Reviews

I asked at the interval if there were any Pratchett fans around me to give some inside knowledge on this piece as, whilst it was looking and sounding excellent, I felt I was missing something somewhere. There are areas such as death references and the cat and of course the Discworld itself in this adaption by Stephen Briggs that are clearly there for fans of the work and such things did evoke a response from a keen audience. I have only seen the Dodger adaption some years ago, which I could relate to having just directed Oliver!, to which it

9 to 5: The Musical is based on the 1980 movie of the same name, with music and lyrics by Dolly Parton. The musical premiered in Los Angeles, prior to playing on Broadway and completing both a US and UK national tour. The plot follows three secretaries who work at ‘Consolidated’ under their smug, sexist and egotistical CEO, Franklin Hart. Deciding that enough is enough, the trio hatch a plan to get their own back and make Consolidated a better place to work. The three leading ladies are superb. Kerry Butcher (Violet) oozes confidence and command in this particular role. I

This is something very special. There were times I did not believe I was watching an amateur production, such was the quality of the piece. Loosely based around the characters and plot of Puccini’s La Bohème, the show explores many adult themes as it tells the story of a group of impoverished young artists struggling to survive and create a life in New York’s ‘s East Village. The first half explores how the characters met and who they are, the second is more a reflection of what happened next and who they become in the seasons of love that follow.

The rights and equality of pay for women have been very much in the national press recently, so this was a fantastic choice of musical for RMDS’s spring production. Taken from the very popular film, the Made in Dagenham musical score is a mixed bag of poignant, reflective ballads and catchier, upbeat tunes that take us right through the real-life story of the sewing machinists’ strike at the Ford factory in Dagenham, Essex. The musical focuses on the leader of the strike, Rita O’ Grady, played expertly by Jo Dey. The vulnerability of the character is played to perfection throughout,

The slightly oddball title reflects the efforts of Elvis tragic Tom Weals to get to Miami, where he and his fiancée, Alice Martin, are to be married during a Presley convention. Delayed by fog, they come home clutching their luggage, only to find that their bags have somehow been switched at the airport and that their luggage now contains banknotes amounting to half a million dollars. Tom’s brother, Barney, who hoped to use Tom’s flat as a love-nest while he was in Miami, grabs the main chance, but he too is thwarted, although not by the bumbling efforts of a