Christmas has exploded over Birmingham in a shower of confetti with the arrival of Nativity! The Musical, written and directed by Debbie Isitt. If the spirit of Christmas has yet to grab you, or you find yourself feeling jaded by world events, get yourself to Birmingham Rep this December and revel in the fun. There’s even a cute dog in it.
Mates blogger: Fairy Powered Productions
Fairy Powered Productions is one of over 45 theatre bloggers who are part of the MyTheatreMates collective. This page features Fairy Powered's posts on MyTheatreMates. Take a look at our full list of theatre bloggers and our aggregated feed of all our Mates' posts. We’re always looking for new theatre bloggers. Could that be you? Learn about how to join us.
Fairy Powered Productions is a website set up by lifelong theatre lover Susan Lindsay to cover news, views, interviews and reviews. A place for all things theatrical, it concentrates on the talent appearing in the regions as well as the West End.
The latest from Fairy Powered on MyTheatreMates
‘Can only be described as magical’: THE SNOWMAN – Peacock Theatre ★★★★★
Based on the well-loved Raymond Briggs classic, The Snowman stage show can only be described as magical. Having grown up watching the TV adaptation, the piece has always been an integral part of the Christmas countdown in our family, we’ve got the books and each year eagerly await it being aired on TV.
‘Daniel Jacob’s portrayal of Lady Bracknell is wonderfully hilarious’: THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST – Rose Theatre, Kingston ★★★★
As with all shows produced by The Rose Theatre, The Importance of Being Earnest takes a familiar favourite by Oscar Wilde and makes it even better. While using all the original language, the play feels incredibly similar to the comedy commonly seen in sitcoms.
‘Filled to the brim with passion’: ORFEO ED EURIDICE – Leeds & Touring ★★★★★
A highly-dramatic and first-class performance of Opera North’s Orfeo Ed Euridice was extremely well received with rapturous applause at the exquisite Grand Theatre, Leeds. This must be one of (if not the most) tragic love stories ever imagined; beautiful and disturbing.
‘Became quite farcical’: BOMBAY SUPERSTAR – Touring
The plot of Bombay Superstar transpires to be a bit of an unofficial biopic of the Bollywood actress Rekha. Rekha’s story has been subtly changed and some life events have been swapped with her then leading man, Amitabh Bachchan, for what I can only imagine to be creative/entertainment purposes.
‘Vigorous new take on Molière’s play’: TARTUFFE – Birmingham ★★★★
Many great comedies are reimagined and this re-adaptation of Moliére’s Tartuffe, originally commissioned and produced by the Royal Shakespeare Company made with The Rep, is very obliging to the audience. Highly enjoyable and offering a new radical take on the original book that was produced in 1664.
‘Funny, disturbing & uncomfortable’: RUCKUS – Southwark Playhouse ★★★★★
Jenna Fincken’s unsettling and unforgettable play about coercive control chronicles a relationship from meeting to the first act of violence. Funny, disturbing and uncomfortable – Louise asks us “Did you see?” – Ruckus at Southwark Playhouse is a brilliant production.
‘You won’t be disappointed’: THE MIRROR CRACK’D – Touring ★★★★
The Original Theatre Company is currently touring with a new adaption, by Rachel Wagstaff, of The Mirror Crack’d, from Agatha Christie’s 1962 novel, The Mirror Crack’d from Side to Side. It is a classic whodunit from one of the best crime writers, with one of her best-known characters, Miss Marple.
‘Great introduction to mystery drama’: THE FAMOUS FIVE: A NEW MUSICAL – Mold ★★★★
The Famous Five – A New Musical, a collaboration between Chichester Festival Theatre and Theatr Clwyd, brings a fresh vibe that sees writer Elinor Cook and director Tamara Harvey concentrate on family relationships and climate crisis as opposed to spies.
‘This is outstanding’: THE BOOK THIEF: A NEW MUSICAL – Bolton ★★★★★
The Octagon Theatre is currently home to the world premiere of the new musical based on the novel by Markus Zusak, The Book Thief. The play begins with an introduction from our Narrator, played by Ryan O’Donnell who sets the scene of Nazi Germany and follows the story of Liesel, played by Niamh Palmer.
‘You will still jump out of your seat’: 2:22 – A GHOST STORY – Criterion Theatre ★★★★
It is a testament to Danny Robins’ 2:22 – A Ghost Story at the Criterion Theatre that many people go back for a second viewing – this is lots of fun as you try to spot what is going on and notice foreshadowing. But you will still jump out of your seat!
‘Simply beautiful’: THE COLOR PURPLE – Touring ★★★★
From great American novel to star-casted film to Tony Award-nominated Broadway musical, Alison Walker’s The Color Purple has seen many formats over the years. A hard-hitting musical at the best of times, and a musical that needs passion, love and a cast to carry the story above and beyond. Like many in the audience, my only experience of this gut-wrenching story has either been with the book taught and analysed in schools or the 2015 new Broadway cast recording starring Cynthia Erivo and Jenifer Hudson – this new staging of the infamous musical is just as breathtaking as every adaptation I have come into contact with.
‘Highly entertaining evening’: TRUMP L’OEIL – Upstairs at the Gatehouse
Trump L’Oeil is a musical romp through the Trump years, played for laughs and employing many different theatrical genres to create the full effect of the chaos of the time. Drawing on surrealist influences, this is part cabaret, part circus and part queer theatre, with an equally broad range of music, from rap to pop and including a neatly adapted, storming version of ‘Puttin’ (Putin) On the Ritz’ – there’s even a hefty nod to Dr Seuss in ‘Marvellous Me’, the show’s opening number.
’An excellent adaptation’: DEMON DENTIST – Touring ★★★★★
This is the premiere of David Walliams’ Demon Dentist, presented by Birmingham Stage Company, one of the leading producers of quality theatre for children and families.
‘As clever, funny & heartbreaking as ever’: PERSEPHONE – Brockley Jack Studio Theatre ★★★★★
Arrows & Traps’ outstanding online films of reimagined Greek myths were a joy during the pandemic, and you should not miss the chance to see Persephone live on stage at the Brockley Jack Studio Theatre.
‘Something for everyone’: BEAUTIFUL: THE CAROLE KING MUSICAL – Touring ★★★★★
Beautiful charts the early years of Carole King from a 16 year old girl writing her first hit single, to her first solo concert in front of an audience at Carnegie Hall in June 1971. King would go on to become the most successful female American songwriter of the latter half of the 20th century, writing or co-writing 118 hit songs, 61 of which charted in the UK.
‘Beautiful & insightful’: HAPPY MEAL – Touring ★★★★★
Happy Meal is a show about friendship, identity and is ultimately a heart-warming love story, a lot to pack into a show that is about an hour long. This delightful two-hander is labelled as a joyful trans rom-com for the MySpace generation, and the roles played by two trans actors. As someone who isn’t a member of the LGBTQ+ community, I found it a really beautiful and insightful transgender narrative.
‘Highly entertaining, extremely relevant & very funny’: LONDON ZOO – Bread & Roses Theatre ★★★★
Farine Clarke’s sharp and scathing play London Zoo returns to the Bread & Roses for a well-deserved longer run. Even though the story is set at the turn of the millennium, the characters and situations are depressingly recognisable in the political and corporate world of 2022.
’An absolute gem of a solo show’: AGE IS A FEELING – Edinburgh Festival Fringe ★★★★★
Hayley McGhee has created an absolute gem of a solo show in Age is a Feeling at Summerhall Anatomy Lecture Theatre, Edinburgh. A day after seeing it, some of the lines (and feelings evoked) are still zinging around my mind (and heart). In other hands the concept of this show might feel cliched and presumptuous but McGhee’s mesmerising presence on stage and terrifyingly insightful script are beautiful, compelling and moving from start to finish.
‘Truly a thing of beauty’: Rob Madge: My Son’s a Queer (But What Can You Do?) – Edinburgh Festival Fringe ★★★★★
Coming of age biopic Rob Madge: My Son’s a Queer (But What Can You Do?) at the Underbelly George Square, Edinburgh is truly a thing of beauty, its life affirming and will leave you crying like a baby. Quite frankly the entire show needs to be shown in schools to educate both the children and the teachers.