Tag Archives: Northampton

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 – The Comedy Crate and Northampton Comedy Festival present Felicity Ward and Lindsey Santoro, Work in Progress, V&B Wine Bar, Northampton, 25th June 2026

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Comedy Crate - Lindsey Santoro and Felicity WardContinuing that endless quest for pre-Edinburgh perfection, those nice people at the Comedy Crate treated us to two more work in progress shows on probably the hottest night of the year, so the comedy stars had to be good to keep our attention. Fortunately, they were!

First up was Felicity Ward, who is brushing up her material for her Edinburgh show, I Wish I Could Come Out of My Shell, on at the Cabaret Voltaire from 17th to 30th August. It’s a lovely ironic title as there are few people who have abandoned their shell more than Felicity. A recent ADHD diagnosis (no, really?!) after becoming newly divorced, and, after a year or so of quietly coming to terms with it all, she’s now hit the dating apps, thereby discovering all sorts of new things about herself. She has some great material about bi-dating and the different vibes you get from different apps; she also reflects on her favourite TV show, Alone, gives all the inside information on her appearances in Australia’s Dancing with the Stars, and a no-holds-barred sequence of needing to do a poo when her son also needed one – let’s just say necessity was the mother of invention. A fast and exhilarating delivery of well-structured and very funny material, there’s very little further tweaking needed before she hits Edinburgh – this will be a comedy highlight of the Fringe I’m sure.

Comedy CrateAfter the interval we welcomed Lindsey Santoro, an effervescent presence of uninhibited comic ideas, who hits the ground running with frenetic attack, a wonderfully confiding nature, and some bold material that takes us where angels fear to tread. She’s preparing for her Edinburgh show, It Was Like That When I Got Here, also at the Cabaret Voltaire, from 19th to 30th August. Much of her material is based on surviving married life as wife and mother; and she includes a hilarious sequence of going to a Haven Holidays Caravan Site, the unusual selfies she was advised to take when pregnant, and the secret pleasures of women in the jacuzzi. There’s some refinement needed to make all the material dovetail and choose exactly the right words at times, but that’s just what a Work in Progress show is all about; and Ms Santoro has the benefit of being a naturally outrageously funny person who holds the audience in the palm of her hand from start to finish.

A terrific blend of comedy and aircon! There are yet more Edinburgh Previews coming in the weeks ahead.

Review – The Comedy Crate and the Northampton Comedy Festival present Nathan Caton and Hasan Al-Habib, Work in Progress, The Lab, Northampton, 15th June 2026

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Nathan Caton and Hasan Al-HabibThe Northampton Comedy Festival continues courtesy of those nice people at the Comedy Crate with another Work in Progress show, featuring Nathan Caton and Hasan Al-Habib in the cosy and intimate setting of The Lab. The venue only seats 35, so it’s a comfortable way of getting a really good comedy vibe without massive queues for the bar or loos at the interval. Win win.

Our first hour was spent in the company of Hasan Al-Habib, who’s preparing his Edinburgh show Stuck in the Middle (East) with You, on at the Pleasance Courtyard from 5 to 30 August. It’s a very funny title, and Hasan is a very funny man; warm, engaging and setting up an instant rapport with the crowd. Sporting an Iraq football World Cup t-shirt, his material for his new show has a surprisingly dark side, as it centres on his own domestic situation – in his words, family trauma.

After his parents’ divorce, Hasan’s homelife was dominated by his mother and his overbearing (also vicious) aunt. This is the story of how a cruel, uncontrollable influence in the household can be injurious to your health – both mental and physical. Sounds gloomy, doesn’t it? It isn’t, as Hasan has loads of comic observations en route, from his French-Iranian girlfriend to oncology, enhanced by his great gift for character voices which bring all his stories to life. He needs to polish up the funny side for the darker second part of his show, and give it a stronger conclusion, but I’m sure it’ll be in tip-top condition come August. That is, after all, the point of a work in progress show!

He’s also part of a second Edinburgh show, together with Aisha Amanduri, called 2 Muslim 2 Furious 3: Sharia? I Hardly Know Her! on daily between 6th and 30th August at Laughing Horse @ The Counting House, which I’m sure will also be worth checking out.

Comedy CrateAfter the interval we welcomed Nathan Caton, someone we’ve seen many times before, who doesn’t have an Edinburgh show in the offing but is working up some material to take on tour next year. It’s been an astonishing thirteen years since we first saw a young Nathan at a Screaming Blue Murder where he was a breath of fresh air whom we could have watched all night. Now in his forties, he already beginning to feel old (I can tell him, there’s a long way to go yet!) Thus, a lot of his new material is based on feeling old and out of touch, including how on earth did he ever go to nightclubs, and what’s all this pronoun nonsense about? Talking of age, he has some gruellingly funny reminiscences of appearing on P&O ships, has a great solution to the problem of children using social media, and has a novel idea for appearing on Don’t Tell the Bride. He admitted there was no link between any of his ideas, he just wanted to find out what was funny and what wasn’t – but Mr C has such a deft delivery that everything comes across as funny!

A very enjoyable night of WIPs! And there’s plenty more of these to choose from on The Comedy Crate website.

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 – The Comedy Crate Festival, Northampton, 6th June 2026

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Comedy CrateA thing of beauty is a joy for ever, and things don’t come much more beautiful than the Comedy Crate and their regular feasts of fun for the good citizens of Northampton and its environs. In the past, the Comedy Crate has hosted a weekender festival over two summer days, but the World Cup and popular music festivals (whatever they are) are getting in the way this year so the weekender has been split into two all-dayers. All the other elements are the same – the three venues (Charles Bradlaugh, The Black Prince and The Lamplighter), a choice of three shows five times throughout the day, and a cheap ticket price buying you one of those must-have wristbands. What more could anyone want?

Comedy Crate June 26Everyone will have created their own individual choice of shows, and I can only tell you about our own particular itinerary, so here goes! As they’re all WIPs (works in progress) in preparation for either the Edinburgh Fringe, UK tours or prospective shows of the distant future, we know we’re unlikely to see a truly polished product, and so giving out star ratings is inappropriate at this stage. So I won’t do it!

2pm – Ahir Shah in The Charles Bradlaugh

One of our favourite comedians and an Edinburgh award-winner to boot, Ahir Shah is WIPing up material for his new show, Golden, at the Pleasance Courtyard, Edinburgh from 6 – 30 August. This was very much a game of two halves. The first half was slick, polished and classic Ahir. Now that he’s comfortably in his 30s, he reflects on what growing up is all about, relating to family life, class and one’s role in society. We find out how come he doesn’t know his place in the Indian caste system, and get an insight into why he doesn’t trust the Co-Op. Halfway through, however, his material takes a darker, more serious tone as he works his way through some troublesome family issues, and here he is still working hard on finding the funny in the toughness. Many’s the time one sees a comedian and realises that their set is actually an exercise in self-therapy, and this is definitely the vibe here! He admitted that he had prepared a slick ending for the show, but he’s decided against it because it’s just not honest enough. So while there’s no work needed on the first half of the show, the second half still needs to find a shape. But if anyone can, he can, and I’m sure this will be another tremendous Edinburgh hit.

3.30pm – Sooz Kempner in The Charles Bradlaugh

Another comedian we’ve seen several times before in Edinburgh and always enjoyed, Sooz Kempner’s Comedy Crate debut was in preparation for her Edinburgh show this year, Imposter, at Hoots @ Nicolson Square from 15 – 23 August. Sooz Kempner always loves a creative mix of stand-up and media projection, with some singing cropping up for balance, and this is shaping up to be a terrific show which brings together many different threads and ties them up into a very satisfying whole. She’s a wizard with the callbacks (visual as well as verbal) and included in the package is some beautifully unexpected Streisand, a Princess Diana calendar, and how writing jokes for Eurovision could have turned out better. At the heart of the show is her Imposter syndrome, made more acute by a health issue, and – let’s face it – no one wants to turn into Julie Andrews. She was absolutely on fire and the audience loved her. Not much more preparation needed and this will be a knock-out show in Edinburgh.

5pm – Sara Barron in The Black Prince

Unlike the other performers we saw, Sara Barron is neither working towards an Edinburgh show, nor a tour, but just formulating some new material for use at some point in the distant future. So, there was very little in the way of polished material in her set; instead, we were there to help her work out whether any of the vague ideas swirling around her head might be funny. Fortunately, Sara Barron is not just a naturally funny person, she’s a naturally hilarious person who puts me in mind of a less showbizzy version of Joan Rivers, who wisecracks effortlessly with the audience. It’s fascinating to watch the process of material coming together, and whilst there were some ideas that have legs and some that don’t, that’s what it’s all about. Even so, the hour flew by and everyone had a good laugh; and you can’t say fairer than that.

7pm – Glenn Moore in The Charles Bradlaugh

Another favourite comedian, Glenn Moore does have an Edinburgh run coming up, but it’s a work-in-progress show at Monkey Barrel Comedy from 3 – 16 August, before going on a national tour afterwards. Glenn Moore cuts an imposing figure on stage; I always think he looks like a super intelligent chief executive, which has to be a compliment. He takes a scattergun approach to his work in progress, with no obvious connection between any of his comic ideas, and he is brutal in rejecting anything that he doesn’t feel gets a loud enough laugh – even though you can tell he’s dismissing some pretty good material. Nine out of ten jokes were brilliant – high standards have clearly got him where he is today. Always reliable for top quality, well thought-through observations, this is obviously going to be another winning combination when he’s satisfied that he’s got it as perfect as possible!

8.30pm – Rhys James in The Charles Bradlaugh

New to us, but with a good reputation, our final act of the day was Rhys James, whose Chop Logic show will be at the Pleasance Courtyard in Edinburgh from 17 – 30 August.  I guess this was a work in progress in preparation for that run, but the act is pretty much immaculate all the way through and certainly Fringe-ready. A remarkable find, Rhys appeals to young and old because his material is always fresh, creative and incredibly funny. I loved his inventive material about how we should all emulate the Turkish economy, how he’s branching out with his painting hobby, the perils of transporting a poo sample, and a delicious way of teasing pensioners. Polished, confident, and constantly rip-roaringly funny, he’s the real deal and no mistake. A fantastic end to the day.

There are several more Edinburgh preview shows in the offing with the Comedy Crate, and of course Part Two of their weekend All Dayer in July. Can’t wait!

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 – Comedy Crate Mixed Bill at the Malt Shovel, Northampton, 24th May 2026

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Comedy Crate at the Malt ShovelWhat better way to round off a gloriously warm Bank Holiday Sunday than to enjoy an evening of first-class comedy in a traditional English pub? This was one of two Comedy Crate gigs in Northampton on Sunday evening – those nice people at the Comedy Crate are certainly putting their backs into providing our comedy quota, and hurrah for that, I say.

Our host for the evening was Andy Gleeks, late of Ireland and now of Oxfordshire, and what a tremendous live wire he is. Deft at getting to know the audience as well as delivering his own very funny material, he gets the balance between MC and artist perfectly. He has a comfortable, warm persona on stage, coupled with just a little hint of danger – which means he can lull you into a false sense of security and then go for a killer line. He kept the evening going at a great pace and I’d be very happy to see him again.

Our first act – and someone I would normally associate with being a headliner – was the irrepressible Gerry K, another performer who is so gifted at leading you up the garden path with his stories, so you think they’re going to go one way, and then he takes you somewhere totally unexpected. Instantly engaging, he sets up a great rapport with the audience through his enthusiastic confidence and his indomitable cheekiness. With his very relatable material – especially with a middle-aged audience – it’s always a pleasure to spend half an hour in his company.

Next up, and someone we’ve seen once before at the Edinburgh Fringe, was Tim Biglowe, who uses his hippy hair and demeanour to great effect with some well-pitched self-deprecatory jokes, and many sequences of unexpected and original material. Challenging preconceptions, his delivery flows beautifully and dynamically and he had us all in the palm of his hand. An immediately likeable performer, Mr B will surely be a big name of the future.

Headlining was Kevin Daniel, a fifty-nine-year-old Glaswegian (he was very keen that we note his age) who riffs off the audience immaculately, poking good-natured fun at us and getting away with it because he’s simply very funny. His style is to tell longer comic scenarios rather than rattling off a scattergun approach, which works very well as he explores all the humorous possibilities in, for example, an unanticipated prostate examination. Terrific rapport, winning material, Comedy Crateand a great way to end what was one of the best mixed bills we’ve seen in a long time.

There are more comedy shows in and around Northampton in the near future from the Comedy Crate as part of their Comedy Festival – don’t miss out on an excellent opportunity to see great comedy!

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!