Reviews

Modern adaptations of classic fairy-tales are nothing new – Disney have been doing it for years! It’s remarkable how the basic plot of a mythic folk story continues to speak to audiences today. In the case of Cinderella, just remove the talking mice and picturesque castle, replace the female damsel with a young homosexual man named Robbie, stage in London’s Soho district and you’ve got yourself a quirky musical satire disguised as LGBT representation. The Players are not afraid to tackle the risqué and this year, they bravely undertake a relatively new and unknown musical, which always carries risk. Whilst

Despite being excited about his forthcoming nuptials to his beloved Sybil Merton, when a chiromantist (palm reader) predicts that Lord Arthur Savile will commit murder, Arthur decides he must postpone his wedding until after the dastardly deed is done. With his trusted butler Baines and an inept anarchist ‘assisting’ him, a comedy of errors ensues, putting Arthur’s relatives and marriage plans in jeopardy. We were promised in the preview that this version of Oscar Wilde’s spoof mystery would have the “audience chuckling all the way home”. As the opening bars of a 1920s version of The Beatles’ ‘Yesterday’ echoed through

As Poole and Parkstone Productions continue celebrating their Centenary year, the company return for their annual Summer Cocktail performance. Featuring a tantalising concoction of drama and comedy from the players alongside a splash of choral harmonising from the singers, this recipe has already proven successful and the 2019 cocktail supports the standard and community feel audiences have come to expect. As a venue, the Broadstone War Memorial Hall is quaint, decked out in cabaret-fashion with seats dished out on a first-come first-serve basis, so ensure early arrival if you want a good seat! With nibbles, cheap drinks, Pimms, ice-cream and

I remember Scaplens Court from when I was a child; it was always an exciting place to go with my school for a day away from school, and of course lessons. Having now grown up (ish), I wouldn’t have naturally thought to return to the museum, so I was very interested to attend the Pirates, Castaways and Codfish event today, if only for the sense of nostalgia. The event was organized by Poole Bay Rotary Club who do a huge amount of work in the local community. One of the highlights of the day was Mayhem At The Inn, a

Surely there can be nothing better, nor more quintessentially British, than open air theatre in the summertime – especially when accompanied by fine weather, a picnic hamper and long daylight hours – although theatre goers in this part of the world know that it is always sensible to apply some insect repellent in place of eau de cologne, as a precautionary measure! Wimborne Drama Productions (WDP) has a rich history of staging amateur theatre stretching back to 1932, with an annual calendar normally comprising three plays. For the sixth time, this includes an outdoor production in the picturesque grounds and

Dorothy’s ruby slippers are tip-tapping across the Tivoli stage this week as Wimborne Musical Theatre head in a very different direction from the comparative sophistication of their last two shows, Sister Act and 9 to 5. In many ways The Wizard of Oz is the American parallel to Alice in Wonderland, with its innocent but resourceful young heroine and its surreal, dream-like quality. Like Alice here, it is deeply ingrained in American culture, aided by the classic 1939 film starring Judy Garland. There is a touch of pantomime in there, too, and I always want to boo and hiss the