Reviews

Winchester Musicals & Opera Society [WMOS]    Theatre Royal Winchester, Winchester Mark Ponsford 5 November 2025 When The Addams Family first made its/their Broadway bow in 2010, not all the initial reviews may have been raves, but the public took the show to their hearts. It’s been produced on both sides of the Atlantic, and particularly since the advent of the Netflix series Wednesday, has become a staple on the amateur circuit. And quite right that it should. It’s a delightful concoction, and if the occasional line still causes the occasional raised eyebrow (and kudos to the Director for not cutting

Centrestage Productions Youth Theatre [CPYT]    Rose Theatre, Barton Peveril Sixth Form College, Eastleigh Anne Waggott 30 October 2025 WOW! There aren’t many amateur productions, let alone amateur youth productions, where my jaw virtually hits the floor from the start – and pretty much stays there for the rest of the production… but this is definitely one of them! Although I was aware of its existence, Hadestown is a show that has so far completely bypassed me, so I arrived at the theatre without any preconceived expectations for the production. Having had the privilege of watching many CPYT shows over the

Bournemouth and Boscombe Light Opera Company [BBLOC]    Bournemouth Pavilion, Bournemouth  Oscar T 29 October 2025 They say that in show business, you should never work with children or animals — but after watching BBLOC’s production of Annie, one must wonder, “Why on earth not?” Set in 1930s New York, Annie is a classic musical that follows the life of a plucky and optimistic orphan who escapes her orphanage in search of her long-lost parents, only to find love and acceptance in the arms of billionaire Oliver Warbucks and his secretary, Grace Farrell — despite the best efforts of the

Waterside Musical Society    Fawley Royal British Legion, Blackfield, Southampton Darren Funnell 29 October 2025   Alice The Musical at the Fawley Royal British Legion, presented by the Waterside Musical Society in their first big cast, toe-tapping production since 2019, is a bright, scrappy tumble through Wonderland. It is part pantomime, part fever dream, and is performed with that ever-charming community-made spirit that brings everyone together to do the thing they love. With hand-painted sets, costumes crafted from household odds and ends, and a cast brimming with enthusiasm, it’s a show that wins a lot of love with its ‘something for everyone’ approach. A

Poole & Parkstone Productions [P&P Productions]    The Spire, Poole Becki Dawson 24 October 2025 The Poole & Parkstone Players was established in 2005 as one arm of the multi-faceted P&P society and always has something great to show us. This evening’s performance at their venue of The Spire in Poole High Street with ‘cabaret style’ seating, was no different. Ladies Day by Amanda Whittington and directed by Genette Churchill is a comedy play around 4 ladies that work, day in day out, filleting fish in a Hull based factory. But with Pearl needing a leaving do for her ‘not-retirement’ and

Maskers Theatre Company    Maskers Studio, Shirley, Southampton David A Putley 23 October 2025   Ghost Of A Chance by Brian J Burton (Directed by Clare Britton) Searching by Matthew Meehan (Directed by Clare Britton) The Last Letter Of Sefa Bubbels – a Flemish folk tale retold by Signe Maene (Directed by William Baggs)   It is always difficult to review these types of one-act plays because of “spoilers”, especially if inadvertently read by show sold out attendees; with that in mind I shall not go into too much detail except to say your mind will be intrigued. Clare has done so