Reviews

Pinpoint Productions     The Arch, Chandlers Ford Mark Ponsford  27 May  2023 Initially conceived by Jason Robert Brown as a showcase for his own work, Songs For A New World evolved from being a collection of largely unconnected songs into a cohesive whole, initially presented Off-Broadway in 1995. Although it would be tempting (and not entirely inaccurate) to describe it as a Revue, its composer/lyricist prefers it to be seen as “a very theatrical song cycle”, all of the songs having one thing in common: “The Moment of Decision”. And that’s really all you need to know in advance, although

Redlynch Players     Redlynch Village Hall, Lover, Salisbury  Caroline Burr  24 May  2023   This 2008 play is based on a 1953 classic Ealing comedy film, starring Stanley Holloway and Sid James, which charts the story of villagers desperate to save the Titfield to Mallingford railway line from closure by British Rail. The line is losing money, but to save it, Lady Edna Chesterford and the vicar Sam Weech decide to keep it going themselves by using a train that has been in a local museum. Challenges to their endeavours come from both Vernon Crump, who sees his chance to set

Poole & Parkstone Productions [P&P Productions]     Lighthouse, Poole Renée Claude  26 May  2023 I went into this show knowing nothing about Me And My Girl but was instantly taken aback by how professional it was. The opening number ‘A Weekend at Hareford’ sets your expectations very high, with Lady Jacqueline (Katherine Steele) commanding the stage as soon as she stepped out onto the balcony. Both the posh and cockney accents were present throughout the songs and draw you into their world. ‘The Family Solicitor’ was an exceptional number led by Herbert Parchester (Adrian Lane), with intricate choreography and origami

Spot On Productions     The Point, Eastleigh  Mark Ponsford  17 May  2023 Based on the 2003 film of the same name, this raucous and joyous stage musical premiered in New York in 2015, and with the Broadway production continuing its hugely successful run, was given its London presentation in 2016, eventually closing after a run of just over 3 years. With adults and children taking the show to their hearts, School Of Rock captivated its audiences from the outset, thanks to its wildly entertaining plot, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s high-spirited (and ingeniously pitched) score, and a line-up of young people whose

Broadstone Players     War Memorial Hall, Broadstone  Jill Richmond  16 May  2023 Claude Magnier’s first comedy Monsieur Masure, published in 1956, was award winning and career launching and was later brought to the screen in 1968 with ‘What were you doing when the lights went out?’ staring Doris Day. Robin Maugham’s English adaptation Odd Man In was presented in London at the St Martin’s Theatre in 1957 to much success and enjoyed long runs around the world. It is surprising with such a history that Odd Man In is not seen more often nowadays, although in some part this may

Lymington Players     The Malt Theatre, Lymington Community Centre, Lymington Anne Waggott  7 May  2023   Confusions is a set of five one-act interconnecting plays written in the 1970s by Alan Ayckbourn, each a standalone narrative about different aspects of relationships, but with a thread running through the individual storylines that ties one to the other, much like the links between the individual protagonists involved. Lymington Players have decided to perform four of these plays for their May production and I was honoured to watch their dress rehearsal. In The Mother Figure, Victoria Sandford (Lucy) was the epitome of a