Category Archives: Behind the Arras Reviews

The Cat in the Hat – Lichfield Garrick Theatre

Posted on April 18, 2016 by garylongden

  This poem has had pan- generational appeal since it was written in 1957 by Dr Theodore Seuss. Its combination of rhyme, rhythm, fun and mischief captivating children, and their parents. Adapting the original poem has been a labour of … Continue reading →

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Mary Poppins, Hippodrome, Birmingham

Posted on April 17, 2016 by garylongden

  One of my earliest memories of cinema going as a child is a trip to see Mary Poppins. It was a magical story then, and that magic has endured. The stage show is not a transposition of the film … Continue reading →

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The Damned United – Derby Theatre

Posted on April 7, 2016 by garylongden

I did not attend this production as a neutral observer. As a teenager I watched Clough manage his great Derby side at the Baseball Ground, then later admired his triumphs with Nottingham Forest, found his television appearances as a pundit … Continue reading →

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Annie, Wolverhampton Grand Theatre

Posted on April 4, 2016 by garylongden

“Annie” seems to have been around forever, but in fact premiered on Broadway in 1977 making it a more modern musical than most imagine. Based upon the Harold Gray comic strip “Little Orphan Annie”, with music by Charles Strouse, lyrics … Continue reading →

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Look Back in Anger – Derby Theatre

Posted on March 15, 2016 by garylongden

  This is a very special presentation . Not only is it a 60th anniversary production, but John Osborne also worked at Derby Theatre, lived locally, and set the play in the locality. Legend has it that it was written … Continue reading →

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Party Piece- Grange Players, Grange Playhouse, Walsall

Posted on March 15, 2016 by garylongden

**** Although author Richard Harris is relatively unknown to the general public, his writing has figured in numerous hit television series and stage shows. For television, he was a regular contributor for forty years, from 1960 to 2000, writing for … Continue reading →

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Visitors, Sutton Arts Theatre

Posted on March 14, 2016 by garylongden

     Sutton Arts company is as inspired in its sourcing of new work to perform as it is in producing it. Having unearthed the little known gem “Mind Games” by Anthony Horrowitz last year, this year they have found … Continue reading →

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Bouncers & Shakers, Dudley Little Theatre, Netherton Arts Centre, Dudley

Posted on March 9, 2016 by garylongden

**** Dudley Little Theatre (DLT) are in their 62nd year of performing, and this production, one of four a year they stage, was a shrewd choice. Written by John Godber in 1977,  it has been subject to a number of … Continue reading →

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Figaro Ges a Divorce, WNO – Birmingham Hippodrome

Posted on March 4, 2016 by garylongden

Birmingham on a cold, early Spring Thursday night tends to offer a languid indifference to the world as it prepares for the weekend. But this Thursday offered something special. After a week in Cardiff, this was only the second auditorium … Continue reading →

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A Murder is Announced- Lichfield Garrick Theatre

Posted on February 24, 2016 by garylongden

The British love a murder a mystery, and Agatha Christie epitomises the genre at its best. The plays, like the novels, draw heavily for their appeal on period settings, and mores which may always have been more artistic creation, than … Continue reading →

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