Reviews

At first glance I thought this was going to be a concert production revolving around some rock ’n’ roll songs, but I hadn’t done my homework: I didn’t know that this is an established ‘jukebox musical’, with a book by Joe DiPietro, dating from 2004. There are better-known jukebox musicals using the songs of ABBA, Buddy Holly, Queen etc, but this one is based on the music of Elvis Presley, who died 40 years ago this year. Although he (Elvis) wrote little of it himself, All Shook Up features well-known Elvis hits such as ‘Love me tender’, ‘Heartbreak Hotel’, ‘Hound dog’,

Start with a dog-collar, add a dash of drama and ensure there are plenty of fun and frolics – these are the requirements for Don’t Get Your Vicars in a Twist by Lesley Bown & Anne Gawthorp. Desperate to find the funds to pay for his daughter’s wedding, churchwarden George decides to rent out the vicarage to a touring theatre company, who are to stage a Murder Mystery weekend. However, events take a turn for the worse when Bishop Herbert rings the vicarage to announce that he is to visit to meet his new vicar…. Once again, RAODS present a

This year marks the 170th anniversary of the first publication of Charlotte Bronte’s novel so it seems an appropriate time for this National Theatre/Bristol Old Vic collaboration to tour prior to a London season – although the production actually began its life at Bristol Old Vic back in 2014 before transferring to the National the following year. Most of us, I’m sure, read the book as children; I personally have very distinct memories of being frightened by the fire at Thornfield Hall that had been started by the mad woman in the attic, but the entire story of the young

It’s a given thing that any production by this group will be something a little different and will be beautifully dressed, thanks to the ingenuity and flair of their director, Sonia Gilson. On this occasion this ‘show within a show’ mentions as many names as possible over the course of its two hours or so, and proved to be a very pleasant way of spending a Saturday afternoon. The audience is introduced to a touring company, meeting not only the performers but also the stagehand, wardrobe mistress and doorman; in reality, in case I’ve confused you as much as I’ve

It’s a brave move from a musical society to produce a concert evening in a church hall, with no lavish scenery, costumes or lighting effects to hide behind. Waterside Musical Society promise an evening of ‘fun and wonderful music’ based on the entertainment from the late 1960s and early 1970s, when ‘musical theatre and film were riding high’ and ‘the charts were full of songs, great vocals and melodies’. In short, they promise an evening of nostalgic entertainment – and they deliver, showcasing the musical talent of WMS before a sell-out audience and providing a taster of what the society

My first thought about this play by Aimee and Philip Stuart was that it had probably been written fairly recently, possibly as a kind of spin-off from the Mr Selfridge TV series; I was totally wrong, as it was actually published in 1930 and made into a film just two years later. This all-female production, which, as always, combines the skills of graduating students from acting, costume and performance design, as well as make-up for media and performance, is set in the dress and hat department of an upmarket shop in London’s Regent Street in the early 1930s and deals