Category Archives: Behind the Arras Reviews

Elements of Freestyle – Birmingham Hippodrome

Posted on June 15, 2018 by garylongden

This evening’s show was part of the Birmingham International Dance Festival 2018 and is the brain child of Artistic Director Marco Gerris who is gaining an enviable reputation as a stuntman and stunt co-ordinator for the film industry, leading his … Continue reading →

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Birdsong- Derby Theatre

Posted on June 12, 2018 by garylongden

The centenary of the ending of the Great War has prompted many tributes, some more meritorious than others. The eponymous novel, by Sebastian Faulks, first published in 1993, has established itself as a modern classic, a love story set against … Continue reading →

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The Grand Old Days- Wolverhampton Grand Theatre

Posted on June 5, 2018 by garylongden

*** A music hall variety show indebted to the “Good Old Days” format which was so popular on television fifty years ago. Vintage films were playing in the foyer to capture the mood for the audience. On stage, period photograph … Continue reading →

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Stomp! Birmingham Hippodrome

Posted on May 29, 2018 by garylongden

After a fifteen year run in London, Stomp is now stomping around the provinces on tour. What is it? Loosely fitting into the physical theatre genre, it is a musical without narrative, a street comedy without words. A professional production … Continue reading →

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Brighton Rock – Derby Theatre

Posted on May 16, 2018 by garylongden

Brighton Rock is one of the great 20th century British novels first published in 1938, later adapted for film in 1947, and again in 2010. This stage adaptation by Bryony Lavery is a timely reassessment of the work set in … Continue reading →

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Mountains: The Dreams of Lily Kwok – Derby Theatre

Posted on May 10, 2018 by garylongden

*** A play, playwright, and story, that were all new to me, adding a large dollop of intrigue on the opening night. The playwright In -Sook Chappell is a Korean-born, London-based playwright and filmmaker. She studied dance in New York … Continue reading →

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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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