Carmel ThomasonFairy tales have always had their dark side, but judging from the recent popularity of Harry Potter and the Twilight series it seems these days that children prefer their stories even darker. In this context the Royal Exchange’s new Christmas...
Whoever 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 saying that truth is stranger than fiction was never clearer than in Linda Brogan and Polly Teale’s play, Speechless. Inspired by Marjorie Wallace’s best-selling book ‘The Silent Twins’, it tells the true story of...