Reviews

Bishopstoke Players  Durley Memorial Hall, Durley Anne Waggott 23 January 2025 Villainous Hades, god of the Underworld, is scheming to take over the Universe – and the only one who can stop him is Hercules, son of Zeus, king of the gods. Trouble is, Hercules doesn’t realise he’s a demigod, rather believing he’s a misfit living in a tiny village with his mother and brother… until he receives a message from Zeus, which sets him on a quest to fulfil his destiny to become immortal and defeat the monstrous Hades. Well… what an unexpected little gem of a pantomime! Who

Chesil Theatre  Chesil Theatre, Winchester Mark Ponsford 19 January 2025 Take a small group of well-off (and faintly entitled) characters, give them a simple elegant interior setting, put some nibbles on the table, throw in some escalating tensions and arguments… It’s a pretty safe bet that you’ve alighted on yet another play by Yasmina Reza, and anyone familiar with either Art or the more savage God Of Carnage will already have an idea of what to expect. In Art, the catalyst was the ludicrous canvas; in God Of Carnage, a child’s pet (I have an abiding memory of Matthew Kelly, in

All Saints Dramatic Society  Bournemouth Life Centre, Moordown, Bournemouth Caroline Burr 16 January 2025 Knight Fever by Trasler, Lovesy and Clark has King Arthur, his knights and the magician Merlin, pitted against the evil Black Knight. The hero of the piece, Justin Thyme (!), a humble stable boy, is in love with Princess Anna but cannot marry her until he becomes a Knight of the Round Table. An opportunity for heroism arises when the Black Knight and his accomplice Chardonnay Le Fay kidnap the Princess. Can the hapless Justin, Dame Doris and Lester the Jester rescue her and re-establish peace

Broadstone Pantomime Productions  Broadstone War Memorial Hall, Broadstone Carole Gadsby 10 January 2025 OH YES IT WAS – Absolutely fabulous. This is the first time I have reviewed this Pantomime Company so had no idea what to expect. Boy, was I in for a treat, pure fun, laughter, hilarity and warmth. The intimate space at the Broadstone Memorial Hall was perfect for this beloved tale which was given a fresh, lively and quirky twist thanks to an original script penned by David Gigg. It was brimming with sharp, topical humour and clever local references that had the audience laughing throughout,

Swanage Drama Company  The Mowlem Theatre, Swanage Steve O’Neill 10 January 2025 On a very cold January night, is there a better way to spend your evening than belly laughing yourself warm in the bright glow of the extraordinary Swanage Drama Company? From curtain up to final bow I spent two and a bit wonderful hours with a huge child-like grin on my face. The kids sitting behind us were beside themselves with excitement. I believe you will not see a more joyous, hilarious, brilliant pantomime anywhere along the south coast this year and I don’t care if it’s amateur

New Forest Players  Ballard School, New Milton Darren Funnell 28 December 2024   Wow. Sometimes you know you have something, and you cannot wait to unleash it on a paying audience. Such it is with Aladdin, currently playing at Ballard School for the New Forest Players. It is a sublime, fun, professional Panto. The director, Sarah Haberfield, is enthused with the spirit of ‘Twixtmas’. The show is alive, bright, dazzling and has a few set pieces that it would be churlish to spoil. Honestly, if you are looking for a show to bring in the New Year – and this