Reviews

  The Real Housewives Of Codswallop is a new musical written by Lisa Gaye Wright. According to the ‘About the Musical’ section, the show was about an affluent and popular Queen Bee called Magenta who decides to host a Botox party at her house. She decides to open an invitation to an old friend she used to spend time with many years ago (Tamsin), and who she dropped like a hot stone when something better came along. Tamsin brings her new friend and Bestie, Sophie, who is a recent reality star. The evening then becomes an evening where secrets get

Tucked upstairs in The Spire in Poole is the Rose Hall. Part church, part theatre, this high-street venue is well equipped with lights, speakers and – for the weekend – high ceilings filled with music and laughter crafted by the Poole & Parkstone Players & Singers. Their variety show, aptly named Summer Cocktail, delightfully showcases the wealth of talent in this group. The hall is split in two; on the right, the Players open the show with a bang with ‘A Tale of Two Lovers’. I’m sure many amdram directors could relate to this hilarious adaptation from A Midsummer Night’s

“All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely Players…” (As You Like It – William Shakespeare) Unless you’ve been on a remote desert island somewhere, hiding under a rock, you must have noticed that 2022 is the year of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. However, you may not be aware that Studio Theatre shares their own platinum celebrations with Her Majesty this year. To celebrate their 70 year anniversary (and as a tribute to Queen Elizabeth II), Studio Theatre have taken inspiration from the age of Queen Elizabeth I to create an evening of Elizabethan-style masque entertainment.

  This musical was first performed over 70 years ago and takes place among the small-time underworld characters of New York and still manages to thrill and excite its audience. Nathan Detroit played by Rob Arrowowsmith is superb in his role as he tries to find a location for his ‘floating crap game’. He is a very lovable rogue and you are in no doubt that he loves his long-time girlfriend (14 years) Miss Adelaide, Suzy Hill. l I loved her portrayal of the character and her powerful voice. Her comedy and facial expressions had the audience laughing throughout. Trying

“Chuffin’ hell. I got in. I saw the ones that didn’t. Cock on!” I’ve been to a few nightclubs in my time. Particularly in the North. I was too young for 1984 where the Director, Chris Hawley, has set this version of John Godber’s Bouncers. A quick trip to Newcastle in 2022 wouldn’t feel so different. They may not talk of video nasties, or punk rockers. Their faces may be planted in iPhones or swiping left on a dating app. The characters are still there. Pencil thin skirts, faces masked in mascara, someone shouting at the DJ that the music

  Had I been asked, before this evening, what the connection is between a small town on the Yorkshire coast, a clapped-out milk-float and the music of Dolly Parton and Cat Stevens, I wouldn’t have had an answer – but now I can tell you that the answer is this five-hander by Tom Wells. The small town concerned is Withernsea, which at first I thought was entirely fictitious but it’s not – I looked it up on Wikipedia during the interval. The clapped-out milk-float belongs to the paterfamilias, Martin (Chaz Davenport), who has been a milkman, “doing milkmanny things” for 30