Review – The All New Adventures of Peter Pan, Royal and Derngate, Northampton 7th December 2025

Posted on December 7, 2025 by therealchrisparkle

©Pamela Raith

Yes, I can’t believe it’s almost Christmas either. But as sure as night follows day, the pantomime season swings into action, bringing its delightful formula of bad jokes, audience interaction, ghosts lurking behind benches and wheelbarrows heaving with puns. Evolution Pantomimes’ offering for Northampton this year is Peter Pan – The All New Adventures of, because we’ve moved on from Wendy Darling (who everyone agrees was SO BORING) to Poppy Sunshine, and Never Never Land has become Forever Land; go figure. But some things just don’t change: the mischievous Tinkerbell, the villainous Captain Hook and Peter Pan, of course; he’s no longer a child as Hook points out, but an actor with Botox and Mounjaro (don’t sue me, I’m only quoting what he said). And we mustn’t forget the Lost Boys and Girls, and the crocodile – this year, chummily known as Colin.

©Pamela Raith

Evolution are masters at pantomime and this year’s show is no exception. They have a great understanding of which panto traditions are sacrosanct, and which ones you can play with a little. The ghost bench is always a winning combination – but in a nice nod to Peter Pan this year, the ghost comes down from the sky on a wire. The musical numbers consist of a few classic pop songs – the Tina Turner double-bill that sends us into the interval is fabulous – mixed with several songs from musical theatre. Sweeney Todd’s Not While I’m Around has its scary subplot removed and becomes a sweet lullaby in the orphanage, Stick it to the Man from Rock of Ages works very well and, best of all, the mermaids using Welcome to the Rock from Come from Away as their theme for Mermaid Cove – it makes absolute sense that mermaids would affirm their identity with the chant I Am an Islander.

©Pamela Raith

There’s also one of those water pistol moments. Foolish me; as it had been raining, I brought a bag with me so that my programme would stay pristine whilst walking home. However, by the time Gordon Cooper’s Mrs Sweet had soaked the central stalls with her bazookas it had wilted into a soggy mess. But it’s all part of the Essence of Pantomime, which just so happens to be precisely that intangible substance that Captain Hook is trying to steal and destroy, so that he can eradicate laughter, music, dancing, and, above all, booing. What a bad fellow he is. You’ll be pleased to discover he fails in his quest.

©Pamela Raith

There’s energetic song and dance from the boys and girls of the chorus, amusing interruptions from Ethel the Overacting Pirate and Trevor the Pirate who can’t be Bothered, and the super-messy but very funny ice-cream making interlude. Musically, this is a particularly strong pantomime with two outstanding musical performances, from Millie Davies as Poppy and Simone Robinson as Miss Doodle/Myrtle. Neal Parsons and Emily Walder’s media videography is extremely effective, with the walls and door of Poppy’s orphanage bedroom shimmering into a dream sequence and a glorious projection of Poppy and Tink’s flight over London and beyond into orbit. This is the magic of pantomime; and there’s nothing quite like it.

©Pamela Raith

John Thomson leads the cast as the baddie Captain Hook; he has a fine and imposing stage presence and is appropriately malign, so that he fully deserves his boos. There’s a hilarious brief sequence where he attempts to deliver a powerful soliloquy in an ever-diminishing follow spot – it’s a lovely piece of physical comedy. And he can play the drums too! Oliver Scott plays our gang leader Charlie with immense and addictive enthusiasm and forms a fun double act with CBeebies favourite George Webster, whom the children in the audience absolutely adored.

©Pamela Raith

Gordon Cooper relishes all the opportunities that being the pantomime dame can offer. As Mrs Sweet, she nicely plays up to her new boyfriend of the afternoon, the unfortunate front-row Chris (who was a very good sport indeed) and drives the show on with pace and power and a lot of splendidly outrageous costumes. I mustn’t forget the impishly cheeky Tink in the form of Georgia Brierley-Smith, and a big shout-out to Uncle Joe Church and his Royal and Derngate Philharmonic, playing their instruments from the side boxes, who create a bigger band sound than is decent from just four musicians.

©Pamela Raith

I must be honest; Sunday afternoon’s show was occasionally a little chaotic, but I have no doubt that any tiny niggles will sort themselves out admirably over the next couple of performances. And anyway, when things do go a little awry, that just adds to the Essence of Pantomime! Above all, the kids loved it, and that’s what really counts.

Four They’re Jolly Good Fellows!

Review – That’ll Be The Day – That’ll Be Christmas, Royal and Derngate, Northampton, 26th November 2025

Posted on November 27, 2025 by therealchrisparkle

©Prestige Productions

Whamageddon doesn’t start until 1st December, but Prestige Productions’ That’ll Be Christmas is already rocking out theatres and getting everyone in the mood for an early festive celebration. Trevor Payne’s That’ll Be The Day show notches up its fortieth anniversary next year; it’s a hugely successful, constantly changing touring production mixing music and laughter – and That’ll Be Christmas is their seasonal special, taking Christmas hits from throughout the decades and delivering them with pizzazz and glamour.

©Prestige Productions

Not only Christmas hits, but also plenty of nostalgic evergreen Christmas songs that we all grew up with, as well as some other songs given a Christmassy treatment. No spoilers, but I remember Abba’s Fernando being a summer hit – but here it glistens with sparkling snowflakes and makes you fancy a mulled wine. Part of the fun of the show is how it combines songs that you expect to hear – and have every right to expect – with songs that surprise you that they’ve been included; and for me, that was the most enjoyable aspect of the night. Of course, with every wonderfully nostalgic rendition, every so often a song comes along that you could really do without – but then, life would be dull if we were all the same! My teeth clenched at hearing the UK chart topper that fortunately was knocked off the top just in time not to make the Christmas No 1 in 1972… you’ll have to do your research to discover which little gem that is unless you’ve got a long and very good memory. Clue: I was one of those who will not sing.

©Prestige Productions

A long memory is actually a big bonus in the enjoyment of this show. The music covers the four decades from the 1950s to the 1980s, and the loyal fanbase audience are of an age where they’ll remember them all from their teenage years. It’s a family show – but – don’t tell anyone – I’m 65 years old and if you’re any younger you won’t get many of the references.

©Prestige Productions

It’s more of an event than a theatrical production, with a distinctly happy and excited vibe in the foyers, and patrons dressed in Christmas jumpers and tinselly hairbands. The stage looks great, with dynamic lighting and absolutely no expense spared on the costumes – you’ll lose count of the number of costume changes. There’s also a much-utilised back projection on stage, adding to the colour, the context and the memories.

©Prestige Productions

The musical numbers are broken up every so often with a comedy sketch or routine; you may have to delve very deep into your past to remember how much you appreciated Laurel and Hardy or Steptoe and Son when you were a kid; Gary Anderson’s vocal impersonation of Harold Steptoe is totally spot on! Some of the comedy is – dare I say it – both a little dated and a little crude, revealing that comedy develops over the years, but classic music always stands the test of time. I do love that particular excerpt from Till Death Us Do Part though!

©Prestige Productions

There’s a talented cast of vocalists and musicians, many of whom both sing and play instruments, and who all bring their own special creative spark. The show is fronted by That’ll be the Day mastermind Trevor Payne and his partner in crime Gary Anderson who use their clearly cheeky personalities to give us some devilish musical impersonations – capturing the essence of their characterisations whilst still impressing with their musical performances.

©Prestige Productions

No spoilers (again) but the show ends with a sequence that blends 70s and 80s Christmas No 1s with timeless festive songs, gets the whole audience up on their feet, and truly sends everyone home on a high. It’s really no surprise that That’ll Be The Day has been treading the boards since 1986, and I’m sure on this showing it will continue to tread them for many years to come! That’ll Be Christmas is now well into its UK tour, with a very busy schedule taking in almost forty venues in November and December. Here’s the link for tickets. My guess is that if you want to see the show, you’ll have to get your skates on, there were hardly any free seats at the Royal and Derngate on Wednesday!

Oh – and you WILL hear Last Christmas!

Four They’re Jolly Good Fellows!

P. S. Reading the cast biographies after the show I have a fresh admiration for TBTD supremo Trevor Payne. We have happy memories of a 1992 holiday to Malta, where the song Maltese Calypso was heard everywhere, and indeed we bought the 7-inch single – Trevor Payne wrote and performed it!

Review – BIOSPHERE, Genfest 2025, Underground at the Royal and Derngate, Northampton, 21st November 2025

Posted on November 22, 2025 by therealchrisparkle

©Todd N Murray

Do you remember the ‘Biosphere 2’ experiment, where eight crew members were sealed inside a vast Arizona biodome? It was intended to be a prototype for establishing life on other planets, but it slowly descended into disaster when the crew’s survival was threatened by the instability of their ecosystems, and their own relationships – we’re all human after all. BIOSPHERE, by Northampton’s own Olivia Foan, was inspired by this failed experiment, and is written to explore whether such an attempt could be tried again today, in light of our further descent into climate crisis.

Sam Landon ©Part of the Main

Produced by Part of the Main company as part of the Royal and Derngate’s Genfest 2025 season, Foan sets the play in an airtight dome – the Biosphere – where four scientists are sealed away from the world for a year to prove that life can survive beyond Earth. Can the four interact constructively and purposefully, working together for the good of mankind, or will human nature interrupt their ambitions and send the scheme crashing down? NASA’s Frank Rubio spent 371 days in the International Space Station, so theoretically it can be done – but is it within the abilities of Phillip, Rhea, Miriam and Jack to do the same?

Staged at the Underground space in the Royal and Derngate, Rachel Sampley’s excellent lighting and video design, combined with Vyvyan Stewardson’s sound design, recreates the biosphere perfectly in our imagination, with just a few additional props to give us additional context. Wealthy Phillip, whose brainchild the experiment is, takes charge and has recruited three scientists to assist him: engineer and analyst Miriam, agriculturalist and nutritionist Jack, and medical researcher Rhea (who also happens to be his girlfriend). Each has their own expertise vital for the experiment to succeed.

Lauren O’Leary ©Part of the Main

But people are human, and human frailties cannot be left outside the sealed door. Relationships are forged and fragmented, minor injustices expand into treachery. Phillip’s status confers additional privileges, such as the use of the phone and the right to withhold important information, which creates jealousy leading to resentments and anger. It’s very similar to the pressures you can watch on Big Brother, except they go on for a year! The integrity of the experiment requires access to the outside world to be impossible, but what if one of the four needs urgent medical attention beyond their own capabilities, or if food and nutrition dwindle to the minimum so that they can barely operate? If that integrity has to be breached to keep the four alive, does that make the experiment a failure, or do the lessons learned as a result render it a success?

Antonia Salib ©Part of the Main

In a sub-plot, Philip is financing Rhea’s defence in a court case resulting from misuse of her medical research; in another, one of the so-called supporters who observe the goings-on inside the dome from outside fixates on Miriam and masturbates whenever he sees her. The first gives us some additional insight into the characters and the world of medical research; the second, however, could be developed further. The projection occasionally reveals the numbers of days left in the experiment; this is unnecessary, as it’s hard to read the numbers projected on the floor, and, in any case, the writing is sufficiently informative for the audience to understand their time progress. That said, the ending of the play feels a little drawn out, as if they couldn’t quite decide at which point the story is fully concluded.

The acting is of a truly high quality throughout. Sam Landon brings a natural air of authority to the role of Phillip, ostensibly reasonable as a decisive, approachable boss, but underneath lurks a ruthless, angry streak. Lauren O’Leary’s Miriam has all the best lines and she delivers them with relish; it’s a smart and well-judged portrayal of an assertive character who’s nevertheless both vulnerable and volatile. Antonia Salib strongly suggests all Rhea’s insecurities whilst always showing her integrity and commitment to her research, and Eddie House’s performance as Jack is riveting from the start as he negotiates his way through personal interactions, devotion to his work, and the anguish the experiment causes him.

Eddie House ©Part of the Main

At two and a quarter hours including an interval, the play could do with a little tightening-up and maybe shaving off ten minutes or so. But it asks fascinating questions about both the future of the world, imbalance in relationships and the pressures of four people locked away for a year with ever decreasing resources. I’m sure this is not the last we will have heard of BIOSPHERE, and the company will be leading further development workshops which you can discover here.

Four They’re Jolly Good Fellows!

Review – Fawlty Towers, Royal and Derngate, Northampton, 18th November 2025

Posted on November 19, 2025 by therealchrisparkle

Hello, Fawlty Towers?

If you’re anything like me, gentle reader, you quake a little at the prospect of seeing a stage show based on a TV show. I have gloomy memories of seeing the stage production of Yes Prime Minister and the recent stage adaptation of Drop the Dead Donkey was only moderately entertaining. I genuinely hated the Menier Chocolate Factory’s 2009 production of Victoria Wood’s Talent as the two main actors simply did impersonations of Victoria Wood and Julie Walters as they performed in the original TV play; and it only made you want to see the real Victoria Wood and Julie Walters. So I was in two minds about how wise it was to spend a theatrical evening at Fawlty Towers.

I Know!!!…

Those twelve classic TV episodes are unassailably cherished in many people’s memories, so it was an undoubted risk on John Cleese’s part to adapt the show for the stage. It hit the West End with huge success in May 2024 and now it is touring the UK and Ireland right through to August 2026. The show is a compilation of three episodes, The Hotel Inspectors, The Germans and Communication Problems, with the odd nod to a couple of other stories. I’m not going to tell you what they are all about because I’m sure you haven’t been living under a rock for the past fifty years.

Polly squares up to the Major

The theatrical Fawlty Towers is massively more entertaining than any of those three productions I mentioned earlier. The adaptation is excellent, combining the three stories into one cohesive narrative, and the staging emphasises the farcical nature of the production; Feydeau would have loved it. It’s performed with tremendous conviction and manages to recreate the original with huge affection as well as putting its own subtle individual identity on it. Wisely, it doesn’t try to end with any form of resolution to the stories, just a chaotic tableau of everything going wrong, which perfectly encapsulates Fawltyland.

I’m sorry, he’s from Barcelona

Liz Ascroft’s breathtakingly impressive set occupies the entire stage, with the hotel reception, the dining room, the stairs up, and a top floor bedroom as well as cleverly showing us the hotel frontage and that persistently unreliable hotel name sign. The costumes are totally faithful to the original series, as is the incidental theme music. My only quibble with the overall production is that we hear that theme way too often during the course of the show; I can only imagine that if they were live musicians, Basil would have headbutted them in exasperation and snipped their strings before the evening was out.

Papers arrived yet, Fawlty?

There is a separate question to be asked: fifty years on, does it still work as comedy? Some people maintain – and indeed John Cleese is one of them – that comedy has been ruined by the wokerati and you can’t say funny things anymore. This is of course nonsense; you just have to be better at it. What certainly stands the test of time is the immensely funny characterisations: the belligerent, bombastic, oleaginous host, his coarse, braying, bullying wife, the demanding customer who only speaks circuitously, the forgetful old fool living in the past and the impatient deaf old woman who won’t turn her hearing aid on.

Don’t mention the war

Where, for me, it becomes less appealing is with its approach to foreigners, primarily the treatment of the idiotic Spanish waiter, and its carefree portrayal of violence, both domestic and against the staff and customers. In the 1970s, the TV series absolutely captured the zeitgeist with the British continued uneasy relationship with Germany, which was immaculately realised with Basil’s largely unintentional harassment of his German guests. Today, that whole Goebbels, Goering and Hitler funny walk routine just makes me cringe. But I must be honest, there were sections of the audience who found that completely hysterical.

He’s got a gun…

When you’re adapting such a well-known original work, it’s vital that we believe in the actors’ characterisations, and here the production is extremely successful. I hardly recognised Danny Bayne from his excellent performances in Grease and Saturday Night Fever, playing such a completely different kind of character, but he is again extremely good. His dancer training really allows him to convey Basil’s physicality and his fluidity of movement; bouncing back from behind the reception desk, being knocked out by the moose head, and the goosestep are performed with extraordinary precision and skill.

Hope there’s nothing trivial wrong with you dear

Mia Austen absolutely nails Sybil’s ruthless streak, those piercingly angry eyes burrowing into Basil’s soul whenever she gets a chance; and she’s also great on the phone, with her suggestive cackle and that trademark I know… Waitress Polly never had that much of a characterisation in the TV programme, perhaps just being the lone voice of sanity, so there isn’t much for Joanne Clifton to get her teeth into, but it’s a sunny and nicely comic performance. Hemi Yeroham has a difficult task to make Manuel a believable person as the original was written as so much of a caricature, but his comic timing is immaculate.

I know nothing

For me, the scene-stealing performance of the show is Paul Nicholas as the Major, because it’s the least hysterical and most realistic characterisation, playing the whole thing straight when everything around him cascades into nonsense. He delivers his killer lines beautifully, genuinely makes you think he is talking to a moose, and is the embodiment of a loveably forgetful old duffer. There’s also terrific support from Jemma Churchill as the cantankerous Mrs Richards and Greg Haiste as the troublesome Mr Hutchinson.

…and curtain!

Very nostalgic but with a creative twist, this is a strong production with immense attention to detail. A suitable show for both Fawlty Towers fans and those who know nothing about it. There are hardly any tickets left for the rest of the week, so you’d better get in quick if you want to see it!

Production photos by Hugo Glendenning

Four They’re Jolly Good Fellows!

Review – Death on the Nile, Royal and Derngate, Northampton, 4th November 2025

Posted on November 5, 2025 by therealchrisparkle

Death on the Nile is one of Agatha Christie’s most famous stories; its enduring popularity evidenced by its being adapted for film twice, with Peter Ustinov as Poirot in 1978 and Kenneth Branagh in the role in 2022. Christie even adapted the book as a play herself – Murder on the Nile, which appeared in the West End in 1946. Wisely, this production goes nowhere near that play, which isn’t that impressive to be honest. Instead, Ken Ludwig, who also adapted Murder in the Orient Express a few years ago, has created a brand-new adaptation – and certainly taken plenty of liberties with the original.

I mention this because, if you are an Agatha Christie purist, you might be aghast at some of the changes made. Christie filled her book with several extraneous characters who are all red herrings and play no part in the “plot”, so it makes sense to remove some of them. However, in so doing, Ludwig has also created new characters, such as the Shakespearean actor Septimus Troy and British Museum curator Atticus Praed, primarily to enable a new introductory scene where Poirot attends an unveiling of a priceless sarcophagus on loan to the museum. This provides the museum donors with the opportunity to accompany the sarcophagus on its journey back to Egypt, transporting it on the luxury Nile cruise boat, the Karnak. A sheer flight of fantasy by the writer, but it does at least provide a purpose for the cruise.

Once we get to Egypt, the play starts to become more recognisably Death on the Nile, although there are still liberties taken – for example, the scene in the book where Linnet escapes being crushed by a falling boulder at Abu Simbel is replaced by her being trapped inside the sarcophagus and only just escaping in time. Ludwig’s script tells its story very clearly and engagingly and Lucy Bailey’s direction, despite a few unnecessarily stylised moments, is clean and effective in presenting the story whilst being honest with the audience as to how the crime was committed. And, most importantly, the play remains true to the book as regards the victim and perpetrator – although some other crimes in the book are omitted in this production.

Ludwig makes Poirot the narrator of the story, bookending it with an opening scene where he accidentally observes Simon Doyle meet Jacqueline de Bellefort at a train station, and ending it with an explanation of what happened to some of the other characters who were not involved with the crime. Ludwig can’t resist a couple of meta moments, with Colonel Race saying he hates the bit in the story where Poirot brings everyone into the room to confront them with a final denouement and Poirot contradicts him saying he loves that bit and goes offstage to prepare for it; and perhaps most cheekily when Poirot announces that Shakespeare’s not at all bad, but he’s no Agatha Christie. Well done, very clever.

Mike Britton’s set gives a good sense of the luxury of the boat, and combined with Oliver Fenwick’s lighting, effectively suggests various distant cabins and lounges, inhabited by transitory shadows, and general gives a convincing vibe of what “boat life” is all about. Unfortunately, the set doesn’t give you any sense of the gentle cruising motion of the boat, nor any sense of passing scenery. There’s a metal railing at the back of the set suggesting that beyond it is the river and its bank, but the backdrop remains firmly rooted in stillness, depicting some sheer rock face, so it doesn’t look as though they’re moving at all. Fenwick’s lighting comes into its own in the final denouement where it shines light on the crime reconstruction in a most satisfying way. And the costumes are arresting, with some glamorous evening dresses, even if they are more suggestive of the 1920s than 30s (that’s the purist in me raising his head again).

The performances are mostly very good, occasionally excellent. Esme Hough as Jacqueline and Libby Alexandra-Cooper, in her professional stage debut as Linnet, make a formidably antagonistic duo. Ms Hough is the picture of revenge as she targets her plots against those who have done her wrong, and Ms Alexandra-Cooper is delightfully petulant, rejecting any responsibility for what she has done. The coupling of Camilla Anvar as Miss Otterbourne and Nicholas Prasad as Ramses Praed also works extremely well, with very believable characterisations and an entertaining portrayal of young love.

Always one of my favourite actors, Howard Gossington is great as Atticus Praed, mixing geeky enthusiasm with paternal pride; and Nye Occomore is very good in the slightly underwritten role of Simon Doyle, quietly confident and nicely smug at his success with women. Some of the other characters come across a little too pantomimey for my liking, but I don’t think that’s a failing on the actors’ part, it’s what they’re required to do. Ludwig’s adaptation has made Colonel Race something of a comic buffoon, which is not how Christie presents him at all.

Mark Hadfield plays Poirot in a very engaging, confiding, understated way; he absolutely looks the part and, in the second Act, commands the stage with his interrogations and crime solving expertise. His French accent is a little unreliable; I’m sure you don’t pronounce très important as tray important but tray zimporton, but maybe it’s a Belgian thing. He also occasionally stumbles over his lines, and that’s very un-Poirot-like, who’s the paragon of precision. But overall, it’s a very good performance and he does convince you that he has little grey cells beyond the dreams of avarice.

Overall, an entertaining and diverting adaptation, well staged and acted. Just try not to be a purist if possible! After its week in Northampton, its extensive tour continues through to May 2026, visiting Truro, Torquay, Cardiff, Guildford, Canterbury, Chichester, Cheltenham, Malvern, Aberdeen, Glasgow, York, Sheffield, Edinburgh, Brighton, Birmingham, Nottingham, Dublin, Belfast, Norwich, Cambridge and Plymouth.

Production photos by Manuel Harlan

Three-sy Does It!

P. S. I was most delighted to read about the references to other works in the Christie canon in the programme, as they are almost identical to the references I mention in my Agatha Christie Challenge, so this is a perfect opportunity for me to plug my two-volume book. An excellent early Christmas present for a Christie fan!!

Review – Screaming Blue Murder, Underground at the Royal and Derngate, Northampton, 25th October 2025

Posted on October 26, 2025 by therealchrisparkle

It’s so great to see Screaming Blue Murder back in rude health in the Underground where it belongs. Sold out too – always rewarding when the start is slightly delayed by staff having to bring in extra chairs. Our genial host Dan Evans was on tippety-top form as he negotiated the slings and arrows of twins Laura and Henry’s joint 40^th birthday party outing, with a considerable number of the audience vocally in support of the uninhibited pair. If that wasn’t enough, another lady on the front row said she had a dream about Dan the night before and – let’s just say – he had proved himself to be all man. Well. If that isn’t sexual harassment in the workplace, I don’t know what is. Dan spent most of the show avoiding her gaze or quietly smug about his sexual expertise.

Our first act, new to Northampton but not to us, was Abigoliah Schamaun, someone we’ve seen many times at the Edinburgh Fringe and who always brings a gutsy kick up any proceedings. Ohio’s loss is London’s gain, as Abigoliah gave us her impressions on how an American survives in the UK, including our (apparent) obsession with butter in a sandwich – I mean, it’s what butter was made for, honestly – how sexy an English accent is, and how to deal with fellow Americans on a long train journey. Her comedy is intelligent, relatable, and delightfully teasing. A fantastic start to the evening.

Next up was Toussaint Douglass, who had a great Edinburgh Fringe this year with his Accessible Pigeon Material; successful no doubt because he tried it out at Northampton’s Comedy Crate earlier this summer. No pigeon on Saturday night, just his incredibly funny and recognisable content about being in a relationship for eight years, having an 87-year-old flatmate (his Grandma) and the reasons for his personal ambition to die alone. He has a marvellously disarming style; very engaging and confiding, almost physically cosying up to the audience to get across his comic gems. His beautifully delivered final jokes, about how his bedroom activity can be likened to a football manager, provided the best laughs of the night.

Our headliner was Tony Law, someone who you either “get” or you don’t, and in the past I’ve found that I usually don’t get his surreal and otherworldly humour. But on this occasion, he knocked it out of the park. Brilliant use of props for completely throwaway purposes, and a hilarious use of accents, including a damn fine stab at the bizarre Northampton accent which is like a cross between Cockney and Brummie. His rapport with the audience was exceptional, and we were laughing about his act all the way home.

That was the last Screaming Blue for 2025 but there are already four gigs in 2026 on sale. Can’t wait!

Review – Kae Kurd, What’s O’Kurd, Underground at the Royal and Derngate, Northampton, 17th October 2025

Posted on October 18, 2025 by therealchrisparkle

It’s always exciting to go to a comedy gig and not have a clue about the comedians you’re going to see. Kae Kurd is a new name to me, so I thought I would give him a try and it turns out a large number of the comedy goers of Northampton felt the same! It was great to be part of a truly diverse audience too; all ages, all ethnicities coming together for an evening of fun. More of this please.

But first – Kae Kurd’s support act, the friendly face of Muhsin Yesilada, again new to me, but a perfect choice to start the evening with a swing. Engaging, building a confident rapport with the crowd, he delivered his material in a relaxed and surefooted style, giving every comic observation the time and space it needed to land. He has some excellent sequences concerning dealing with his horrible nephew, and that delicious pleasure you can take when an irritating child doesn’t get everything their own way. When he gently teased some latecomers, who protested their lateness because outside they’d just met Kae Kurd, his instant response was “Me too!” A very enjoyable opening act.

After the interval we welcomed Kae Kurd, another engaging stage presence with a very effective delivery style. He presents his act in quite a static way and comes across as perhaps surprisingly low energy; but his tone is unpredictable, and his material is precise, hard-hitting and frequently goes where angels fear to tread. In a deft way of getting to know the audience – and us getting to know each other – he asks for a cheer if you’re in your 20s, then your 30s, your 40s and 50s. This allows him to chat to random people in those age brackets, voicing his opinions and observations about what people are like as they get older. I had to stay silent, as I presume he has no idea there were 60+ year olds there!

He unashamedly hates (strong word, but bear with me) people in their 20s, for all their modern hang-ups and idiosyncrasies. Being somewhere in his 30s himself, that makes him fit nicely into a niche comedic role of grumpy young man. His observations are telling and funny and remarkably true. Other comedy gems of the night included an account of his time in Zambia avoiding crocodiles and hippos, an exploration of whether Donald Trump would get on with choices of pronouns and how it’s easier to be right wing than left wing. I also loved his imagining how he’d get on talking about mental health issues to his father who fought against Saddam Hussein.

He is very quick witted on stage, with a great ability to remember facts about the audience members which he uses to excellent callback effect. It’s intelligent, thought-provoking comedy that’s always relatable, and I’ll definitely follow his career with interest!

Review – Breaking the Code, Royal and Derngate, Northampton, 16th September 2025

Posted on September 17, 2025 by therealchrisparkle

The debt that we owe Alan Turing cannot be underestimated. Not only for his vital and secret work in cracking the Enigma code, which fundamentally changed the course of the Second World War, but also his understanding of the potential that computers can contribute to the world. The young, idealistic, fresh-faced Turing would dream of an electronic machine that could, with encouragement from Man, think for itself. A pipe dream, surely? But one look at how AI is already encroaching on everything we see on our smartphones is enough to realise that Turing’s vision has come true.

But Turing was much more than just a brilliant brain, as Hugh Whitemore’s gripping and heartbreaking Breaking the Code makes crystal clear. Whilst at Sherborne school he became emotionally, and possibly sexually, attached to young Christopher Morcom, a fellow student who tragically died of tuberculosis at the age of 18; such an event would devastate anyone. The true nature of their friendship remains the subject of speculation, but it was Turing’s homosexuality, at a time when sex between men was illegal, and considered a matter of gross indecency, that would dominate his private life and lead to his eventual downfall.

Originally produced in 1986, Breaking the Code has truly stood the test of time and today feels more relevant than ever. This new production is co-produced by the Royal and Derngate with Landmark Theatres and the Oxford Playhouse, in association with the Liverpool Everyman & Playhouse and HOME, Manchester, and will tour after completing its run in Northampton. Whitemore chose a complex structure – would you expect anything else from Turing? – that plays with time, starting with his initial meeting with detective Mick Ross, reporting a somewhat vague and unlikely burglary, then following Turing’s journey from school to Bletchley Park, interspersed with his friendships with chief cryptographer Dilly Knox and co-worker Pat Green, his continued association with Sherborne, his involvement with the duplicitous Ron Miller, and the increasing suspicions of the police. Drawing the various influences in his life together in this non-sequential manner increases our sense of the overall patchwork which combined to form the man, and Jesse Jones’ clear direction removes any complications so that the story is easy to follow.

An epilogue scene has been added by Neil Bartlett which brings Turing’s legacy into the present day, and emphasises how, over the intervening years, Turing has been fully recognised as a hero and pardoned for his “crime”. It ends the play on a high note of positivity and optimism, but it also brings into sharp focus the fact that those hard-fought rights for equality we take for granted remain perilously close to being lost with no more than an ill-advised X on a ballot paper.

Jonathan Fensom’s simple set works hand-in-hand with Johanna Town’s evocative lighting, with just occasional changes of props and furniture, to suggest all the locations of the story. One very clever trick, just to light the top windows of the set, instantly places us in Turing’s prison cell. Fensom’s costumes also accurately convey the middle-class, educated world of Bletchley Park and Sherborne, with a decent contrast in the epilogue where the sixth former enjoys a relaxed uniform and the modern staff watching him include a recognisably modern PE teacher.

At the heart of the production is a verbally demanding, robust performance by Mark Edel-Hunt, powerfully conveying Turing’s mental dexterity and his outward reserve that conceals an emotional turmoil within. His ability to make complicated ideas sound comprehensible means that when he gets overcome with the excitement of his work, he loses his stammer and becomes an effortless communicator. Rarely off stage, Mr Edel-Hunt convinces you that he is the real Turing, with a fully rounded portrayal of both man and brain.

Engaging in a polite but firm battle of wits with him is Niall Costigan’s detective Mick Ross, suspicious from the start, bearing no ill will but just doing his job. Peter Hamilton Dyer gives a scene-stealing performance as the aging, eccentric, but incisive Dillwyn Knox, and Susie Trayling is superb as both Turing’s formal mother Sara, emotionally distant yet full of surprises, and the wryly intimidating Intelligence Officer Smith. The always reliable Joe Usher is brilliant as Ron, eyeing up Turing as a vehicle for cash; and there’s great support from both Joseph Edwards as Morcom and the Sixth Former, and Carla Harrison-Hodge as Pat.

Two memorable scenes stand out: the riveting moment where Ross interviews both Turing and Miller separately, but it appears that all three are crowded around the table at the same time, in a fantastic piece of direction from Jones. There’s another great scene where Pat and Turing are having a picnic meet-up and he tells her of his oestrogen treatment; he laughs at it, but the archaism and cruelty of the punishment make the laughter ring hollow today. He then goes on to say he should have married Pat without an ounce of self-awareness and Ms Harrison-Hodge’s facial reaction is a treat!

A play that’s both hard-hitting drama but also filled with rewarding comedy, given a clear and timely revival full of immaculate performances. After Northampton, the tour starts in Barnstaple, then goes on to Oxford, Peterborough, Liverpool and Manchester. Highly recommended!

Production photos by Manuel Harlan

Five Alive, Let Theatre Thrive!

Review – Matthew Bourne’s The Midnight Bell, Royal and Derngate, Northampton, 16th July 2025

Posted on July 17, 2025 by therealchrisparkle

Based on the novels of Patrick Hamilton, Matthew Bourne’s Midnight Bell started life as the country was coming out of the Covid pandemic and now has the chance to be seen more widely on a UK tour. Set in the 1930s, the Midnight Bell in question is a London pub, frequented by a range of ordinary people whose lives have their own individual adventures, relationships, power struggles and catastrophes; and Bourne’s choreography draws our attention to each of them separately as they weave their way through various London locations, overlapping with each other or going their separate ways.

It is deliberately not an adaptation of any one of Hamilton’s works but is instead inspired by them all to create an atmosphere and suggestions of stories partly observed, partly obscured. And if there is a problem with the show, that’s just it; there isn’t one story that’s fully told or fully explained. In most cases you’re left to infer what happens, and for me that felt frustrating. Bourne is a brilliant storyteller through dance; and whereas the narrative in the first Act is easy to follow – even though we’re introduced to so many characters at breakneck speed – the storytelling is hard to follow in the second Act.

The usual New Adventures creative team are out in force. Lez Brotherton’s set immaculately recreates that 1930s London gloom and faded glamour, and his costume choices reflect the characters perfectly; Paule Constable’s lighting is evocative and intriguing, and Terry Davies’ original music gives you that 30s feel without ever being a pastiche and still feeling modern and creative, driving the dance forwards. However, I felt the decision for the dancers to lipsynch the words of the recorded songs added nothing to our understanding of the characters, and, if anything, detracted from their dancing. Nevertheless, Bourne’s choreography for the show is full of his usual trademarks and is always assertive and dynamic, creating some excellent duets for his characters, whether they be intimate, comic, shy or brash.

As always in a New Adventures production, the cast dance superbly throughout and give great performances. The dancers mix and match roles on different days, so I can only tell you about the performance on 16^th July. The Act Two park bench scene with Dominic North as Bob and Hannah Kremer as Jenny is a true highlight, clearly bringing out each character’s personalities as well as giving us a truly entertaining dance. Cordelia Braithwaite’s Miss Roach is also superb, a terrific combination of the frustrated, the determined and the downtrodden, matched with Edwin Ray’s mischievously deceptive cad Gorse.

Also outstanding are Andy Monaghan and Glenn Graham as Frank and Albert, tentatively then wholeheartedly finding love, only for one of them to reveal a secret later. There’s a nicely observed on-off relationship between barmaid Ella and tedious customer Mr Eccles, danced by Bryony Pennington and Danny Reubens, and a disastrous relationship between the fickle actress Netta and the disturbed George, danced by Daisy May Kemp and Alan Vincent.

Despite all these excellent ingredients, the overall result still feels light on emotion and not especially memorable. Comparisons are odious, but when you know the kind of passion and agony that Bourne’s best dance can stir in your heart, that passion feels notably lacking here. It all feels just a little safe, a bit mild, a tad bland. If this was a half-hour dance in a mixed programme of three, and all the narrative was told much more quickly, I can see how this could feel very satisfying. But as a series of threads without a strong definitive central narrative, there’s just not enough here to sustain an entire evening.

Three-sy Does It!

Review – The Comedy Crate Weekender at the Charles Bradlaugh, The Black Prince and The Lamplighter, Northampton, 12th and 13th July 2025

Posted on July 14, 2025 by therealchrisparkle

It’s July again, which means another annual Comedy Crate Weekender with two days of comedic mayhem, split over three venues in Northampton town centre. Only £40 for two days which means you can see ten class acts for a mere £4 a session; so cheap it ought to be illegal. A very hot weekend was both a help and a hindrance, in that it makes for a generally happy bunch of people all enjoying interval drinkies in the sunshine, and fortunately the aircon in the Bradlaugh is super effective. But even being reduced to a sweaty mess in the other venues (multiple electric fans notwithstanding) was not enough to reduce the spirits of a fully sold out event, which took place without a hitch. Or if there were any hitches, the Comedy Craters kept them a secret, so well done to them.

The idea of the Weekender is that there are 25 acts, out of whom you can see a maximum of 10, all sharpening up their Works in Progress in preparation for either the Edinburgh Fringe, or a national tour, or just generally working up new material. As such you might see a show that’s already pretty darn perfect, or you could see something where the audience are guineapigs for the comics to find out what’s funny and what’s not. Mind you, they’re all ace at their game, so even material that only just fails to meet their exacting standards can still be pretty funny to the rest of us.

Everyone will have had a different experience at the Weekender, depending on which shows they chose to see, so I can only tell you about what we saw. And of course, dealing with 25 acts is potentially a nightmare of its own. If you went to see a show with a cast of 25 you wouldn’t be remotely surprised to have one or two understudies if someone is not feeling well.

And that’s exactly how our Weekender started, with the unexpected attendance of President Obonjo standing in at very last minute for Helen Bauer for the first show at the Lamplighter. Only three or so hours before he was on stage, he was enjoying tea and toast over a leisurely breakfast in his Presidential Palace; but fortunately His Excellency was able to step in and save the day. He’s not taking a show to Edinburgh but just fleshing out some new material, so of all the acts over the weekend his was perhaps the one most in flying by the seat of his pants mode.

Nevertheless, the President is such a joyously inventive comic creation, that it’s always a pleasure to have an audience with him. And his new material comes from a fascinating place; at the risk of sounding like a pensioner so much is wrong with the world today, and so much of that is because you can’t tell fact from fiction – the lies spouted by politicians and influencers, and social media claptrap and all that. Thousands of Tiktokers believe Obonjo is a real president of a real republic somewhere in Africa. And he’s moulding that fact into a rather surreal show that balances the rubbish people are led to believe against what is genuinely the truth. It’s an idea with legs, and I’m sure the President will turn it into a great show.

From one level of preparation to the extreme opposite; our next show was Thor Stenhaug with a preview of his Edinburgh show One Night Stand Baby, and this one is all packaged up and ready to rock. Thor Stenhaug is a new name to us, and, on the strength of this performance, it’s one of those delightful occasions when you can happily announce, a star is born. A hugely affable and friendly presence on stage, Thor explains how he moved to London from Norway, how he got into comedy, and all about his big relationship with Daisy. But it was when Daisy’s parents asked about Thor’s parents, that he had to confess he is the product of a one-night stand; and he’s not the only one in his family who is! Honestly, those Norwegians! His routine is packed with original material, fluidly and confidently delivered, with some wonderful appreciation for English turn of phrase, effortless callbacks, and some surprising use of accents – his Scouse is incredible! I can only predict great things for this young man. One Night Stand Baby is on at the Pleasance Courtyard in Edinburgh from 30 July to 24 August and will be a must-see this Fringe.

Next up for us was Toussaint Douglass, with a preview of his Edinburgh show, Accessible Pigeon Material. We’ve seen Mr Douglass a couple of times now and he is very personable and warm character on stage who builds a great rapport with the audience. His new show is very work in progress and has more surreal material than I’ve seen him use before. I must confess, I didn’t really get the pigeon-based stuff; but he has an excellent routine – that still needs work but will get there – where he uses a member of the audience and a boxing glove puppet to express how difficult it can be to get your father to tell you he loves you. Hoping it all shapes up in time for the Fringe, but he’s a great comic so I’m sure it will. Accessible Pigeon Material will be on at the Pleasance Courtyard from 30 July to 24 August.

Next was someone I’ve wanted to see for a long time, and he didn’t let me down. Charlie Baker, an irrepressibly cheeky chappie, is working up material for a new show next year. He’s one of these innately funny people who could make you laugh just by reading a shopping list. And the basis of his new show is very simple; people he hates. Not named individuals, that would be ridiculous; but categories like Retired People at the Supermarket at Weekends, or People from Surrey. You instantly get it. He fills out each of his categories with wickedly funny material, not only verbal but often physical – he’s terrific at physical comedy, even incorporating a bit of dance and singing into the routines. He has some brilliant ideas – the Devon Rat Pack for example, or my favourite, the Millwall Magician, where he basically intimidates you into agreeing that, yes, that was your card, otherwise you’d get A Visit from the Boys. Not a huge amount of material yet, but what there is, he spins into comedy gold. Fantastically funny.

Our last show of the first day was Tom Rosenthal, with a preview of his Edinburgh show, Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I Am. I’ve only seen Mr Rosenthal once before, and that was earlier this year in Chichester’s production of The Government Inspector. I confess I haven’t seen him in Friday Night Dinner or Plebs, because I’m more of a live entertainment kinda guy than a TV watcher. However, unfortunately, quite a lot of the material in his show is based on references to those TV shows, and because I didn’t get the references, I missed out on the laughs. He’s obviously a very quick witted and intelligent fellow, and his delivery is slick and sure-footed. The set was curiously all about him, and I don’t mean that unkindly. Where many comedians take their own experiences and make them relatable so that we can all recognise our own experiences within them, Mr R’s experiences are purely about himself, without inviting us to see how we might be able to share in them. It’s as though he sets up a barrier and all we can do is observe him without feeling what he feels. I’m sure that if I had seen his shows I would have enjoyed it more, and I sense that if you are a Friday Night Dinner fan you’ll love it. Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I Am is on at the Assembly Roxy in Edinburgh from 30 July to 24 August.

Sunday started with a preview of Glenn Moore’s new Edinburgh show, Please Sir, Glenn I Have Some Moore? and is another work in progress where pretty much all the progress has already been made. Glenn Moore has one of the fastest brains in comedy and this is another of his intricately plotted, extraordinarily creative and extremely funny hours of stand-up. His premise here is to explore why he’s not the most assertive or people, illustrated by comparing himself to his go-getting cousins, Benji the stripper and silent Ursula. The centrepiece of the show is a car journey driving to Death Valley which gets more and more panicky as it progresses, but en route Mr Moore brings in so many side jokes, some of which have a delicate subtlety that fill you with pleasure when they finally make sense. A total master of the art of callback, neither a word nor a gesture is wasted in this show and it’s a joy from start to finish. Please Sir, Glenn I Have Some Moore? is on at the Pleasance Courtyard from 30 July to 24 August.

Next up, and someone we haven’t seen in ten years, was Tiff Stevenson, with a preview of her new Edinburgh show Post-Coital. This was another work in progress performance and consisted of a sequence of only lightly connected observations, some of which were very funny, and some of which weren’t – no criticism, that’s what a WIP is all about, after all. The basis of this show is the relationship between sexism and class and where feminism falls in the balance. She has some excellent material about umarells – a term I hadn’t come across before – which describes old retired Italian men lurking at building sites and offering unwanted advice to the workers. Niche, do you think? Maybe, but also very recognisable and funny. Of all the Edinburgh previews we saw, I think this needs the most work to be done, but Tiff Stevenson is a very safe pair of hands and I’m sure it will all come together in time. Post-Coital is on at Monkey Barrel Comedy (The Hive) from 30 July to 24 August.

Our next act was Hal Cruttenden, with a preview of his new Edinburgh show, Hal Cruttenden: Can Dish It Out But Can’t Take It, and is, as he freely admits, the second show he’s created out of the ashes of his divorce. But whereas his previous show It’s Best You Hear It From Me was clearly a mix of comedy and therapy, you sense now he’s truly moved on and is mining genuine comedy nuggets from how he’s been coping as a singleton. He has such an engaging and natural style on stage that you cling onto his every word – which is fortunate, because every word is hilarious. He assesses the audience for possible future divorces, and honed in on me as being the token old man in the audience having fun because you might as well because you haven’t got long. He does offer some serious observations about the way the world is going in this Trumpian era, and he’s darn right with them all. Exceptionally funny and quick to react to everything the audience might choose to throw at him, the show ends with a lovely speech by the Prime Minister that so cleverly assembles a plethora of callbacks. The only thing left for him to “get right” before Edinburgh is choosing which bits to omit, but it’s all tip-top quality. Hal Cruttenden: Can Dish It Out But Can’t Take It is on at the Pleasance Courtyard from 30 July to 24 August.

We chose to stay in the same location for the rest of the day, so our next act was Matt Richardson, with a work in progress of a new show, Brash, that will tour the UK this autumn. We’d seen Mr Richardson quite recently, so that much of his material was not new to us but it is still incredibly funny. It’s an informal and relaxed hour of observations of village and domestic life, gang activity in an Oxfordshire village, how growing up doesn’t necessarily mean you can decide on your own bedtime and a frantically funny routine about massage that turns into what I can only describe as a wankfest. Mr R sets up a terrific rapport with the audience, tells his stories with an engaging cheekiness, and the show is filled with loads of laugh out loud sequences. A very funny chap. Brash continues with a few more WIP performances around the country and the tour starts in earnest in Glasgow on 22^nd September through to Milton Keynes on 26^th November.

Last show of the day, but certainly not the least, was Rosie Jones, with a preview of her work in progress Edinburgh show, I Can’t Tell What She’s Saying. As she says at the beginning of her show, if you don’t know who she is, she feels sorry for you, because you obviously can’t afford a television. Rosie gives us the lowdown on her life so far, starting off as a seven-year-old pervert – her words, not mine – and taking us through all the benefits of being both gay and disabled. She knows the importance of a perfectly constructed and worded sentence and uses her unique delivery style to accentuate the well-placed pause for maximum comic effect, and it works very well. Supremely confident and effortlessly cheeky, it’s a fun hour that will only improve with more preparation, and that is, of course, what it’s all about. I Can’t Tell What She’s Saying enjoys a week’s worth of WIPs at the Pleasance Courtyard from 11^th to 17^th August.

A great Weekender completed, thanks to all the comedians and the Comedy Crate maestros who keep the thing moving so well. Recommendations for Edinburgh must be for Thor Stenhaug, Glenn Moore and Hal Cruttenden, and both Charlie Baker and Matt Richardson will be must-sees on tour. In the meantime, there are still a few more Comedy Crate preview shows on sale before Edinburgh starts in a couple of weeks’ time. Snap them up before they sell out!