Reviews

There can be few not aware of the story of Sweet Charity, with music by Cy Coleman, lyrics by Dorothy Fields and book by Neil Simon; its songs (‘Rhythm of life,’ ‘Big spender’ and ‘If they could see me now’) and superb dance routines, are the stuff of legends. Therefore, it is a brave company indeed that decides to perform one of Bob Fosse’s masterpieces in a small school theatre in Ringwood. However, I’m delighted to say that this production by RMDS was entirely delightful and a joy to watch. The story is simple. An ever-optimistic dance-hall worker, Charity, in

The second play by British playwright Patrick Marber, Closer was originally premiered at the National Theatre in London in 1997 and made its North American debut at the Music Box Theatre on Broadway in January 1999. It was adapted by the author as a 2004 film of the same name, produced and directed by Mike Nichols. In the intervening years I wonder if audiences have become insensitive to its relentless sexual language and observations and thus desensitised to the power of the narrative and almost bored by its shock value. All the characters involved grow ever more unlikeable as the years pan out, revealing the result of choices

Vern, Patsy and Honey regularly go to bingo together in their Pennsylvania town. Bernice used to accompany them until fifteen years ago, when she and Vern had a major falling-out, and the story of that fateful night is told in stages by the remaining gang of three. Bernice’s daughter, Alison, arrives in disguise to try to patch things up and from there the course of the story is predictable and in the end rather schmaltzy. However, that is to sell Bingo! short: it is a fun show with a generally feel-good air about it, catchy if not particularly memorable songs,

With its cracking tunes, brilliant lyrics, gripping story and range of characters, Oliver! is a natural favourite among amateur musical theatre societies. But those of us who are long enough in both the tooth and the memory will recall that when the show first hit the West End, what was talked about most was Sean Kenny’s set design. With its multiple revolves and levels, it was ideally suited to the episodic nature of the story; in fact, it is on record that much of the show was re-written during rehearsals to make best use of a set which was unlike

The Drowsy Chaperone (songs by Lisa Lambert and Greg Morrison, and book by Bob Martin and Don McKellar) is quite a phenomenon, starting life as a party piece at a Canadian stag do and ultimately gracing Broadway and the West End stage. Theatre 2000’s director/choreographer, Angie Broomfield, has rather honed down this production at the Shelley Theatre, particularly with staging, but it says something for the writing that it still works very well. The performance begins with a dingy little man, ‘Man in Chair’, in an equally dingy apartment, breaking down the Fourth Wall and chatting about how the musicals

Does the price of fame always bring celebrities down? No, but in some case it can destroy their careers and end their lives as they know them. Birdland, written by Simon Stephens, is all a bit dark and depressing. The 1¾-hour performance, without interval, is a challenge for the audience in a number of ways. First, the play itself: not the strongest I have ever seen, a bit predicable and fully of clichés that do not really make the time fly by. I found myself looking at my watch, hoping that time had passed more quickly than it had. It