Reviews

Maskers Theatre Company  Maskers Studio, SouthamptonJon Cockeram27 June 2026 On a lovely summer’s day, one of the nicest places to be is in a garden; and if you’re fed up with the crowds, a secret one is even better! Maskers Theatre, in collaboration with Light UP Drama, have conjured such a garden for our entertainment and delight. For those of you who don’t know, The Secret Garden was published in 1911 and was written by Frances Hodgson Burnett, who also wrote Little Lord Fauntleroy. It’s considered a classic of English children’s literature, telling the story of Mary Lennox, who is sent from India

Wimborne Musical Theatre Society  Tivoli Theatre, WimborneMichelle Barter25 June 2026 The opening night is always tinged with nerves and gremlins but this particular opening night saw record breaking temperatures not felt for the last 50 years. In the absolute best theatre tradition, the show must go on, despite soaring heat, in a fur costume or latex features and, because of this, it shows the true dedication and sheer professional standards of this intrepid group. The programme has some very interesting Shrek facts, e.g. this was the most expensive musical to produce at a cost of $25 million; oh, for the am

Maskers Theatre Company  Maskers Studio, SouthamptonJon Cockeram 01 June 2026 What ho! Spiffing! And it’s really rather jolly good of you to join me for this review. No, I’ve not forgotten my medication, I’ve spent an evening immersed in the world of Jeeves and Wooster thanks to Maskers Theatre Company and their production of Perfect Nonsense. For those of you unfamiliar with this British cultural phenomenon, Jeeves and Wooster were the creation of P.G. Wodehouse and have been the stars of 35 short stories, 11 novels, numerous film, radio and TV adaptations (perhaps most famously with Stephen Fry and Hugh

Blue Butterfly Studios  The Rose Theatre, EastleighAnne Waggott 29 May 2026 A lifelong fan of Roald Dahl’s fantastical stories, as well as more recently the musical genius and sharp wit of Tim Minchin, it’s no surprise to learn how much I love the musical Matilda. Having also recently seen the highly acclaimed professional show at Southampton’s Mayflower, I was both thrilled and slightly nervous to be invited to review Blue Butterfly Studios’ production of Matilda Jr. Would I enjoy this as much as the wonderful stage musical and engaging film adaptation? Would Blue Butterfly Studios’ students live up to my

AUB Productions  Palace Court Theatre, BournemouthBarry Grey 28 May 2026 When Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm wrote their Kinder- un Hausmarchen at the beginning of the 19th Century, they were recounting tales of folk lore in the best of the German oral tradition. While modern adaptations have since painted these stories in Disney-soft pastels, the Grimm Tales are stark, rustic and psychologically intense, rooted in the brutal living conditions of German peasantry at the time. At the Palace Court Theatre, AUB Productions seek to continue this oral tradition with the retelling of eight lesser-known tales from the original collection in a production

Poulner Players  Poulner Scout Hall, RingwoodSusanna Greenwood 27 May 2026 Sheila’s Island was originally conceived as Neville’s Island, a play by Tim Firth of Calendar Girls fame, which followed four businessmen on a corporate away day that goes awry.   Here, the concept, character traits, and plot are revisited, but the businessmen are replaced with businesswomen. The story follows ‘Captain’ Sheila, sarcastic Denise, overly prepared Julie and the outsider Fay as they make rudimentary attempts at survival in a comedic ‘Lord of the Flies’ after becoming marooned on a small island.  As they await rescue, the realisation of just how poorly prepared