Reviews

It seems to have become a regular gig for me to review WMTS’s November show, but I’m not complaining: it is always an enjoyable evening and I am always impressed by the huge amount of work that has gone into a show that has only two performances, both on the same day. To celebrate their 50th anniversary, WMTS cast their net wide by encoring some of the shows they have put on in the last half-century. It provided plenty of variety, as well as the opportunity for the majority of the cast to have their moment in the spotlight. The

George (a revered columnist) and Honor (a successful writer) have been happily married for thirty-two years. Perfect partners, they have a flawless comprehension and perception of each other – until an assertive young female journalist (‘profiling’ George for a book) intentionally sets out to destabilise that understanding, with devastating consequences. In the preshow publicity, director Heather Bradford has said: “Honour surveys the emotional terrain of a familiar story and considers how power shifts in disrupted relationships. It shows that the consequences of an impulsive act can be interpreted in different ways. Joanna Murray-Smith’s sharp, quick-witted dialogue will give you an

When I was asked if I wanted to review this production, I was interested in seeing it immediately. My understanding was that it was written by the AUB Production team, and therefore it was going to be an interesting piece of theatre that I wouldn’t have seen before, and would not see again. When I initially arrived, I read a notice with the general plot line with words such as “steampunk” and “immersive theatre”, and I wondered what on earth I had gotten myself into. As it happens, it was a brilliant, thought provoking production that everyone involved should be

Some of the best shows I have seen are shows that I have not read up on beforehand, and therefore I arrived at Lychett Matravers Village Hall with little to no expectation or knowledge of what it was that I was going to watch. I’m glad to say that I was not disappointed. Blithe Spirit is a comedy written by Noel Coward. Charles Condomime, a novelist and socialite, invites the eccentric medium and clairvoyant Madame Arcati into his home to conduct a séance in the hope of retrieving some new material for his new novel, much to the amusement of

The audience never get to meet George, as discovered in the programme. Maybe it is just as well for as the play progresses, we discover what an odious user of his friends he actually is. This intriguing concept is set against a set depicting four gardens between the months of May and November: designed by Director Neil Gwynne, it is perfect in space and lighting by Nigel Roache and Tris Harris beautifully define the separate areas needed for the play. The stile at the front is a particularly nice touch too. Concentrated direction by Neil Gwynne masterfully brings the stage

On graduating in 1978, John looks back over his formative years, recalling all the embarrassments, tensions, joys and sorrows of family life in a West Yorkshire mining community during the 1970s. Now older and better educated, he finds himself alienated from his working-class family, who cannot understand his growing intellect and theatrical aspirations. Mat Walker is excellent in the central role of John; he has a splendid flow when switching between active character and narrator, while the alteration in his physicality as his character grows from child to man is outstanding. It is fitting that as the focal character, he