______ 6 February 2025 ______ 4**** ______ It is something of a mystery why ‘On Golden Pond’ is, seemingly, so rarely performed, so when the opportunity to see this award-winning play comes along, one would be foolish to miss out. …

______ 30 January 2025 ______ 5***** ______ Light, frivolous and entertaining, ‘Present Laughter’ certainly is, but there is a deeper tone in Noel Coward’s autobiographical play which speaks of the insecurities borne by the rich and famous. “Have any of …

______ 23 January 2025 ______ 4**** ______ The transition of Damon Runyon’s short stories into one of the most successful stage musicals ever, is a triumph of skill, foresight and artifice. 75 years since it first appeared on Broadway, the …

______ 19 December 2024 _______ 4**** ______ So, the reviewing year comes to an end and how appropriate to have a production of A Christmas Carol as the finale along with a first visit to the Marine Theatre in Lyme …

______ 17 December 2024 ______ 5***** ______ There are many lists containing the elements of what makes for a good pantomime – or any stage show for that matter – you can tick boxes if you like. With Theatre Royal …

______ 9 December 2024 ______ 4**** ______ For the third year running, the comedy company, Le Navet Bete, are taking a central role in the Exeter Northcott Theatre pantomime; from the, frankly, dark depths of awfulness that it was a …

______ 6 December 2024 ______ 4**** ______ The 2006 film ‘The Devil Wears Prada’ was a huge hit, almost recouping its $35m budget in the opening weekend in the US and Canada. It has an enormous following. The stage musical …

______ 29 November 2024 ______ 5***** _______ If there is a more sublime musical experience than hearing a pipe organ being played beautifully in a sacred setting, then I would be surprised. I had the pleasure of reviewing Matt Walters’ …

______ 23 November 2024 ______ 4**** ______ Stage shows based on films are all the rage; Theatreland is laden with them; ‘The Wedding Singer’ is one of the lesser known and is based on the 1998 film of the same …

______ 14 November 2024 ______ 2** ______ The story of a young woman’s diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis is presented by Carbon Theatre and takes the audience through the early signs, the physical, emotional and mental challenges this condition presents. The …

______ 12 November 2024 ______ 5***** ______ Words fail me. In an attempt to review Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake again, it is difficult to know where to start. Celebrating 30 years since it turned tradition on its head, it remains …

______ 30 October 2024 ______ 3*** ______ The story of a young actor, Alex,  who, by sheer chance, finds himself working in Barbra Streisand’s basement shopping mall, is a gem of an idea. The shops all contain items belonging to …

______ 28 October 2024 ______ 2** ______ Tom Fletcher’s stock is immensely high; musician, composer, author…. McFly is still going after over twenty years and his children’s novels routinely hit the top of the bestseller lists. It is difficult not …

______ 22 October 2024 ______ 3*** ______ Robert Louis Stephenson’s 1886 gothic novel has been the subject of discussion; literary, scientific and psychological, for many years; the story of the duo personality continues to thrill. Adapted for the stage most …

______ 10 October 2024 ______ 5***** ______ Frederick Ashton’s 1960 re-working of the 18th Century ballet is a frothy, romantic, playful, virtually plotless spectacle – and it is an utter delight. As presented by Birmingham Royal Ballet, Ashton’s choreography and …

______ 3 October 2024 ______ 5***** ______ This is a review and it isn’t. Maybe it is a review of a revisit. I had the pleasure of seeing Past Tents at the Alma Tavern Theatre in Bristol in September 2023, …

______ 24 September 2024 ______ 4**** ______ Adapting the work of the Queen of Crime is a perilous business; tinker with the original works and you could fall foul of the millions of fans, and bringing them to the stage …

______ 17 September 2024 ______ 3*** ______ Opening at London’s National Theatre in 2004, Alan Bennett’s ‘The History Boys’ was an instant hit and helped launch the careers of the likes of James Corden, Russell Tovey and Dominic Cooper, to …

______ 16 September 2024 ______ 5***** ______ It’s bonkers, it’s barmy, it’s brilliant. Following on from Patrick Barlow’s take on ‘The 39 Steps’ last year, the same team have taken on Barlow’s version of the epic ‘Ben Hur’, a tale …

______ 9 September 2024 ______ 5***** ______ When it comes to stage thrillers, Ira Levin’s ‘Deathtrap’ is one of the big hitters. The 1978 play had lengthy runs on both the Broadway and West End stages. Many writers have tried …

______ 2 September 2024 ______ 5***** ______ Sometimes it is so refreshing to discover a play one has neither read nor seen on stage and Terence Rattigan’s 1943 comedy, ‘While The Sun Shines’ is just such a play to this …

______ 26 August 2024 ______ 4**** ______ With his 1972 play, ‘Absurd Person Singular’, Alan Ayckbourn had his first real hit. Far from being a straightforward comedy, the story is full of many layers and is, at times, far from …

______ 19 August 2024 ______ 3*** ______ Peter James’ thrillers have been something of a phenomenon, they sell by the bucketload and have been successfully adapted for TV in the form of the series ‘Grace’. In the recent past they …

______ 12 August 2024 ______ 5****** ______ Since first appearing on stage in 1977 and subsequently on television soon after, Mike Leigh’s play ‘Abigail’s Party’ has become firmly entrenched in British theatrical heritage. An exploration of the developing strata of …

______ 4 August 2024 ______ 4**** ______ The story of Arnold Ridley is extraordinary. Known to millions from his portrayal of Private Godfrey in the (still) enormously popular TV series ‘Dad’s Army’ and as author of one of the most …

______ 29 July 2024 ______ 5***** ______ Yasmina Reza’s extraordinary 2008 play lifts the lid off the genteel politeness of middle-class Parisians as two couples meet to discuss the fallout from an incident between their respective sons – one has …

______ 27 July 2024 ______ 4**** ______ Within the delightful grounds of the, sadly, derelict and fire ravaged, Poltimore House, near Exeter Devon, the scene is set on a beautiful summer’s evening (kicked off with a very short shower just …

______ 25 July 2024 ______ 5***** _____ As an astonishingly popular TV series of the 1970s, it took until 2018 for a stage version to hit the stage – with great success – it starred Joe Pasquale as the hapless …

______ 22 July 2024 ______ 4**** ______ Playwright Richard Harris has written some of the most performed plays in the UK – ‘Stepping Out’ and ‘Outside Edge’ to name the best known; ‘Party Piece’ is a much lesser known work, …

______ 15 July 2024 ______ 3*** ______ The TV series Yes, Minister and sequel, Yes, Prime Minister, were pivotal situation comedies of their time; garnering support and praise from politicians to critics to the man on the street. Running collectively …

______ 8 July 2024 ______ 2.5      **½ Opening in 1987 at an Off-Broadway Theatre, ‘Perfect Crime’ is still running; a younger equivalent to London’s ‘The Mousetrap’ (now in it’s 70th year!). More astonishing is the fact that (apart …

______ 1 July 2024 ______ 5***** ______ Written when Noël Coward was approaching his mid-twenties, it is difficult to believe that his hugely popular play ‘Hay Fever’  is celebrating its centenary having been written in 1924 with its stage premiere …

______ 26 June 2024 ______ 5***** ______ A year ago I came across Rendez-Vous Dance for the first time. The show was ‘What Songs May Do’ and I described it in one word, ‘Outstanding’. Following such a fulfilling experience, one …

______ 24 June 2024 ______ 3*** ______ A yearly celebration takes place in the seaside town of Sidmouth in Devon; the opening of the Summer Play Festival; 12 plays performed in 12 weeks forming the longest running repertory theatre season …

______ 20 June 2024 ______ 4**** ______ I have followed Cornwall-based Ha Hum Ah Theatre Company for some years now and their growth has been a joy to watch. In collaboration with the Minack Theatre, they are currently touring in …

______ 4 June 2024 ______ 5***** ______ The dinner party from hell is a tried and trusted setting for writers, from Shakespeare’s ‘Titus Andronicus’ to Graham Greene’s novel ‘Doctor Fischer of Geneva’ to Peter Greenaway’s film, ‘The Cook, The Thief, …

______ 20 May 2024 ______ 3*** ______ The 2011 film ‘The Artist’ broke many of the techniques of 21st century film making, playing homage to the silent era of cinema in its production as well as its story-telling. Covering the …

14 May 2024 ______ 3*** ______ There seems to be a plethora of small-scale shows around at the moment; tiny casts playing multiple characters, some based on classic stories and historical figures – indeed this the fourth such I have …

______ 20 March 2024 ______ 4**** ______ Cornwall-based, Miracle Theatre, have a long-standing reputation for inventive theatrical productions, often performed outdoors, so it is good to see them on tour to over 25 venues throughout the South West. Their current …

______ 20 March 2024 ______ 4**** ______ Traditional ballet at its most traditional and at its most sumptuous. Over the last few years it has been very difficult to ignore the sheer quality and class that Birmingham Royal Ballet exudes; …

______ 14 March 2024 ______ 3*** ______ I have a feeling of déjà vu. A month ago I reviewed a production of ‘The Time Machine’ – or a version there of – with a small cast playing multiple parts, the …

______ 12 March 2024 ______ 2** ______ I have mentioned before in my reviews that I have been a fan of the writings of Agatha Christie for over 50 years and the continuing popularity of her works continues to astound …

______ 6 March 2024 ______ 5***** _____ Yann Martel’s novel took the bookshops by storm and won the Man Booker Prize into the bargain. With many challenges facing a film adaptation it proved successful at the cinema before the version …

______ 27 February 2024 ______ 5***** ______ There are not many chances in life to see an artist perform who has been regarded as the best in the world. At 50, there are probably limited opportunities left to see Carlos …

______ 22 February 2024 ______ 4**** ______ There is something extremely heartening in watching a brand new theatre company take to the stage for the first time with a brand new show. Devon-based Stowaway Theatre have taken that first big …

______ 14 February 2024 ______ 3*** ______ There are no two ways about it, if you are a fan of The Drifters then you will be in seventh heaven watching this extremely slick and very well performed show. The list …

______ 5 February 2024 ______ 3*** ______ The taking of a ‘classic’ novel and turning it inside out and upside down and mucking about with it is nothing new. Neither is adding in an element of satire, parody and off …

______ 18 January 2024 ______ 5***** ______ Over recent years there have been a number of musicals produced which are primarily aimed at the younger audience; two of which come to mind, ‘Bedknobs and Broomsticks’ and ‘Charlie and the Chocolate …

CORMAC RICHARDS THEATRE AWARDS 2023     DUD OF THE YEAR I SHOULD BE SO LUCKY – THEATRE ROYAL PLYMOUTH (TOURING) ______ DISAPPOINTMENT OF THE YEAR CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY – THEATRE ROYAL PLYMOUTH (TOURING) ______ COMEDY PRODUCTION OF …

COMEDY PRODUCTION OF THE YEAR ROLEPLAY – MANOR PAVILION THEATRE, SIDMOUTH THE 39 STEPS – MANOR PAVILION THEATRE, SIDMOUTH PAST TENTS – ALMA TAVERN THEATRE, BRISTOL (TOURING) WODEHOUSE IN WONDERLAND  – EXETER NORTHCOTT THEATRE (TOURING) RUN FOR YOUR WIFE – …

Following a really mixed bag in the first six months, what would the second half offer? JULY The second offering in the Sidmouth Summer Season was BOEING-BOEING, the classic, if rather dated comedy of multiple relationships at the same time. …

______ 19 December 2023 ______ 4**** ______ And so the reviewing year that was 2023 comes to a close with GOLDILOCKS & THE THREE BEARS; THE GREATEST PANTO ON EARTH – so goes the byline; but is it? A panto, …

______ 17 December 2023 ______ 4**** ______ The day after seeing a below par pantomime production, it is good to report that things took a distinct turn for the better and something a bit different. Bridge House Theatre takes its …

______ 16 December 2023 ______ 2** ______ I start by apologising that I have limited information about this production which I was invited to review. There was no programme and the online information is limited. At least a seat had …

______ 7 December 2023 ______ 4**** ______ So, as Winter follows Autumn, each year the pantomime season arrives; a season which lasts an indefinite length as Spring and Summer pantos become more popular. This multi-million pound industry has become extraordinarily …

______ 4 December 2023 ______ 1* _____ The jukebox musical has become that bit too prevalent on the theatrical circuit these days. Some work really well, some just about pass muster and some plumb various depths. ‘I Should Be So …

As ever, this review takes in all the plays/shows reviewed and makes mention of those that have been watched without the reviewing hat on – though all may be eligible for the Cormac Richards Theatre Awards! Along the way I …

______ 28 November 2023 ______ 3*** ______ The ghost genre is one which is fairly thin on the ground theatrically speaking. ‘The Woman in Black’ has proved successful through its longevity, various versions of ‘The Turn of the Screw’ are …

______ 24 November 2023 ______ 5***** ______ It is not often you get the chance to see the same production twice within a week, but some shows are so well worth seeing more than once so close together. My main …

______ 21 November 2023 ______ 5***** ______ For those who know the film, the creation of a dance version of ‘Edward Scissorhands’ might seem odd, impossible to pull off… but when you are dealing with the genius of Sir Matthew …

______ 15 November 2023 ______ 4**** ______ Most people would agree that Margaret Thatcher was one of the most polarising Prime Ministers the UK has ever had. Was it just because of her policies or was her gender part of …

______ 8 November 2023 ______ 4**** ______ Directors of stage productions always take an enormous risk when deciding to stage a well-known piece of work in unusual surroundings. Thus the decision by English Touring Opera to develop the story of …

______ 12 October 2023 ______ 4**** ______ I should think it highly likely that eyebrows were raised when Director of Birmingham Royal Ballet, Carlos Acosta, announced his intention to work with heavy metal pioneers, Black Sabbath on a new ballet. …

______ 4 October 2023 ______ 4**** ______ So, I will admit, I have never been able to get through the whole of The Lord of the Rings – the book or all three of Peter Jackson’s films. I do have …

______ 19 September 2023 ______ 5***** ______ The 2015 Lincoln Center Theater Production of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s ‘The King and I’ does not feature the cast on rollerskates and has not been transposed into a dystopian land on the moon. …

______ 18 September 2023 ______ 5***** _____ Alfred Hitchcock’s 1935 film version of John Buchan’s classic story of spies, intrigue and adventure has long been seen as one of the best movies of its genre; there have been other versions, …

______ 11 September 2023 ______ 5***** ______ Noel Coward’s ‘Private Lives’, written in 1930, has long been considered his most seminal work; though it opened to mixed reviews, it has been the subject of much debate and discussion; what is …

______ 7 September 2023 ______ 5***** ______ Very occasionally, as a reviewer, you will watch a production and believe it to be totally unique; so much theatre is derivative or unoriginal in some way, but out there are theatrical works …

______ 4 September 2023 ______ 5***** ______ The Portland Spy Ring operated in the 1950s and early 1960s; a highly successful group of spies working for Russia filtering British military secrets to the Kremlin. The final breaking of the Ring …

______ 30 August 2023 ______ 3*** ______ No specific knowledge of the hugely popular cartoon ‘SpongeBob SquarePants’ is required to follow the musical, currently on its premiere UK tour; as I have none myself. First appearing on stage in 2016 …

______ 28 August 2023 ______ 2** ______ First performed in the 1960s and then regularly during the 1970s, ‘The Mating Game’ is one of a plethora of ‘sex’ comedies from that era; this one concerning a successful TV talk show …

______ 26 August 2023 ______ 4**** ______ Well known stories don’t come much bigger than ‘The Hound of the Baskerville’s’; countless film and TV adaptations have sat alongside stage versions over many decades. Transferring Conan Doyle’s great stories for the …

______ 21 August 2023 ______ 4**** ______ The ‘police procedural’ TV drama has, in the last few decades, become something of a fallback for those in the industry; the schedules are overloaded with them. Stage versions of the genre are, …

______ 14 August 2023 ______ 4**** ______ The art of comedy is, at its very basic level, to make us laugh. Farce adds further elements to the mix; freneticism being an example. British farceur, Ray Cooney, throws everything he has …

______ 7 August 2023 ______ 4**** ______ The ultimate backstage musical; 42nd Street hit the stage in 1980 and is based on the 1930s film of the same name. It is, in many respects, a jukebox musical with songs picked …

_____ 31 July 2023 _____ 4**** _____ Take an onion and gradually peel away the layers of skin one at a time; in this action you have the methodology of Richard Harris when he wrote ‘The Business of Murder’. A …

________ 24 JULY 2023 ________ 5*****   And so, Alan Ayckbourn’s trilogy ‘Damsels in Distress’ comes to a conclusion with the final ‘episode’, ‘Roleplay’ and with it, we are rather firmer in classic Ayckbourn territory. Young couple, Justin and Julie-Ann …

17 July 2023 4**** The second of Alan Ayckbourn’s ‘Damsels in Distress’ trilogy is a play where nothing is quite what it seems. Called upon to tend to a smart apartment, out of work actor Rosie Seymore finds herself propositioned …

10 July 2023 3*** First performed in 2001, Alan Ayckbourn’s trilogy, ‘Damsels in Distress’ was specifically written with repertory theatre in mind. Three plays, one set and seven varying characters in each, providing actors with a range of roles to …

3 July 2023 4**** Written in 1960, Marc Camoletti’s play ‘Boeing-Boeing’ became an enormous hit when it premiered on the London stage in 1962, running for seven years. It is the epitome of the farce genre. The simple plot contains …

26 June 2023 3*** Firstly, it is time to celebrate. The Sidmouth Summer Play Festival is back for 2023 at the splendid Manor Pavilion Theatre. This unique and wonderful institution is, once again, providing a feast of entertaining theatrical delights …

20 June 2023 4**** Human migration is a subject which is barely out of the news. Displaced people, the result of war, oppression or natural disasters is a modern tragedy with many of those seeking sanctuary and a new life …

12 JUNE 2023 5***** Two men walk on to the stage and to the emotional strains of Nina Simone singing ‘Ne Me Quitte Pas’, they take the audience on a journey through the ups and downs of their relationship in …

8 JUNE 2023 2** The original 2013 London production of ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’, based on Roald Dahl’s most famous book for children, offered up spectacular sets, great special effects, a group of young actors as the Golden Ticket …

24 April 2023 4**** Two middle-aged men meet up via the gay dating app, Grindr, and realise they are old school friends who shared a deep love of the Swedish pop group Abba. They decide to form a tribute band …

15 April 2023 3*** ‘KINDLE’ by Hattie Collins takes on some big subject matters; global energy, renewables,  death, mental health, family relationships, debt, fossil fuels….. the list goes on. Angela runs a remote petrol station which is in financial difficulty. …

5 April 2023 2** Marie Antoinette has been celebrated in many forms since the departure of her head; theatre, film and stage have elevated her to something akin to a cult figure. Thus ‘Cake’ provides a further slice of this …

4 April 2023 4**** High Schools and Teenage Angst are fertile ground for writers of books, plays, films and musicals. Take ‘Grease’ or ‘Spring Awakening’, for instance, which both deal with growing pains in rather more contrasting styles. The 1988 …

28 March 2023 2** Jules Verne’s classic adventure novel has been the basis for many adaptations of one kind or another, including a 20th Century re-enactment for television by Michael Palin; this 2021 version by Juliet Foster, for York Theatre …

20 March 2023 4**** It seems inconceivable that a play could still be running in London’s West End after 70 years (albeit with a lengthy gap during the Covid pandemic) – even the author couldn’t fathom the reasons for it …

15 March 2023 5***** In the week after Theatre Royal Plymouth have a major coup in appointing Dame Darcy Bussell as its Chair of the Trustees, they bring to the stage an exquisite production of Swan Lake from Birmingham Royal …

13 March 2023 3*** The popularity and fascination with Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes continues unabated. Continual reinventions, reincarnations, revivals and adaptations highlight the longevity of the stories and the character. Blackeyed Theatre are well versed in bringing new adaptations …

7 March 2023 4**** A quick read of J B Priestley’s opening stage directions for ‘An Inspector Calls’ offers some insight into his thinking behind the play and the decisions taken by director Stephen Daldry and designer Ian MacNeil in …

24 February 2023 4**** Let me just say from the outset that for any actor to hold the audience’s attention and to entertain them royally, to make them laugh and to move them for 90 minutes, all alone, is something …

14 February 2023 5***** Sometimes it is good to come to a piece of theatre with the very minimum of background knowledge; I have never read any of Neil Gaiman’s work, nor seen adaptations of them in any form, but …

8 February 2023 4**** Exeter Northcott Theatre has been a crusader in bringing dance to the stage and the audiences have been treated to many variations of the artform over the years. They are usually very well supported and the …

30 January 2023 3*** Baz Lurmann’s 1992 film ‘Strictly Ballroom’ was made on a shoestring, but it has become a firm favourite and helped the world of ballroom dancing no end. Its story of an ‘ugly duckling’ achieving her dream …

25 January 2023 4**** Trying to unpick Pinter’s ‘The Birthday Party’ could be a full-time job. A play of contradictions and of absurdity, of the mudane and of menace. A play where it’s difficult to believe anything you hear, but …

23 January 2023 4**** Nicolas Billon’s play found success in his native Canada and has since been filmed and become, curiously, a surprise and long-running hit in South Korea. This is the UK premiere production. A doctor in a mental …

Well, here we are again at the end of another year. The theatrical peak of which is this awards ceremony. Qualification for any award is based on the reviews written throughout the year. To acknowledge those in contention for the …

JULY And so the summer continued back at the MANOR PAVILION THEATRE SIDMOUTH with GLORIOUS; Peter Quilter’s beautifully realised script about Florence Foster Jenkins. Directed with love and verve by Claire Evans this was a wonderfully entertaining and touching piece. …

20 December 2022 3*** When you sit down to watch a Crossroads Pantomime (formerly QDOS) you really know what you will be seeing – as they say, “it does what it says on the tin”. You know you will see …

So, here we are again. Following a curtailed year of theatre going in 2021 I was full of enthusiasm to take in some super new shows and some returning old ones maybe. But we would have to see. 2022 has …

13 December 2022 2** Greek stories and myths are a ripe orchard to pick from when reaching out for plots, characters, themes and historical analogies and in THE DISSENT, writer, Libby Boyd does just that. Presented by Themis Theatre as …

5 December 2022 3*** The phenomenal success of the 1992 film Sister Act spawned a swift sequel (and another is on the way, or so I read recently) and it was only a matter of time before a stage musical …

15 November 2022 5***** Matthew Bourne is a theatrical alchemist bar none. The skills of creator, director and choreographer are offered up in all their glory in this wonderfully entertaining version of the ballet set to Tchaikovsky’s music. Subtitled ‘A …

3 November 2022 5***** It is almost unheard of for me to review the same production of a show within only a few months – this is an exception – albeit the location is a different one. Carl Grose has …

26 October 2022 5***** Unusually for one of my reviews, I will start by talking about myself. As a child I was, generally, regarded as quiet and shy. My slightly older sister had taken up ballet lessons when young and …

18 October 2022 5***** It seems almost inconceivable that it has taken 46 years to bring the musical ‘Bugsy Malone’ on a UK stage tour; but the 1976 film has defeated producers for that length of time. A long-time staple …

5 October 2022 5***** One of the true pleasures of reviewing theatre productions is getting to know the work of particular companies and that of Birmingham Royal Ballet has never failed to impress me. Their twice-yearly visits to Theatre Royal …

20 September 2022 3*** To popular music devotees, the very name Carole King sparks delight and admiration; her list of song hits is long and impressive and in her collaboration with Gerry Goffin achieved great fame and a place in …

12 September 2022 2** Nikolai Gogol’s 1836 comedy, THE GOVERNMENT INSPECTOR, tells of a small town’s politicians trying to cover up their corrupt practices as they realise they are being investigated by an inspector who is arriving incognito. Bribery and …

5 September 2022 4**** Next year, Arnold Ridley’s play ‘THE GHOST TRAIN’ will reach it’s centenary; there is no argument, it can rightfully be regarded as a classic of the British Theatre. There is no other play I can think …

29 August 2022 4**** Only last week it was announced that Alan Ayckbourn’s 87th play was due to open. Up and down the country and across the world his plays are regularly performed and have won multiple awards over his career …

22 August 2022 5***** The joy of the Summer Play Festival at the Manor Pavilion Theatre in Sidmouth is the juxtaposition of productions, widely differing in genre, being performed one after another. Witness the lunacy of JEEVES & WOOSTER from …

16 August 2022 4**** It took 30 years before the classic film musical ‘SINGIN’ IN THE RAIN’ made it onto the stage  when it premiered in London starring Tommy Steele and Roy Castle. Following closely to the film, the show …

15 August 2022 5***** PG Wodehouse was a one-off; his writings, particularly those featuring Bertie Wooster and his manservant Jeeves, are some of the daftest in all literature. Stage plays featuring the two are few and far between so this …

8 August 2022 3*** When it comes to plotting a multi-layered thriller, they don’t come much better than Francis Durbridge and he remains popular, not least at the Sidmouth Summer Play Festival, where big audiences are the order of the …

27 July 2022 3*** Despite the initial denials of the creators of DREAMGIRLS, there can be no doubt that it was heavily influenced by Motown and the music of Diana Ross, the Supremes and Berry Gordy. Set in the 1960s, …

25 July 2022 5***** It is a truth universally acknowledged that Jane Austen is still enormously popular. Adaptations for film, television and theatre abound with versions of her novels and pseudo-versions appearing regularly. It is a delight, therefore, to witness …

4**** 18 July 2022 Brandon Thomas’s obituary notice in The Times quoted him as saying “I hoped to go down to fame as a great actor. If I go at all it will be as the author of ‘Charley’s Aunt’.” …

11 July 2022 5***** Disregard the power of Agatha Christie at your peril. At her best she is a theatrical powerhouse and in the hands of a director with nous and imagination can be a phenomenal stage treat. In this …

4 JULY 2022 5***** The extraordinary story of the soprano Florence Foster Jenkins, dubbed ‘the worst singer in the world’ was revitalised by the 2016 film starring Meryl Streep and Hugh Grant; this play, on the same subject, premiered in …

27 June 2022 4**** Laughing out loud is one of the best tonics available and it’s free and makes you feel good. Finding the mechanism to provoke the laughs is not always easy. May I recommend ‘LUCKY NUMBERS’ by Mike …

20 June 2022 4**** With the curse of Covid-19 less of a threat than it has been over the last two years, theatre is still building itself up again and it is wonderful to report that the Summer Play Festival …

14 JUNE 2022 4**** The combination of composer John Kander, lyricist Fred Ebb and choreographer Bob Fosse plus a story based on real life was a potent mixture when they came together to create the musical ‘Chicago’. The show may …

23 May 2022 5***** In 2018 I reviewed Carl Grose’s new play, ‘The Kneebone Cadillac’  – it blew my mind. ‘Superstition Mountain’, written in 2009 has a number of similarities in setting, characters and tone – but it too, is something …

28 April 2022 4**** One of the many productions which came to a premature end because of the pandemic is now back on the road; Balletboyz has created an enormously popular following and the triumph of the founders, Michael Nunn …

27 April 2022 3*** The very first show one sees can have a lasting impression on the viewer. So, it is that I saw the original London West End production of JOSEPH in 1973. I was 11. It was the …

21 April 2022 4**** The success of David Walliams’ books for children cannot be denied and their transition to television and stage have also created new audiences for his works. First published in 2011, Gangsta Granny was adapted for TV …

4 April 2022 3*** Jim Cartwright’s hit play first hit the stage in 1992; written for actor Jane Horrocks, it found popularity on stage and on the big screen as a result, but it is a curates egg in so …

21 March 2022 2** Based on a film of the same name, the stage musical version of ‘WAITRESS’ has something of a higher profile than its source material . When it appeared in London’s West End the run was curtailed …

16 March 2022 4**** Miguel de Cervantes’ novel ‘Don Quixote’ is quite a tome; the travels and adventures of the self-appointed saviour of chivalry has had many adaptations. As a ballet it premiered in 1869 and takes a few episodes …

9 March 2022 2** The English writer Mary Norton is best known for ‘The Borrowers’, but it  is from some of her other books, that Disney chose to create their 1971 film ‘Bedknobs and Broomsticks’. Sibling children are evacuated to …

4 March 2022 4**** Founded in 2015 by the celebrated dancer and choreographer, Carlos Acosta, Acosta Danza was established to bring young dancers from Cuba to the fore and offer them opportunities to dance on the world stage. Dance Consortium …

1 March 2022 5***** Nederlands Dans Theater is regarded as one of the world’s leading contemporary dance companies and on the evidence presented by their current UK tour it is not difficult to see why. The UK is so fortunate …

23 February 2022 4**** Yasmina Reza’s blistering comedy of bad manners is brought vividly to life in a new production by OnBook Theatre at the OSO Arts Centre in Barnes, London. Two couples meet up to discuss their sons who …

22 February 2022 5***** In terms of imagination, C.S. Lewis’s was wonderful and weird and thrilling. It is no surprise that he was a good friend of the similarly creative J.R.R. Tolkein. Effective transference of their works has taken place …

4**** 7 February 2022 The many millions of people who have read Dan Brown’s bestselling novel, or seen the film or both, will be intrigued as to how it can be transferred to the theatre. A stage version of ‘The …

3*** 19 January 2022 For over twenty years the phenomenon that is the show ‘MAMMA MIA’ has played to millions of people throughout the world. The two Hollywood films have brought in many hundreds of dollars and been hugely successful. …

4**** 21 December 2021 The front cover of the programme for Plymouth’s pantomime this year announces the title of the show and underneath the words ‘Everything You Could Wish For in a Panto’. A bold claim that. In these strange …

4**** 14 December 2021 Taking a classic story and re-working it is always something of a risk. The challenge being to bring the story to life in a new and interesting fashion whilst (generally) respecting the original. Sometimes, that original …

5***** 10 December 2021 Exeter-based theatre makers Le Navet Bete have become regulars at many theatres not least in their home-town. Back in the summer of 2021 as theatres were re-opening, it was this company who were ready and raring …

5***** 7 December 2021 It is maybe strange that it took until 2000 for the 1954 film of WHITE CHRISTMAS to be transferred to the stage. The much-loved movie is a regular feature of seasonal television and carries with it …

3*** 30 November 2021 The film version of 9 to 5 became a huge hit when first released in 1980. The story of three female office workers rebelling against the misogynist male boss made for a film of great fun …

5***** 16 November 2021 If there is a better living storyteller for the stage than Sir Matthew Bourne then I will be most surprised. His NUTCRACKER – celebrating its 30th Anniversary with a spanking new production – has such a lucid …

3*** 4 November 2021 In his 1966 novel ‘The Comedians’, Graham Greene set a story of ‘innocents abroad’ against a background of the brutal dictatorship of Papa Doc Duvalier on the island of Haiti. By turns the novel is amusing, …

4**** 27 October 2021 There is patently a reason why Sir Kenneth MacMillan’s version of this ballet is still a staple of ballet companies across the world after over 50 years – it is very good! From the stylised and …

4**** 19 October 2021 I will admit it from the off, ‘The Dresser’ is one of my favourite plays; that said, I haven’t seen it on stage many times, but the storyline, the humour, the pathos, the insight it offers …

2** 21 September 2021 NHS – THE MUSICAL began life in 2006 at the Drum Theatre in Plymouth. Not having seen it then, I cannot comment on that version of the show, but I can only imagine it was quite …

3*** 20 September 2021 There can’t be too many people who haven’t played a game of Cluedo in their lives and maybe it was only a matter of time before a stage version was created – but it did take …

5***** 9 SEPTEMBER 2021 ‘SAILOR, BEWARE!’ is one of those plays which, having been a huge hit when first produced in the West End of London, may make the occasional appearance on the amateur stage and the film version may …

4**** 26 August 2021 The Occult, mental health issues and drug addiction. Not your usual subject matters for a comic thriller or, indeed, for a work by Agatha Christie, but they all feature in ‘Spider’s Web’. Margaret Lockwood was a …

5***** 12 August 2021 Neil Simon’s writing is characterised by rapier-sharp wordplay, imperfect people, marriage and that bitter-sweet tone which he made his own. ‘California Suite’ was written in 1976 and was made into a very successful film in 1978. …

3*** 4 August 2021 For the second time in a week it has been an utter pleasure to see the Theatre Royal, Plymouth, with a packed and enthusiastic house. After the last 18 months it is something that had become …

3*** 30 July 2021 There is no doubt that the musical SIX has become something of a phenomenon. In front of a packed audience at the Theatre Royal Plymouth – the first non-socially distanced audience there for many months – …

4**** 22 July 2021 French farce can trace its origins back many centuries and there are overlapping elements with the theatre form known as Commedia Dell’Arte. Ludicrous situations, stock characters and helter-skelter action are all symbolic of the genre. In …

3*** 9 July 2021 I suspect there are very few people under the age of 50 who would have heard of Francis Durbridge or, indeed, seen or heard much of his work. In the 1950’s and 1960’s he must have …

4**** 28 June 2021 John Waters early film creations were subversive, counter-culture and of dubious taste – they were immediately labelled ‘cult’. His was not the world of family entertainment, but it was in the early 1980’s with films such …

4**** 24 June 2021 Let us not beat about the bush, the joy of returning to the Manor Pavilion Theatre in Sidmouth is akin to wrapping yourself in a favourite blanket and indulging in a mug of the silkiest hot …

3*** 17 June 2021 First and foremost, it is brilliant to be back in a theatre – albeit with certain restrictions. I applaud Theatre Royal Plymouth for their attention to everyone’s welfare and for providing a smooth and well organised …

5***** 15 December 2020 This will be an unusual review. Given the circumstances of life in December 2020 I am taking into account the whole experience of this visit to the theatre after over 10 months. I make no apology …

4**** 16 October 2020 Sitting down in a theatre to review a show for the first time in over 7 months will certainly be one of my highlights of 2020. I have been to the amazing, open-air, Minack Theatre a …

4**** 3 March 2020 When Stephen Daldry mounted a production of ‘An Inspector Calls’ at The National Theatre in 1992 he would little have imagined that 28 years the very same production would have been touring the USA and UK. …

5***** 28 February 2020 Amidst the glossy musicals, the gender-fluid productions of Shakespeare and the avant-garde diatribes it is good to know that out there, tucked away, is some excellent, honest theatre. It is a relief, a surprise and a …

3*** 25 February 2020 No one mounts a production of ‘Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?’ without first taking a very deep breath. It is a modern monster of a piece. Now, nearly 60 years old, it is, as director David …

4**** 24 February 2020 As a self-confessed Agatha Christie fan since my early teens, it is a wonder that it has take me so long to get round to seeing a production of The Mousetrap. I did read the play …

5***** 19 February 2020 “I am ashamed that men are so simple”, so says Katherine, turning to the audience with a knowing look! Yes, but, of course, the original line uses ‘women’ rather than ‘men’; so the theme behind this …

4**** 13 February 2020 The Fourth Wall in a theatre – that invisible barrier between the players and the audience at the front of the stage – conventionally doesn’t get ‘broken’ by direct interaction between performers and those watching. In …

5***** 12 February 2020 Hallelujah! Just when you think of giving up on productions of Shakespeare plays, because of the insistence directors seem to have in buggering about with The Bard, a bright light suddenly appears before you and you …

3*** 11 February 2020 We all know John Cleese can write a good farce; each of the 12 episodes of ‘Fawlty Towers’ was a piece of exquisite structure, plotting and execution and his writing along with Connie Booth was just …

4**** 25 January 2020 You have to look very hard these days for a traditional production of a Shakespeare play – every kind of re-interpretation, re-imagining and dismantling of the Bard’s work seems to be the norm. Pantomime, on the …

4**** 22 January 2020 ‘Ghost’ first appeared as a film 30 years ago in 1990 starring Patrick Swayze and Demi Moore, gathering a heap of awards and nominations including Oscars for the screenplay by Bruce Joel Rubin and actor Whoopi …

5***** 20 January 2020 As stage musicals go, they don’t get much further ‘in your face’ that Priscilla Queen of the Desert. Based on the 1994 film, it made its way into musical theatre in 2006 and has been around …

3*** 23 December 2019 A QDOS Pantomime will be seen in 35 venues this Christmas/New Year and there is no doubt that they have transformed the landscape of the traditional theatre show. Huge, colourful sets, wonderful costumes, high quality music …

3*** 6 December 2019 How to describe the indescribable. What was ‘Les Gloriables’ like? In a nutshell?  The joy of reviewing theatre is that sometimes you do catch artists who create something so off the wall, that it’s almost impossible …

5***** 5 December 2019 On visiting The Old Library in Bodmin last year, I was captivated by an innovative and heart-warming production which offered something just that bit different, whilst illustrating what can be done when everything is in small …

3*** 4 December 2019 Live theatre is often unpredictable and throws up challenges night by night which you cannot always legislate for. Small companies rarely have a team of understudies in place and somehow cope if the worst happens. So, …

5***** 26 November 2019 Cute kids, cute dog, dancing stars and planets, smaltzy love story and shovel loads of sentimentality – ingredients in a show almost guaranteed to make you blench – but somehow the combination works like a dream …

4**** 21 November 2019 @reviewsgate @cormacrichards www.cormacrichards.uk Alan Ayckbourn is a cruel man. His writings are pitted with stories of innocents being embroiled in other people’s feuds and broken relationships, whilst at the same time making his audience laugh out …

4**** 28 October 2019 It didn’t take Alfred Hitchcock long to realise the potential of Ethel Lina White’s novel ‘The Wheel Spins’ – within two years of its publication in 1938 he had made a film out of it. Retitled …

3*** 18 October 2019 Edmond Rostand’s late 19th Century work ‘Cyrano de Bergerac’ is one of those rare pieces of literature which are handled with kid gloves. It’s a challenge in so many ways and it is fraught with many hurdles …

5***** 14 October 2019 In watching a quality dance performance one can be mesmerised, awestruck and confused simultaneously.  One can wonder, thrill and debate with yourself. One can question, delight and admire.  Rambert is one of the foremost dance companies …

3*** 9 October 2019 ‘We Walk. We Walk. We Walk’ goes the song, the beat, the rhythm, as three black men trudge across the hills and peaks on the Yorkshire/Derbyshire borders. Every month they do this in a group of …

4**** 30 September 2019 If there is going to be one thing that polarises an audience when a book is adapted for a film or stage play, it will be those who know the original and those who don’t. When …

3*** 24 September 2019 Agatha Christie remains a staple of the amateur theatre world, with the professional production of ‘The Mousetrap’ still, fairly inexplicably, running in the West End. Occasionally a new production appears, as it did earlier this year …

5***** 20 September 2019 Pierre Beaumarchais’s stories have had a longevity envied by many of his contemporaries I can only imagine – the fact that two of them have become beloved opera’s which are continually performed are as much a …

5***** 17 September 2019 Any study of the work of Emma Rice will reveal an inventiveness and creativity which can startle, shock and amuse – but she will always get your attention. Her first production for her new Company, Wise …

4**** 16 September 2019 When John Osborne wrote ‘The Entertainer’, the Suez crisis was consuming the nation and thus he used it as the backdrop for his gritty tale of a failed song and dance man, a failed Father, Son …

4**** 12 September 2019 Entering the auditorium, one is greeted with the strains of music from the ‘Carry On’ films – beloved of many, decried by others. To me, the tunes conjour up ludicrous plots, extreme characters, mad capers, campery, …

4**** 5 September 2019 When first performed in the late 1970’s this lovely play was blessed with major stars on both sides of the Atlantic – Ralph Richardson and Celia Johnson in London and Rex Harrison and Claudette Colbert on …

2** 2 September 2019 Before the curtain rises on the show, the director, Matt Salisbury, appears in front of the curtains to announce that it is 30 years to the week that ‘Buddy’ first opened on the same stage as …

5***** 29 AUGUST 2019 Every so often you see a production of a rarely done play which makes you sit up and take notice and say, ‘Why isn’t this performed more often?’. You then tell yourself that you are pleased …

3*** 23 August 2019 An effective stage thriller is pretty hard to pull off. When you only have a very small number of characters to play with it is even more tricky; ‘Sleuth’, ‘The Business of Murder’ are but two …

22 August 2019 4**** The 1982 film ‘The Bodyguard’ starring Whitney Houston and Kevin Costner was a huge box office hit. A world-famous singer is stalked by a psychopathic fan and has a bodyguard assigned to her; their relationship moves …

20 August 2019 4**** Robin Hawdon is not a name that trips off the tongue when you are thinking of good writers of comedy and farce and although his output has not been prolific he has certainly made his mark …

4**** 7 August 2019 If you want to build a musical around a specific music genre, then ‘Motown – The Musical’ is going to be hard to beat. If this is your kind of music, then you are not going …

4**** 1 August 2019 When Alan Ayckbourn let it be known that he was writing a trilogy of plays, he was advised that they were not a good idea for the West End. As he has always premiered his plays …

2** 29 July 2019 The device of ‘twins’ in a film or play is a useful one for a writer to offer the audience an extra edge to the plot of their work. It takes something extra special to pull …