‘Theatre is everywhere. It is regional. It is rural. It is poor. Now it is in your front room, it can be from anywhere.’
‘Fascinating exploration of solitary lives’: WILD GOOSE DREAMS – Bath ★★★
An always fascinating piece, Wild Goose Dreams detours constantly down different alleys to tell its story and gets overwhelmed by all the work’s devices.
‘Just doesn’t ever take off’: VIENNA 1934-MUNICH 1938 – Bath
What may have worked as a leisurely memoir, consumed over a period of a few weeks, fails to ignite in Vanessa Redgrave’s Vienna 1934-Munich 1938.
‘I predict a hit’: VANYA & SONIA & MASHA & SPIKE – Bath ★★★★
Jonathan Church has a showman’s eye for the popular and it’s a relief to report that Vanya & Sonia & Masha & Spike provides a strong start to another Bath summer season.
‘A bit more music, a little less plot’: CRIMES UNDER THE SUN – Touring ★★
New Old Friends latest Crimes Under The Sun, opening at the Ustinov before embarking on a lengthy UK tour, is, at least so far, a night distinctly under-nourished, under-written and under-rehearsed.
‘A bit more music, a little less plot’: CRIMES UNDER THE SUN – Touring ★★
New Old Friends latest Crimes Under The Sun, opening at the Ustinov before embarking on a lengthy UK tour, is, at least so far, a night distinctly under-nourished, under-written and under-rehearsed.
THE LITTLE MERMAID – BATH ★★★★
Writer Bea Roberts has subtly altered the tale within the overall framework, and as a result, you watch it not knowing exactly where it is going to end up. A happy ending is likely guaranteed.
MRS HENDERSON PRESENTS – Theatre Royal, Bath
A musical can only be as good as its underlying book – and in Mrs Henderson Presents, the show’s fable couldn’t be more strong or poetic. Based upon the 2005 movie, the true story tells of Laura Henderson, wealthy widow and owner of London’s Windmill Theatre, who sought to halt the venue’s falling revenues by putting on shows of naked girls. Britain’s censorship laws were fierce at the time, forbidding nude performers, but in a bid to circumvent the Lord Chamberlain’s disapproval, Henderson, along with close adviser Vivian Van Dam, concoct a revue that will feature naked women but in still life tableaux. The Windmill’s success was assured and as war with Germany broke out in 1939, so did the Windmill never close, always packed with troops enjoying morale boosting visits even through the darkest days of the Blitz and in its own way capturing the essence of British resilience.