Reviews

Wimborne Drama Productions  Tivoli Theatre, Wimborne Chaz Davenport 20 February 2025   For this production of a play I’d never heard of, I thought I could look up stuff about it beforehand to get some “prep” in, or I could go to the Tivoli, sit back in my seat and let the production tell me the story and see if it gets to me. I went for the latter and I’m glad I did. Obviously, the title does give a little bit of information as to the subject matter, but there are plays aplenty about weddings and such that I

Centrestage Productions Youth Theatre [CPYT]  The Point, Eastleigh Anne Waggott 20 February 2025 February half term at The Point in Eastleigh can only mean one thing… CPYT are back with another sell-out show – and another production full of energy, pizzazz and memorable performances from this extremely talented bunch of youngsters (and those young at heart…)! Charlie Bucket loves chocolate… he dreams about it, he yearns for it, he invents new flavours in his imagination, and he relishes his once-a-year bar of birthday chocolate. So, when he wins one of the five golden tickets to a fabulous trip around the

New Forest Players  Forest Arts Centre, New Milton Jade Morrell 19 February 2025   Talking Heads by Alan Bennett is a highly acclaimed collection of monologues that was first aired on BBC television in 1988 and later followed by a second series in 1998. It has since been adapted for stage and print, cementing its reputation as a modern classic in British drama. There are three monologues performed here. ‘A Lady of Letters’ – A lonely spinster’s obsessive letter-writing lands her in unexpected trouble. ‘A Cream Cracker Under the Settee’– A elderly widow finds solace from her unfulfilling marriage and

Broadstone Players  War Memorial Hall, Broadstone Carole Gadsby 18 February 2025 Theatregoers looking for a night out of comedy and endearing chaos will find plenty to enjoy in Inspector Bumble, the new farcical detective play to hit the stage in Broadstone written by local playwright and novelist Malcolm Miller. This light-hearted whodunit follows the bumbling efforts of Inspector Bumble, a detective so incompetent that his very presence at a crime scene is more likely to cause confusion than solve a murder. From the moment Bumble, played by Jeremy Mills, stumbles onto the stage, it’s clear we are in for an evening

Burley Players  Burley Village Hall, Burley Ben Nightingale 25 January 2025 Adventure in Pantoland was lively and bright, the production was a whirlwind of colour and energy. The costumes were vibrant, and the sets, while a little wobbly at times, added to the charm. A few lines were fluffed, and some cues went astray, but the enthusiasm of the cast carried the show forward with infectious joy. The songs were performed with heart, and the audience was more than happy to clap and join in. The classic panto humour, cheesy, over-the-top, and utterly delightful, kept everyone entertained. Each character played

Castle Players  The Village Hall, Lytchett Matravers Caroline Burr 13 February 2025 Having never read the famous book by Paula Hawkins, or seen the subsequent film, I was fascinated to see the stage version of The Girl On The Train. As a psychological thriller, the intrigue revolves around firstly where Megan is, and secondly who murdered her. What perhaps sets this whodunnit apart is that the protagonist Rachel (Kelly-Ann Singleton) is a barely-functioning alcoholic, unhappily attempting to recover from divorce, who invents the life of a couple she sees each day from the train. When Megan goes missing Rachel realises she