace of the Road- Derby Playhouse

Posted on March 2, 2015 by garylongden

Derby playhouse is fortunate indeed to be staging the world premiere of Siobhan Dowd’s novel of loss and homecoming which was shortlisted for the Costa Children’s Book Award 2009, the Guardian Children’s Fiction Prize 2009 and the Bisto Children’s Book … Continue reading →

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“Avenue Q” Highbury Theatre, Sutton Coldfield

Posted on February 27, 2015 by garylongden

I came to this production “cold”, knowing nothing about the show, having little regard for puppets, and a disregard for much American humour. Little did I know how much my theatrical spirit would be enriched and my views changed over … Continue reading →

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The Nutcracker, Russian State Ballet of Siberia, Wolverhampton Grand.

Posted on February 11, 2015 by garylongden

The Russian State Ballet of Siberia came to Wolverhampton on Sunday afternoon in the middle of an extended provincial tour showcasing four ballets. Although Wolverhampton is considerably warmer than Siberia at this time of year ( a good reason for … Continue reading →

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A Doll’s House, Sutton Arts Theatre

Posted on February 7, 2015 by garylongden

This production is the latest example of the bold programming by Sutton Arts Theatre. Straight plays always have to work harder to win an audience than other theatrical genres, and period writing has to work harder still. Yet “ A … Continue reading →

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You Tube Channels- Sarah Collins

Posted on January 18, 2015 by garylongden

As a poet, I regularly watch the You Tube postings of poets, famous, and not so famous, yet no poster has fascinated me more recently than Sally Collins, a singer. I don’t know much about Sally. She seems to come … Continue reading →

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Boeing,Boeing, Grange Players, Grange Theatre, Walsall

Posted on January 8, 2015 by garylongden

**** France has produced some fine playwrights of weight and comedy – Molière, Racine, Yasmina Reza and Feydeau, to name but a few. But its most frequently performed playwright worldwide is Marc Camoletti, author of “ Boeing Boeing”, a farce … Continue reading →

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