Friday 15 March 2024

 "Passing Strangers" by Eric Chappell.

Riverside Drama Company.
Duchess Theatre, Long Eaton.



Here's a little gem of a play that I've not heard of, never mind seen before, and written by Eric Chappell. Now, if the name of the writer seems to ring a bell, he is the person who penned the brilliant "Rising Damp" on TV.

Malcolm takes his friend Clive to a singles’ evening at The Royal Hotel. Clive, a hospital porter masquerading as a doctor, has just been left by his wife, while Malcolm is a confirmed bachelor and “big in imports” - really a market stall trader. In the deserted hotel bar, to the depressing soundtrack of the next-door ballroom - well let's face it "Thorn In My Side" by Eurythmics is just what you want to hear at a singles night disco isn't it? - they meet two recent divorcees; upwardly-mobile Julie and cynical, defiant Liz.

Malcolm is determined to break down Liz’s defences while trying to pair off Clive with Julie. But the women have a few tricks of their own, and Malcolm soon finds that life, like the evening, is full of surprises.



Celia Billau plays Cynthia Lamour, the host for the singles evening, and it's incredible when something as basic as a wig can change how a person looks, as I had to look twice at Celia. Cynthia is typical of some of the Northern lady club hosts with the blond hair, glamorous costume and patter, but we never did get to hear those jokes did we.......

Donna Osmond plays Liz, who is a recent divorcee, has been dragged to the singles night by her mate, Julie. She volleys away Malcolm's advances in the same way as Serena Williams would volley a tennis ball onslaught.



John Sully plays Malc, a seasoned singles-bar cruiser and the oldest swinger in town. He uses one of the oldest chat up lines ever - well so I'm led to believe - the one that states that he knew her from a while ago, all in an effort to strike up some past event that they may have in common.

Malc has some brilliant comic, and cheesy, lines but none are working on Liz. Malc is a Liverpudlian, but I can't remember if he had an accent when I last saw John in "Caramba's Revenge". If Malc isn't a Scouse, then he has an excellent and fluent ear and ability for accents, because I certainly believed that accent throughout.



Jonathan Greaves plays Clive, who is still madly in love with his ex and isn't bothered about spouting this fact to Malc, as well as to Julie. Julie is very impressed that Clive is a doctor, and sets Clive in her sights, but the truth will always out, especially when there's a need for a doctor mid way through the evening at the singles night!

Lizzie Norris plays the upwardly mobile Julie. Julie loves a second hand - sorry, that should be "pre-loved" bargain - which is probably why she is at a singles night! Julie is in no way backwards at coming forwards, but only if the standing and status is right for her, she wouldn't just match up with just anyone like a hospital porter. Her history of previous dates bear evidence to that!

The script is very funny, with many lines that you may even know - possibly used - back in your dating days. Liz certainly put Malc in his place when he says that "he thought that he was going to die young", to which she retorted, "well, you didn't". Talk about a cat with her claws out!



There's so many brilliantly comical and bitchy swashbuckling of lines between the two couples, and then there's a rather superb twist in the tail for one of the couples.

Directed by Jonathan Greaves, this is not his first connection with this play, so he knows exactly what is needed in this production, and delivers a wonderfully sharp piece of theatre. If I am advised correctly the role of Cynthia is normally just a voice over, but Jonathan, and Assistant Director Liz Turner have given a physical role to the hostess with mostest, with Celia Billeau.

The set design and construction is thanks to Bob Baron. Three tables, six chairs, a backdrop of glittery working men's club style curtaining and a lovely electric screen advertising the singles night, courtesy of Dave Martin.

I am so pleased that with the props, the glasses were actually filled with actual orange juice and a red liquid cocktail. Sandra Read is responsible for the props on show.

The Cast provided the costumes and I loved the "mink" that Julie wore. That coat itself gave rise to a lovely comedy routine between Julie and Liz regarding the "previous owner".

Sound design is by Keith Salway, and as the main area for the play is on the other side of the dancefloor doors, the music was muted but with seepage of some lovely cheesy floor fillers.

Lighting design is by Rob Osmond, and with the whole show being set in just one place, the bar area, well just away from the bar area, but away from the actual dancefloor, we got the lighting of a "mature" singles night disco affect. Sometimes less is more to create the right atmosphere and that really worked well in this production.



If you liked the quick fire and acutely observed comedy of "Rising Damp", you will love this comedy play. many moons ago I used to provide the "disco" for a singles club, and instantly recognised all four characters from back in the day, which could be why I found this play such a joy.

There were a couple of prompts needed, which I wouldn't have expected at this stage of the run, but this is quite a wordy script.

"Passing Strangers" is at the Duchess Theatre, Long Eaton until Saturday 16 March. Make sure this play doesn't pass you by!!

Thursday 14 March 2024

 "Handbagged" by Moira Buffini.

Ashby Dramatic Society.
Venture Theatre, Ashby de la Zouche.


Although nothing has been written down and recorded for posterity, this play indicates what the conversations may have been like between The Queen and Margaret Thatcher in their weekly meetings at Buckingham Palace. Given their public persona this at first glance, may not seem the most interesting of plays. But how wrong you may be.....

The play shows The Queen as having a sharp and wicked sense of humour who at times seemed bored in the presence of Mrs T, zoning in and out of the conversation. Mrs Thatcher was serious throughout and the only time she neared cracking a joke, she denied it vehemently. It's rather nice to see The Queen portrayed as having a fun and humorous outlook as well as being laid back, and, even though I'm not a royalist, I'd love to think that her Maj was really like this behind closed doors.

The period covers the whole of the Thatcher years in just over two hours and, I felt, depicts both female icons as powerful but likeable women, but as I said at the start this is not re-told from literal records and is just in the imaginary story-telling of the author, Moira Buffini. But whose to say this isn't a true picture of what they were like behind closed doors?


"Handbagged", by the way, was coined by Margaret Thatcher early into her term of office as a symbol of her power and a political prop.

Maggie, in her later years is played by Mel Mitchell and absolutely captures the elder PM. The look, the voice and the physicality is all there. In Maggie's later years her voice developed a lower timbre and slightly more soothing and that has been captured by Mel.

The younger Maggie is played by Rachel Wallis. Again, the look, voice and physicality have all been nailed, and we see an altogether more ruthless, power-hungry Prime Minister, but lacking the Queen's sense of humour. There's a line from the Queen that shows she has spotted a "joke" from Maggie, although Maggie's comment was not meant to be funny at all.


The older Queen Elizabeth is played by Norma Morris-Chapman, and Norma shows us a Queen with a dry sense of humour, and again, an all-over softer persona.

The younger Elizabeth is played by Jo Coupe, and matches Maggie's energy but also has a lovely clipped accent that is so reminiscent of the younger Queen.

Ron Ghosh plays the role of a Palace Footman who only strays from the Queen's throne side to introduce the scenes in a brilliantly dry way, matching his employer's dry sense of humour.


Paul Smith plays another palace footman, as well as Nancy Raegan, yes you did read that right. Looking a bit like Tim Healey's character, Les, in "Benidorm", Paul is a well rounded actor, shall we say, and that played to the Nancy Raegan role, especially with one line which commented on how thin she was, which caused a brilliant response from the audience.

Phil Deakin is the only cast member that I have seen before on stage. Phil plays a plethora of characters with various costumes, wigs and accents including Enoch Powell, Kenneth Kuanda, Kenneth Clarke, Neil Kinnock, a Protestor, Gerry Adams, Ronald Raegan, Arthur Scargill, Rupert Murdoch and Prince Phillip. Always great fun to see Phil perform in any role and here we are treated to several.

David Hare plays Denis Thatcher, Peter Carrington, Michael Heseltine, Geoffrey Howe and Michael Shea. While his characters are presented with such comic skills, I also found David, outside of these characters, a very funny actor. he obviously has funny bones!


There are some lovely banter sketches between David and Phil in between the characters, and some comical breaking of the fourth wall. Even Queen Elizabeth told Maggie that what was said would go no further than the three walls.

It's writing like this that makes this play such a humorous piece of theatre and such a joy to see. I have no real political leanings but can appreciate the political humour that seamlessly makes this play such a lovely comedy.

The play is produced and directed by Terry Hammond and Anna Golden. The theatre, which I have never been to before, is centred as an "in the round" setting which makes addressing the audience very easy. I have a feeling that some of the falling over the words actually make this play even better because the flow came over more natural. Maybe this is how Terry and Anna intended the flow of the script to be. Either way, it worked for me. The flow of the script has been well observed and executed, and both Directors have ensured that the comedy elements have been showcased excellently by the cast.

The costumes, provided by Mary Barker are absolutely wonderful, especially those for the Queens and the Maggies.

 Another aspect of this play I really appreciated were that the wigs and make up for the male characters were not perfect and we saw the skull caps below the wigs. This is another brilliant comedy side of the play. So many times we see a play and the wigs are perfectly applied. this takes me back to watching some of the old variety shows where they have impressionists who do a quick fire costume and wig change and they "deliberately" have wigs on cock eyed. This aspect created an additional seam of comedy.

The wigs for Maggie were wonderfully coiffured into the style that we recognise for the PM. The wigs for Queen Elizabeth looked slightly as if they had been pulled backwards through a hedge. That in itself made me smile as we all think of the Queen as having been styled, but the image we saw on opening night made the Queen such a fun character. You can imagine from this script that the Queen may just have enjoyed sitting in front of some quiz show, hair in curlers with a drink in one hand and a fag in the other. Wouldn't that be fun? Or is that me reading more into the People's Royal Favourite than I should be.

Sound design and operation is by Martin Pritchard. Carefully cued sound effects and music sound bites make the play an even more interesting viewing.

Lighting design is by Paul Smith, and operated by Griffin Bayley. Just one blackout that should not have been there, but this was opening night, so forgiven. The fade to black to close the scenes gave Ron Ghosh, who also designed the set, chance to move into position for the fade up, dividing the scenes and making introductions to the upcoming scenes almost seamless.

Stage management, when performed in the round and where there are several entrance and exit points, can not be the easiest of jobs but Stage Manager, Nicky Miller, and Assistant Stage Manager, Peter Robson made this style of performance look very smooth.

There's some unpolitically correct comments, ironic as this is partly about politics, but all the same a very funny play which paints a different picture of both women to the one that the public image depicts. It knocks a lot of the sharp edges off of Thatcher and presents the Queen in a rounder, more jovial image we may have had of her. A play not to take too serious though and for entertainment purposes only!

"Handbagged" is at The Venture Theatre in Ashby de la Zouch until Saturday 16 March, and then from Wednesday 20 March until Saturday 23 March. Best parking, for those who don't know the area, is at the Library car park at the bottom of North Street, and is free after 5pm.

Wednesday 13 March 2024

 "Les Miserables - School Edition"

Nottingham Arts Theatre.


Not even a little fall of rain this evening could keep me away from seeing one of my favourite musicals on Wednesday night.

"Les Misérables - School Edition" tells the story of Jean Valjean, a former convict who spends a lifetime seeking redemption. Set against the backdrop of 19th-century France and the aftermath of the French Revolution, this story of intertwined destinies reveals the power of compassion and the quiet evil of indifference to human suffering.

As Valjean’s quest for a new life carries him into Paris and to the barricades of the Student Revolution, he is hunted by Inspector Javert and the ghosts of his past. Amidst the battles, he discovers the true meaning of love and salvation.

What, may you ask, is the difference between the "School Edition" and the original full length musical? the answer is, not a lot. There's just a few minor changes in the lyrics.


I was chatting to my friend and fellow reviewer, David Allen, in the interval and he said that you could sum up this production in just two or three words; all of them being extremely complimentary. I completely agree with David, but I'm sure we'll both use a lot more than that.

This show is an emotional one. Not just the storyline, nor the lyrics, but for me, another reason. I have had the pleasure of seeing many of these young actors in shows over the last few years, and I've seen their progression. To watch them deliver this musical in such a passionate and professional way fills me with emotion, so goodness knows how proud the parents and family members of this cast must be feeling after this first night show.

I first saw "Les Miserables - School Edition" at the Nottingham Arts Theatre back in 2015, and it's been in my top five favourite musicals since that day.


Jean Valjean is played by George Young. George has always had a very strong voice and taking on the mighty "Bring Him Home" is no easy feat. To me, it sounded like a new arrangement of the song; an arrangement that allowed George to dampen his range, but to amplify the emotional side of the song, and that worked really well, in my opinion. You see the age progression from his prison days to his final scenes by the greying of his hair, but also in the physicality of the character and in Valjean's face you could see the weariness. I've seen George in a lot of stuff from "Seussical" and "Matilda Jr" to Ren in "Footloose", and seeing him play such an iconic and more mature character really suits George, showing him as a powerful character actor with a strong and emotive voice.


Fantine is played by Chloe Chapman-Deas. Fantine is a strong and determined female character in "Les Miserables" and Chloe brings these attributes to the fore in this role. She also brings emotion, especially on the deathbed scene, and her version of "I Dreamed A Dream" started off a run of "tingles" for me. You felt Fantine's pain and determination every step of the way.

Javert, the complex police inspector obsessed with upholding and enforcing the law, is played by Jonathan Jaycock, a young man I first saw on stage as Daddy Warbucks back in 2015 at the Arts Theatre. Since then I have seen Jonathan grow into a fine performer who can perform a character role as well as perform a song and bring out the meaning and power of the song lyrics. There are so many classic songs in "Les Mis", shared among many of the main characters; Javert's song is "Stars" which grows and grows in intensity. This is one of my favourite songs in the soundtrack and Jonathan's version was spine tinglingly good.


Little Eponine is played by Chloe Samuels.

Éponine is the eldest daughter of the Thénardiers and is played by Francesca Lewis. I already knew what a gorgeous voice Francesca has, after singing "Almost Paradise" in her last role as Ariel at the Arts Theatre in "Footloose". This role gives you the opportunity to hear what a gorgeous voice she has. Another classic song from the soundtrack belongs to Eponine in "On My Own" and you get all that passion wrapped up in an incredible young star. The scene with Marius and Eponine at the barricades is possibly one of the most emotive performances of the two characters. Both Francesca and Joshua put every ounce of emotion into that one scene.


Marius, who is close friends with Eponine but falls heavily for Cosette, is played Josh Preston. Since seeing Josh in "Grease", and that was my first time that I'd seen Josh as well, I have become a fan of this teenager, and especially his voice. It is so rich and mature and that richness and maturity is on show every time that Josh steps onto the stage. This role is a long way from playing "Teen Angel" in "Grease" but that shows what a flexible and talented actor this young man is. Josh's version of "Empty Chairs At Empty Tables", which I also think I heard a new arrangement there, was superb.

Little Cosette is played by Elizabeth Kenny and Skye Grimsey. On Wednesday night I saw Lizzie. Lizzie is one of those young actors who you just gravitate towards; not only because of her lovely voice but that lovely face as well. Being cast as the sickly young Cosette was a brilliant piece of casting as she is so tiny, and while she looks just right for the part, just look at her face in the ensemble pieces as she takes on a look of a tough cookie, and I love her obvious confidence.


Daughter of Fantine and the adopted daughter of Valjean, Cosette is played by Mia Rathbone, making her debut appearance at the Nottingham Arts Theatre. This is the first time that I've seen the award wining Mia Rathbone on stage, and everything that everybody told me about Mia's voice didn't come near to the beauty of those vocal chords. "Les Mis" soundtrack is quite operatic, for both male and female actors, and Mia just smashed it, especially in the Wedding Scene in the second act. The relationship that she has with Marius looks and feels completely natural, and when they sing together, you believe the attachment.


Thénardier is played by one of my favourite young actors Jamie Adlam. as soon as I knew that Jamie was in this show, I straight away guessed the role. Jamie is an excellent comedy character actor and this role was made for him. This young man has funny bones and is a natural comic. I also know that he is looked up to by several of the cast for his own personality, as well as being one of the first actors to be "off book". A really nice bloke and a professional young man. He creates a lovely sparring style relationship with his on stage partner Madame Thenardier.


Madame Thénardier is played by Elizabeth Fitzgerald. You would not argue with this Madame, which creates that sparring style with Thenardier, she is definitely the one in charge, despite Thenardier feeling that he wears the trousers in their relationship. Both Jamie and Elizabeth provide the comic relief in "Les Mis" and are a great comedy character pairing.

Enjolras is one of the most important and charismatic characters in the revolution, and is played by Tony Foad. I cannot remember seeing Tony before in anything, but I am so pleased that he decided to audition for this show. Tall and good looking, Tony creates an imposing figure on stage and his vocals build anthemically, especially with the songs "Red and Black" and "Do You Hear the People Sing".


Gavroche is played by Seth Burgess. I feel that I have seen Seth somewhere before but can't remember if it's from one of the "Show In A Week" projects run by the Arts Theatre; his face seems so familiar. Nevertheless, playing the cheeky but valiant Gavroche is yet another highlight for me in this musical.

The supporting cast, who play several roles throughout, are a tour de force and include many actors who I've seen previously and have highlighted.


Reuben Thrower, Sophie Benner, Preston Nash - who gets better every time I see him, takes on several roles including the Bishop who helps Jean Valjean by taking him in and stopping the police from arresting him again.

Emily Holder, Arlo Perrons - another young actor that I have picked out in previous productions for his confidence and stage presence.

Grace Eccles-Jones, Giles Briggs, Connie Tegerdine, Alexander Nickson, Chloe Samuels, Jack Kent, Kate Russell, Charlotte Fisher, Lucy Wilson, Caitlin Young, Eliza Szeida, Eloise Rees, Harriet Campion, Morgan Spencer, Summer McNorton, Liberty Whitehouse, Megan Holder, Esmie Smith-Cockayne and Florence Everitt.


Charles Beckett, Oliver Sheard, Sonny Noble and Liam Brown, four young actors who I've seen several times at the Arts Theatre and never fail to deliver solid performances.

Director/Choreographer Abby Wells has pulled out all the stops, especially when you look at how big the cast is. The ensemble pieces like "Master Of The House" and the barricade scenes are quite spectacular both from a directorial and choreographic view.

Production Manager is Jessica H Royce, assisted by Emily-Hope Wilkins.

Musical Director is Gareth Wynne, assisted by Jonah Williams. If you weren't able to see this band actually on stage, you'd think that the backing music was from a recorded track it was so good. The band were the size of an orchestra, numbering fourteen.

Lighting Design and operator is Oliver Read. Apart from a couple of spotlights not finding the performer quite quick enough - it's first night so I know that Oliver will sort that out for the rest of the run - the lighting was exciting and really added to the whole atmosphere of this musical.

Sound Design and operator is Rob Kettridge and, even though some local productions seem to suffer from missed mic cues, there was not one late cue and when you look at the size of the main cast and the ensemble, that is no mean feat. Excellent sound. the sound effects were spot one and the volume of the battle scenes really gave you the impression that you were in the middle of an actual battle. You could feel the volume of the guns and explosions resound in your chest. Frighteningly realistic.

Stage Manager/Tech Support is Evie Webster with Deputy Stage Manager, Nigel Newton, ensured that the stage was never a barren space and everyone was exactly where they should be. No easy task with this cast size.

The multi levelled set design is by Abby Wells and Mark Russell and incorporates the musicians as well.

The costumes are fantastic, just take a look at the accompanying photos.

Every single young student on that stage are stars, so don't leave it one day more before getting a ticket because you may miss out on an incredible show. This production puts the dramatic into "amateur dramatics" and I also saw something in the Arts Theatre that I had not seen for a long while, a complete standing ovation, and deservedly so as well.

"Les Miserables - School Edition" will be performed until Sunday 17 March at the Nottingham Arts Theatre.