Carmel ThomasonWhoever said school days are the best of your life never lived on the council estate in Lisa Whiteside’s new play, Goldfish. Growing up in 2012 can be tough, and sadly Whiteside’s bleak script paints an all-too-familiar picture for some...
Stars Are Fire may sound a whimsical title, but there is nothing dreamy about this moving new play from Francesca Waite. Here, the emphasis is on both naturalistic performance and dialogue, in a script that deals with heartbreaking circumstances...
If ever there was proof that miracles happen, then it is the tale of Susan Boyle. We all laughed when Susan turned up at Britain’s Got Talent and claimed that she wanted to sing like Elaine Paige. Then she sang, and we had to eat humble pie...
It’s 20 years since Jim Cartwright’s The Rise and Fall of Little Voice was first performed on stage. Unfortunately, despite winning the best comedy at the Laurence Oliver awards that year and going on to become a hit film with Jane...
In recent years we’ve seen many TV shows take to the stage, hoping to cash in on a ready-made fan base. The enjoyment is usually in a nostalgia trip rather than in the merit of the shows themselves, which tend to be a rehash of familiar...
Life was very different in 1968. There was no internet, no mobile phones and The Monkees was staple Saturday night TV. Thank goodness we’re not back there again, as the new musical, Monkee Business constantly reminds us. It’s a joke that is over...
Having a Hollywood actor in the starring role is always going to be a crowd puller, especially when he’s young and attractive like Zach Braff. Yet it is heart-warming to see that Braff isn’t taking anything for granted, and the effort is...
There are many musicals based on one artist’s collection, but it is rare to have that artist starring in the show. It is a tribute to David Essex’s genuine support of the show that, after an initial regional tour prior to a six month...
The music of the late 1950s and early 1960s has come to hold a nostalgic innocence, even for those, like myself, who weren’t around to enjoy it at the time. Many of the hits from that era have proved to be timeless classics, and continue to...
The basement of Joshua Brooks pub on Princess Street is once again home to JB Shorts. Now in its sixth season, the evening retains its winning formula of six short plays by top TV writers from Coronation Street, Emmerdale and East Enders. This time...