Tag Archives: Derngate

Review – Alfie Moore, Acopalypse Now, Royal and Derngate, Northampton, 28th June 2026

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Within the first few minutes of his show, Alfie Moore asked the audience how many of them listen to his Radio 4 show. Judging from the response, I’d guess it was about 95%. He certainly knows his audience! This left Mrs Chrisparkle and me feeling like a pair of frauds as we’ve never heard his radio show, we only know him from live performance. You don’t need to know his radio output though, although it might put you at a slight advantage at odd moments if you do!

He cuts quite an ungainly appearance on stage, a slightly wobbly gait and adopting some odd angles, as though he’s just disembarked ship and hasn’t yet found his land legs. But that all goes to make his stage persona, that of an experienced police officer looking after the good folk of Scunthorpe for decades, more believable. And whilst most of his material comes from police experience, he’s not above throwing in a few Dad Jokes on the way, and to be honest those create some of his biggest laughs.

The title, Acopalypse Now, is not a typo, despite what his poster printers may have thought; it’s his policing slant on what’s going to cause the end of the world. What a jolly subject for a comedy show! But it works, as it enables Alfie to go through a number of scenarios, bringing out a fair amount of gallows humour en route. What’s it to be? Pandemic? War? Climate change? The Domination of AI? The way things are going at the moment it’s a lottery between all of them.

There are number of running themes throughout his two-hour show, including his acquiring a bike to cycle to work as part of a police drive towards saving the planet, and his dealings with a young Just Stop Oil protestor; and they become the source of many an entertaining callback. He discusses the art of the erudite heckle; and invites the audience to act as police officers for the night, choosing which course of action out of several we would opt for if it was down to us. That proved to me what a woeful police officer I would be.

His style is neither laid back nor frenetic, but somewhere between the two; and his pace is normally set to quite gradual (sometimes perhaps a little too gradual) although he can sometimes accelerate to bullet-point rapid. Basically, he talks like a police officer, which I guess is what we all paid for. As you would expect he’s confident with addressing audience members individually, asking them questions to justify their decisions or identify their attitudes – at times I wondered if we should all have been given a caution at the start so that this information could be used in evidence. One particular strength of his storytelling technique is his ability to weave facts and true stories or cases into his material, which makes everything he says totally believable. He describes events clearly so that you can completely envisage them in your mind’s eye, which really brings his material to life; a gift that not every comedian has.

There are plenty of laughs, and a lot of moments of understanding and agreement; but perhaps also the occasional longueur where you want him to get on with it a bit more! But if you like his radio show then I’m sure his stage show will feel like a natural extension. The Acopalypse Now tour continues into November, and he will be gracing the Edinburgh Fringe in August.

Review – Royal Philharmonic Orchestra play Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony, Royal and Derngate, Northampton, 14th June 2026

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There are few more civilised ways of spending a Sunday afternoon than in the company of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra with another of their matinee concerts. A pretty full Derngate auditorium welcomed first Erik Chapman, one of the First Violins, who introduced the afternoon’s concert to us, including the fact that the RPO has now been going for 80 years, and that they have been performing in Northampton for the last 24 of them – and long may it continue.

Our conductor for the afternoon was Ben Glassberg, winner of the 55th Besançon Young Conductors Competition in 2017 at the impressively young age of 23. Traditional in style but with a youthful touch (black t-shirt beneath his dinner jacket), he gets quite animated on the podium, but never outrageously so; just enough to coax the best out of the orchestra. And the orchestra was indeed on scintillating form!

The strings take control of the first piece, Joe Hisaishi’s Encounter for String Orchestra. He is the RPO’s current composer-in-association, and this remarkable six-minute work grabs your attention from the start and never lets up. Hisaishi orchestrates the piece so that the focus moves around different sections of the orchestra, one at a time, enhancing an old-fashioned stereo effect such as you might get in your car speakers, or on a 1970s stereogram! Stringed instruments play nineteen to the dozen,  left and right across the stage providing a constant audio thrill. One of the most exciting pieces I’ve heard from a living composer – I definitely now need to discover more of his work.

Still concentrating on the strings but offering a very different vibe, our next piece was Sibelius’ Violin Concerto in D Minor, Op.47. Our soloist was the remarkable Clara-Jumi Kang, whose “Thunis” Stradivarius from 1702 produces a very distinctive, gritty sound that really gets under the skin of the notes on the stave and creates a powerful, vibrant experience. It’s a very complex piece and Ms Kang attacked those cadenzas like a demon, blistering her way through the movements to jaw-dropping effect, with incredible support from the orchestra. Slightly infra dig I know, but the audience couldn’t resist bursting into sustained applause at the end of the opening Allegro moderato movement because it was simply so exciting. A remarkable performance of a challenging piece.

After the interval, we returned for one of classical music’s big people pleasers – Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony. In his opening introduction, Erik Chapman had asked us all to listen to it as if we were hearing it for the first time. There’s so much more to the piece than that iconic opening four-note statement, although that does indeed dominate the first movement. But the rest of the symphony is full of glorious tunes and inspiring sequences that sweep you away with the excitement of it all. The orchestra were, as always, superb, and it was a fantastic way to round off a terrific afternoon of classical music.

The new Royal Philharmonic season at the Royal and Derngate goes on sale on 19th June, give yourselves a treat and check it out!

Review – Comedy Underground, Royal and Derngate Northampton, 11th June 2026

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A slightly different format for a comedy mixed bill at the Royal and Derngate; originally to be held in the Royal Theatre with the catchy title Avalon Mixed Bill Comedy Night, it moved to the more suitable Underground venue, and retained the traditional structure of one host, two intervals and three acts. Why change a winning formula?

A change of billing may have necessitated a change of MC, because our host for the evening was the incredible Chloe Petts, and she’s just as assured an MC as she is a headliner, taking charge of proceedings with boundless energy, and striking up a terrific rapport with the crowd. The start of the World Cup gave her the opportunity to talk about her favourite subject (not Donald Trump, although…?) and she also got to know all about front row Adrian (fibre optics, Warhammer), the two sets of jolly neighbours from Cogenhoe, and guessed accurately that another set of four friends were into Amdram. One of our favourite comedians, she was on tip top form and it was a delight to have her in charge.

Our first act, and new to us, was Jonny Pelham; his mild-mannered stage persona only goes to emphasise how daring and boundary-pushing some of his material can be. Among his subjects were the pros and cons of being rich and stupid, the concept of the chicken nonce, and the benefits of being on one of the NHS’ most dubious waiting lists. Entertainingly self-deprecating, he’s certainly one of those comedians who rummage around where angels fear to tread, but he does it with a nicely understated aplomb. He’s also very funny, which is the main thing!

Next up, also new to us and in a change to the advertised line-up, was Tom Lawrinson, whose stage persona is hard to pin down – he’s like a slippery slice of mercury, flowing uncontrollably, flashy on the outside and with a lethal edge. He reminded me slightly of an early incarnation of Russell Brand, back when he was funny and not a menace; intriguing and just a little sinister. He also has some pretty daring material, oriented in family but with a surreal twist, such as how he still has a bedroom at the family home full of his stuff that he certainly doesn’t want around him now, but woe betide you if you tamper with it. He has some extremely funny material about buying sex toys at Big Tesco. A bold choice for Northampton; he might be more at home somewhere trendier and more Bohemian!

Our headliner was someone we only saw a few days ago but with (almost) totally different material – the irrepressible Glenn Moore. Seemingly effortless, although I know that an amazing amount of effort goes into creating his sets, the man is a wit machine who scarcely pauses for breath between each superbly creative idea. He’s the kind of comedian whose material is delivered so freshly and constantly topped up, that it’s impossible to recall his earlier themes because you’re already so engaged on the next one. That said, I totally guffawed at his “Voice Over Awards” sequence; and to wind up his act (and indeed the audience) he had one of the best parting lines ever, which I won’t spoil for you but still has me laughing out loud a day later. You can never go wrong with Glenn Moore; he’s one of the absolute greats.

Overall, a very enjoyable night of comedy and Avalon are welcome to bring another selection of their finest to Northampton whenever they want!

Review – Screaming Blue Murder, Underground at the Royal and Derngate, Northampton, 30th May 2026

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Screaming Blue MurderConstant as the North Star, Screaming Blue Murder returned on Saturday to the Royal and Derngate, under the kindly watch of our regular host with the most, Dan Evans. Battling against the hot weather, he got to know selected members of the full house, including Dean (or was it Paul) and their accompanying stag/hen celebrators, and the teachers at the Academy of Performing Arts (Bedford branch) – I know, that doesn’t sound likely, does it?

In a change to the advertised programme, our first act, and new to us, was Aaron Simmonds, who despite – or maybe because of – his cerebral palsy presents an energetic and boisterous persona on stage and drives his act forward with enthusiasm and attack. He turns his condition into a strength with some very funny – but also challenging – material on the subject of disability, and he has an entertaining tale about one’s priorities at the Paralympics. His material didn’t always land as it should, but his confidence and endless surprises more than made up for it.

Next up, and another new comic to us, was Alex Bertulis-Fernandes, an engaging performer with a quiet, laid-back style that lulls you into a false sense of security and then hits you with a killer line. She has some great material about rescue dogs and sexual liaisons, which she delivers in a gently knowing manner, with excellent timing and an unhurried warmth. Quirky and original, she gave an assured performance and the audience loved it.

Our headliner, and someone we haven’t seen for more than fifteen years, was Alistair Barrie, who comes out of the traps all guns blazing, with terrifically indignant material about the perils of the world today. He has some great material about how little we had to worry about back in 1999 in comparison with 2026, and he mixes intelligent and ribald observations about world politics with his own family experiences. I loved the idea that his aged parents live in a house made from old Daily Telegraphs! Dynamic and fast developing, he has an instantly captivating style and you hang on his every word. A fantastic end to the evening.

That’s the last Screaming Blue of the Spring, but no doubt it’ll be back when Autumn leaves start to fall!

Review – Birmingham Royal Ballet, BRB2, Carlos Acosta’s Ballet Celebration – Diaghilev and the Birth of Modern Ballet, Royal and Derngate, Northampton, 23rd May 2026

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It’s always a delight to welcome members of the Birmingham Royal Ballet to the Royal and Derngate; this time the dancers were largely drawn from the BRB2 company, their emerging talent and rising stars of the dance world. There was much to thrill and enchant one’s inner balletomane on Saturday night, with a highly entertaining programme of works, all of which were first performed by the Ballets Russes between 1909 and 1924. With the exception of the two short dances from Les Biches, choreographed by Nijinksy’s sister Bronislava Nijinska, all the choreography was by Mikhail Fokine, no finer exponent of the art (imho).

The first part of the evening was devoted a performance of Les Sylphides, with Chopin’s music played live on the piano by Jeanette Wong. That opening tableau is one of the most iconic images in all classical ballet, with the corps de ballet slowly peeling off, whilst the main characters remain unmoving until their dances finally begin. The stark white of the costumes against the dark background creates a powerful impression, and there’s no hiding place during that sequence; any imperfection is instantly noticeable. To be honest, there were a couple of minor wobbles at first, but these were far outweighed by the overall excellent standard of dancing. The pointe work is extraordinary, and the fluidity, grace and delicacy of the performance was superb. My personal favourite sequence was Airi Kobayashi’s Mazurka; Ms Kobayashi has a remarkable lightness of touch, and she was always a sheer delight to watch. Marlo Kempsey-Fagg’s performance as the poet was also very engaging and precise, giving excellent support to his ballerinas, and delivering his solos with style.

After the interval, we had four shorter sequences of dance, starting with what was probably the best individual performance of the show, the pas de deux from Rimsky-Korsakov’s Sheherazade, performed by Yoli Meurisse and Alfie-Lee Hall. The Birmingham Royal Ballet spares no expense on costumes, and this performance truly evoked the exoticism of the east. Ms Meurisse and Mr Hall had tremendous chemistry together, full of playfulness and excitement, and created a very rewarding and enjoyable dance.

Next came Le Spectre de la Rose, with Tom Hazelby giving a riveting performance as the spirit of the rose that falls from the hands of the sleeping young girl as she dreams of the ball she has just attended. Then followed two dances from Les Biches; Airi Kobayashi wickedly rattling her pearls as she performed an elegant Mazurka, and Hannah Martin and Jacopo Bianucci’s witty pas de deux – her, aloof and majestic; him, trying to impress as a strong man straight from the beach.

The final dance was a pas de deux from Stravinksy’s Firebird, a demanding and expressive piece full of angst and power, given a strong performance by Ellyn Knol and Ixan Ferrer. As a finale, the corps de ballet from Les Sylphides returned for a final dance before being joined by all the artists from the other dances; merging all the performers in their disparate costumes demonstrates the range of performance styles, skills and talents that they can all offer. It was a delightfully irreverent final combination and brought an engrossing and beautiful evening of dance to a very positive conclusion. There is one more performance of Carlos Acosta’s Ballet Celebration – Diaghilev and the Birth of Modern Ballet, at the New Theatre Peterborough on 29th May. Highly recommended!

4-starsFour They’re Jolly Good Fellows!

Review – Phil Ellis, Bath Mat, Royal and Derngate, Northampton, 21st May 2026

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Phil Ellis’ first Edinburgh Fringe show was back in 2008, and he was once a contestant on TV’s Taskmaster. Nevertheless, I’d never heard of him until the Royal and Derngate announced his Bath Mat tour on their listings; that was all the impetus we needed to see him for ourselves. As soon as he came on stage, Mrs Chrisparkle felt that he looked like someone else but couldn’t quite put her finger on who. Halfway through the second half it came to her in an instant, and she whispered it to me. She’s absolutely bang on, but you’ll have to read to the end to find out who it is.

Phil Ellis comes at his humour from an unusual angle, embellishing himself as a top drawer, master performer, full of pizzazz and charisma, only to spend the next two hours deflating himself as a plucky loser. Essentially, he takes the showbiz comedy genre and neatly deconstructs it; your all-singing all-laughing comedy genius is in fact just a guy from Preston who’s had to move back in with his parents at the age of 44. To enhance that façade, he is often accompanied by Tom Short; not a traditional, separate support act, but someone engaged to whoop us up in a frenzy of excitement for his first appearance and who crops up occasionally when Mr E needs an extra pair of hands.

It’s a very clever idea and fertile ground for some great self-deprecatory material, which Mr Ellis delivers with great timing, heart and a lot of appeal. He cuts an immensely likeable character on stage; someone we can identify with because no one is really as good as they make themselves out to be. He provides a running commentary on the show, pointing out for example that this part is weak, or that part needs work. His crowd work is fantastic, with a devilish memory for detail; it was fascinating to observe just how confident the audience was in interacting with him. On so many occasions you see a comedian work hard to get comedy gems out of an uncomfortable, unwilling audience member, but Mr E’s audience is always ready to give as good as they get, even heckling themselves at one stage, which is something you don’t often see.

Despite his breezy, light-hearted style, he often takes his comedy where angels fear to tread, for example starting off with an “accidental” image of Ruth rather than Phil Ellis and giving us a few asides about her hanging; or talking about a favourite Auntie who was murdered, but still creating some funny punchlines. At his best, his material soars with an excellent balance of fantastical but not overly-stupid observations. Some of his material fails to connect; a section where he invites the audience to heckle him didn’t work because of its artificiality (the audience members were going to decide for themselves when they were going to shout out, not be told when!) and a good boy/bad boy media projection sequence didn’t really achieve anything. Why is the show called Bath Mat, I hear you ask? Because a bath mat was one of the final straws that ended his previous relationship. Yes, I’m not quite sure I believe that either, but it’s all jokes.

Overall, it’s a very funny couple of hours that at times can have you in hysterics, and others you’ll just be wondering what the heck is this bit all about. Nothing against Mr Short, but I found their interactions the least entertaining aspect to the entire show; Phil Ellis doesn’t need another person on stage to make us realise how funny he is. Bath Mat has been touring the UK since February and, after a couple more dates in May, will continue to tour in September and October.

Leonard Rossiter. Imagine a young Leonard Rossiter doing stand-up. That’s whom he reminded us of!

Review – BBC Radio 3’s Friday Night is Music Night, Royal and Derngate, Northampton, 17th April 2026

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Friday Night is Music NightHere’s something a little different! The BBC Radio 3 stalwart of a show, Friday Night is Music Night, came to Northampton’s Royal and Derngate, not, as I originally suspected, as a live broadcast, but to record the programme to go out on May 15th 2026. No strangers to the regular appearances by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra at the Royal and Derngate, I wondered to what extent this would be similar.

At first, the only difference was the appearance of additional microphones scattered around the stage, including some very tall ones – I guess up in the air they register fewer background noises. And it was the BBC Concert Orchestra, under the leadership of Charles Mutter, who played the tunes under the conducting baton of Richard Balcombe, who had conducted the RPO at the Valentine’s Gala at the R&D in 2025.

The show was introduced and hosted by another Radio 3 stalwart, Katie Derham, who comes across as warm, welcoming and genuinely loving her job. With just a few minor explanations as to how the evening would progress, the whole broadcasting element to the show had remarkably few nuts and bolts getting in the way of a straightforward live concert.

I don’t know why we were surprised at this, but we were: the orchestra members, the conductor, Katie Derham, and our two singers, Patrick Smyth and Katie Birtill, were all smartly decked out in traditional evening wear, just as you would expect for a regular classical concert. Indeed, Ms Birtill even brought a change of dress for the second half!

The programme was a celebration of the work of Richard Rodgers, primarily his music composed in partnership with Lorenz Hart and Oscar Hammerstein; so, we were treated to some beautiful renditions of songs, overtures and instrumental passages from Oklahoma!, South Pacific, The Sound of Music, Carousel and more. Less well-known was his impressive music for the TV documentary Victory at Sea, and the concert concluded with his Slaughter on 10th Avenue from On Your Toes which I hadn’t heard in decades.

Stand out performances (for me at least) came in the form of the glorious Carousel Waltz, the Dream Ballet from Oklahoma! and Katie Birtill’s stunning performance of My Favourite Things. But the whole concert was a joy, and everyone in the audience had a marvellous time by the sound of it. I shall look forward to hearing it again on May 15th!

Review – Frankie Goes to Bollywood, Royal and Derngate, Northampton, 16th April 2026

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FGTB

©Richard Lakos

Confession time: I’ve never seen a Bollywood movie and know very little about the genre apart from a few basic facts that everyone knows. Frankie Goes to Bollywood provides an insight into this cultural phenomenon, and as such, is undoubtedly a fascinating experience. I do know that Bollywood movies are sold as a vision of dreams, a melting pot of glamour, and that nearly all are variations on the same theme – a love story of improbable, nay fantastic, proportions. Bollywood takes elaborate musical and visual themes to entrance its audience for several hours; and above all it creates legends, and its stars are like royalty.

FGTB

©Richard Lakos

Who wouldn’t want to be part of it? Frankie, and her best friend (and cousin/sister) Goldy, dream of making the big time somehow, rather than just selling popcorn at the local cinema in Huddersfield. Goldy wants to be in a Bollywood movie, but it’s Frankie who is – almost by accident – propelled into the limelight after a chance encounter with a movie director, a glitteringly successful audition, and an offer to be a big star in Mumbai. In many respects, a typical rags to riches storyline, that’s probably featured in many a Bollywood movie.

She's a warrior

©Richard Lakos

But Frankie is a realist, and although she dreams big, she’s just an ordinary young woman, with no pretence, no arrogance, and a heart of gold. Can she keep it real under the pressures of Bollywood life, or will she succumb to the flashy lifestyle and hardnosed ruthlessness of the film industry? You can probably guess the answer to that. But – spoiler alert – like all good Indian fairytales, everything comes good in the end.

Frankie calls the shots

©Richard Lakos

What Frankie Goes to Bollywood does very successfully is reveal the sham behind the façade of the Bollywood industry. The sexy male star, with whom the audience either wants to be in love or simply to be, is in real life an aging Baldilocks with a Mummy complex. Bollywood is a conveyor belt that pushes out endless dreams but is super ruthless with every element – including its stars – in the process. Whoever has the finance is the king and calls the shots; no other input is of any consequence. It’s a grim place where you can arrange for your rival actor to be on the receiving end of a fatal car accident. You lose your identity as you sell your soul, and it’s all in the name of light entertainment.

Frankie leads the dance

©Richard Lakos

The show also highlights the essential misogyny of the whole Bollywood industry. The women, on and off screen, are there to look good and to make the men look even better. What they think doesn’t matter, and any additional contributions they make are ignored. As a natural consequence, Frankie and the other women are frustrated and feel abused by the whole circus. The show culminates not so much with a natural conclusion to its storyline but more of a mission statement for the future.

A fluttering scarf

©Richard Lakos

Clearly, there’s no depth or meaning to your average Bollywood movie, and it’s this essential shallowness that is the problem with Frankie Goes to Bollywood. The system produces a never-ending sequence of shallow stories with shallow characters, and FGTB comes across as equally shallow. There’s a fine line between exposing its subject matter and resembling its subject matter, and the show doesn’t always get that balance right. They’re clearly a hugely talented cast but somehow it radiates an amateur vibe; revealing all Bollywood’s unsubtleties, not in a tongue-in-cheek or knowing way, but itself in an unsubtle way. The staging is frequently clumsy; for example, how many times do they have to (unnecessarily) move those spotlights around?! Often leaving uncomfortable gaps between scenes, it needs to be smarter and slicker. Occasional looks of uncertainty on the faces of some of the dancers suggest they’re a little unsure about where to stand or move, but that could also be because the stage of the Royal theatre is way too small to accommodate everything that this show is trying to achieve. I’m sure it would look more accomplished on a larger stage.

Timmy Anand

©Richard Lakos

That said, there is much to be appreciated in the vision and creativity of this production. Josh Sood’s musicians give us a gloriously authentic Indian music experience, Andy Kumar’s choreography – with Anna Maria Barber as assistant choreographer and dance captain – is bang on the nose and his costumes are as sumptuous as you would wish, and Philip Gladwell’s lighting is often set to brash mode, although there were a few moments on Press Night when gremlins got in the works.

Goldy getting ready

©Richard Lakos

The acting is of a very high standard. Sarah Pearson gives a great central performance as Frankie; she’s a tremendous singer with a winning stage persona. I wasn’t totally convinced of how Frankie loses her kindness and charity as her fame grows, but I think that’s more a failure of the script than the performance. I particularly enjoyed Katie Stasi’s Goldy, a warm-hearted and spirited young woman, not afraid to fail and always remaining faithful to her friend – and also with a great singing voice. Luke Suri, as flamboyant choreographer Shona, steals all his scenes with his camp charisma and wittily written bitchiness. Ankur Sabharwal amusingly portrays the spoilt vanity of the star Raju, and Meher Pavri captures the resentment of star-and-girlfriend-on-the-decline Malika, and the pure love and support given by Frankie’s mother.

Shona's in charge

©Richard Lakos

Akshay Datta’s surprisingly gentle characterisation of the principled film director Prem makes a slightly curious comparison with the rest of the Bollywood rat race, giving all his dreams up to become a guru. There’s excellent support from Neelam Rajni as Frankie’s assistant Mandy, and a very hard-working ensemble including an entertaining portrayal of Timmy Anand by Kiran Kaanan, all himbo, glittery chest and not much up top.

One of those shows where it doesn’t quite add up to the sum of all its parts, which must be due to the writing and direction. However, there’s no doubt that it’s a lively, colourful and musical spectacle that tackles an uncomfortable problem at the heart of Indian culture. After Northampton, the tour continues to Leeds, Peterborough, Derby, Windsor, Hornchurch, Oxford, Birmingham and finishing at the Bristol Old Vic at the end of June.

3-starsThree-sy Does It!

Review – Screaming Blue Murder, Underground at the Derngate, Northampton, 10th April 2026

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Great to see another sold out house at this month’s Screaming Blue Murder in Northampton, another sign that our local comedy scene is in the rudest of health. Our host was, as usual, the effervescent Dan Evans, spinning his bon mots left right and centre as he got to know the people in the front rows, which included the staff from the Pytchley pub in West Haddon who were much better behaved than they were two years ago (!) and a never ending range of engineers – consultant, building, mechanical, sustainability… you name it, there was an engineer for it somewhere in the front rows.

Our opening act was Justin Panks, fifty years old (allegedly) but distinctly a lad at heart. Hailing from Norwich, although his accent suggested otherwise, he has a confident, assertive presence on stage. His routines included how different things are today in comparison with the 1980s – particularly for the fellas, the intricacies of managing step-kids, and the pros and cons of shaving one’s balls. Occasionally taking us where angels fear to tread, some of his material might have alienated certain sectors of the audience, but he certainly provided a lot of laughs, and that’s what it’s all about.

Next up was Louise Leigh, a lively lady packed with impish spirit, who regaled us with stories of how she’s coping with moving into middle age, if not disgracefully then at least creatively. She’s acquired the colourful hair, she’s in love with her campervan, she’s started going to festivals and she’s devoted to her dog. She also has a husband and teenage kids, so there’s a lot of life-juggling going on. It’s all recognisable and relatable material, delivered with expert timing and a winning way.

Our headliner, and the only act we’d seen before, was Jon Long, a very funny chap whose seemingly mild and gentle character belies a wicked grasp of devilish humour. His opening routine about attending church as a youngster has a brilliantly unexpected punchline and he has the audience in the palm of his hands from then on. He has great material about having a wife who’s much tougher than he is and intersperses his set with a few comic numbers on the guitar, that always pack a punch. A most unassuming comedy star, but a star nonetheless.

Will there be another sold out show at the next Screaming Blue Murder on 30th May? You should come along and find out!

Review – Top Gs Like Me, Royal and Derngate, Northampton, 26th February 2026

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Aidan

©Manuel Harlan

Nothing beats the biting relevance of a powerfully executed, raw slice of contemporary theatre to examine the darkest problems of the age. Top Gs Like Me explores the part that the Internet plays in damaging ordinary folk, allowing them to fall prey to others with evil intent. Every week we hear of a new online scam where people have been tricked into giving away their money – or indeed their heart and soul. The Andrew Tates and – in this play – Hugo Bangs of this world are skilled, sophisticated operators, people scammers who know exactly the strings to pull to achieve what they want (which is, secondarily, your admiration and primarily, your money.)

Mia and Aidan

©Manuel Harlan

Samson Hawkins’ Top Gs Like Me, set firmly in Northampton, tells the story of the likeable, impressionable and naive Aidan, a classic underachiever like most of us, who whiles away his free time at Radlands skate park, accompanied by his daily peanut butter and jam sandwiches, trying to master a trick on his scooter that is just too skilful for him to get right. Earning minimum wage at Morrisons and Deliveroo, with a frustrating homelife and no love life, there must be more that he can do to gain a foothold in the world. Best friend Mia is off to Bristol to study photography, and she’s got a new boyfriend, Charlie, who’s a pukka product of the Boys’ School, naturally confident with his charming bonhomie. There’s nothing quite like finding out that the girl, who you hope could be your girlfriend, is introducing you to her new boyfriend, to make you realise quite how much you’re missing out.

Hugo

©Manuel Harlan

In amongst the ever-changing noise and messages that he observes as he doomscrolls, Hugo Bang comes into insidious focus on his phone, all sharp red suit, successful aura, and magnetic charisma. If he can do it, how come I can’t, thinks Aidan (precisely as Hugo Bang intends him to think). His mantra is simple: get the cash first, then you’ll get the girls. And once you get the girls, you get more girls. Happy days, as long as you remember never to treat the girls as human. As Aidan starts to fall under Hugo’s spell, Grace wanders into his life, attempting to give off streetwise vibes, and willing to be his friend, maybe more. Aidan sees how he can use Grace as part of his new business – his plan to get the cash first. Thus starts a chain of events that ends up disastrously for everyone involved.

A convincing Hugo

©Manuel Harlan

It gave me great satisfaction to realise I had to Google what a Top G is. It’s a Top Gangster, one of those terms that Andrew Tate and his ilk have created, to lure unsuspecting young men, Pied Piper like, into their way of thinking. Being a Top G may sound tempting, but it’s no way of life for a decent human being. It’s a gateway into misogyny, prejudice and blaming everyone else for the situation you find yourself in – except yourself. Take responsibility for your own actions and situation, and you need never fear falling into this pernicious trap.

Aidan

©Manuel Harlan

The cunning twist in Hawkins’ writing is that, whilst exposing the harm and indeed criminality that the likes of Hugo Bang can induce, Aidan doesn’t suffer all the consequences of his actions that he might. Hawkins recognises that Aidan is a victim too. In a programme note, director Jesse Jones writes “I don’t believe we can live in a world where mistakes made at eighteen define someone forever”, and the end of the play allows for both an optimistic and pessimistic future, with both a hint at redemption and the likelihood that the Internet will continue to do its worst.

Traverse staging

©Manuel Harlan

Anyone familiar with the usual configuration of the Derngate auditorium will be astounded when they see how it has been transformed to incorporate a skatepark as the centrepiece of traverse staging. It becomes a huge, thrilling acting space, which can comfortably host the full cast of 31 actors, which includes 25 third year Acting students from the University of Northampton who perform the vital, and hugely effective, role of Internet Ensemble – the constant cacophony of disconnected voices and images that appear for seconds on our phones until you swipe them away. It’s a fascinating concept which they deliver seamlessly with great humour and insight.

Lighting

©Manuel Harlan

Technically, the production is also an outstanding achievement. Rebecca Brower’s set totally nails the graffiti-covered functional but comfortless space, and I lost count of the number of positions from where a cast member can enter the stage – there are at least ten, giving it a truly immersive feel. Rory Beaton’s creative lighting and Benjamin Grant’s sound designs work together in a mosaic of intricacy and enviable slickness. Hats off too, to Monica Nicolaides’ outstanding movement direction and Kiel O’Shea’s fight direction, which gives us some superbly believable stage combat.

Aidan and Grace

©Manuel Harlan

On top of it all are six main performances of outstanding quality. Daniel Rainford convinces us that Aidan is a true Everyman character; restless, guileless, and without a plan for the future. He also shows us that the manosphere version of himself is an unnatural warping of his character; artificial and without the necessary charisma to become the next Hugo. He’s never off stage in a physically demanding and powerful performance. Encouraging his descent, Danny Hatchard is perfect as Hugo, constantly reinforcing the simplicity of getting what you want, appearing heroic, dishing out his diktats in bite size chunks; and, when everything ends in disaster, he simply slinks off quietly, unnoticed, without saying a word – until his next victim comes along.

Dave

©Manuel Harlan

Fanta Barrie gives a terrific performance as Mia; eloquent, insightful, and delivering probably the best speech of the play, that examines the consequences of Aidan’s actions on other people. Finn Samuels is also excellent as the effortlessly urbane Charlie, Emily Coates gives a superb performance as Grace and David Schaal brings the character of Dave, the alcoholic who spends this time drinking at the skate park, to life with a remarkable speech about how one must always take responsibility for one’s own actions.

Hugo Bang

©Manuel Harlan

If you know decent people who have been radicalised, and have no idea how this happened, this play may help you understand why. It offers no easy answers or solutions and no happy ever afters. But it does make you think, and talk; it challenges you to find a way out and dares you to judge those who ought to do better. A tremendous achievement by writer Samson Hawkins, director Jesse Jones and the entire cast. A must-see!

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