Reviews

Review: Eric’s Christmas Turkey

Photo courtesy of Andrew Billington David Graham returns to the New Vic with his festive show 'Eric's Christmas Turkey'. The New Vic favourite's follow up to the autumn 'Eric's Monster Mash' finds the Basford Amateur Dramatics (BAD) short of a player or two and long suffering Bev (Laura Sheppard) brings along her husband to the latest meeting. He seems more interested in Twinkle (Carly Cook) than any thespian aspirations. Finding their rehearsal room double-booked with a local band, they reluctantly set about combining forces for the upcoming play. With the band short on gigs and the players' short on actors…

Read More

Review: Alice In Wonderland

Photo courtesy of Andrew Billington The New Vic has brought to life the 1865 imaginings of Lewis Carroll's 'Alice's Adventures In Wonderland' as its festive production, first staged at the venue in 2011. It tells the tale of Alice as she makes her way through the famous fantasy world filled with strange characters and anthropomorphic creatures. Adapted and directed by Theresa Heskins ('Tom, Dick & Harry', 'Marvellous' plus many more) the tale has an overhaul and Alice begins her journey on a boat, her family hungry and searching the nearby town for food, Alice herself struggling with literacy. Mesmerised by…

Read More

Review: Saturday Night Fever. 5* Entertainment

The Regent has always had fantastic musical productions and tonight's opening of the 1998 musical Saturday Night Fever. based on the 1977 film is no different in its high calibre. The story follows Tony Manero (Jack Wilcox) negotiating his way through 1970's Brooklyn. Complete with dead-end job and a questionable family atmosphere at home, his true passion is waiting for the weekend at the local discotheque where he can dance. Spying his big chance when a big disco dancing competition is announced, he convinces Stephanie Mangano (Rebekah Bryant) to become his dance partner and sparks fly on and off the…

Read More

Review: Ayckbourn’s Family Album at New Vic

Photo Credit: Tony Bartholomew The New Vic, fresh from its 60th anniversary celebrations last weekend plays host to Alan Ayckbourn's 87th play, starting tonight, a mere few weeks after its premier in Scarborough in September. One of several plays penned during lockdown, Sir Alan himself saying that this particular one was inspired by a BBC4 programme called 'A House Through Time', about a house and the resident's therein going back hundreds of years. Rather than the span of centuries, Family Album is enclosed to a window within Ayckbourn's lifetime. Simultaneously layering the inhabitants of the same living room through three…

Read More

Review: An Inspector Calls

The doors of The Regent theatre opened tonight onto the dark cobbled street of the famous J B Priestley play, An Inspector Calls. Now in its 77th year since it opened in 1945, it still retains its socio-political relevance today, putting its lens over issues such as class, age, gender and social responsibility. Set in 1912, the stage opens on a dinner gathering in the Birling household, daughter Sheila now newly engaged to Gerald Croft. The dinner dispensed with, the ladies retire while the men drink port and enjoy cigars. The fateful announcement to the household from Edna, that 'an…

Read More

Review: Blood Brothers – Truly Gripping 5*

Photo by Jack Merriman Now in its 34th year, the fantastic Blood Brothers musical opened this evening at Regent Theatre. The play and score written by legendary writer Willy Russell (Educating Rita, Shirley Valentine, Our Day Out plus many others) is an analysis of nature versus nurture as well as an important social study of the era. Set in 1980's Liverpool amongst the height of Thatcher's power in office, the plot centres around twins Eddie and Mickey who are separated at birth, with one growing up in a wealthy family, the other in poverty. Firm friends and 'blood brothers', but…

Read More

Review: The Haunting Of Blaine Manor

The doors of beautiful Crewe Lyceum opened out tonight, in contrast, onto the eerie frontage of Blaine Manor. The play, written by Joe O'Byrne in 2015, tells of parapsychologist Doctor Roy Earle (Peter Slater), famous for discrediting hauntings and exposing fake mediums, is invited to attend a seance in what is said to be the most haunted building in England. Unperturbed even by the attitude of the locals who wont set foot in there for fear of a curse, Dr. Earle heads to Blaine Manor aiming to debunk, or offer rationale explanation, for its famous supernatural history. He is not…

Read More

Eric’s Monster Mash: Freakishly Good Fun At Its Finest

Making a welcome return to New Vic, is Eric and Co. after the enforced hiatus of the last couple of years. In his first outing back Eric finds himself, in darkest Transylvania, opting for that as a suitable choice for a romantic getaway for him and his wife, Bev. If that wasn't romance enough, he has brought best mate Gordon along for good measure. Finding their way to the destination for the week, they discover that they have been double-booked by unscrupulous property owner 'Dr. Frank Einstein' and have to house share with none other than members' of that very…

Read More

Review: Some Mothers Do ‘Ave ‘Em

The stage show based on the extremely popular 1970's TV show written by Raymond Allen, which starred Michael Crawford and Michele Dotrice, crashed, banged and walloped it's way into The Regent Theatre this week. Regularly attracting over 20 million TV viewers, the show depicted the accident-prone Frank Spencer who, despite every fibre of his being, having nothing but good intentions, would find himself in more and more ludicrous situations and infuriating those around him, even occasionally, his long suffering wife Betty Written by Guy Unsworth, it is a very respectful nod to the original concept, but is not a re-imagining…

Read More

Tom, Dick & Harry: Two Hours Of Pure Escapism

Based on the true story behind the 1943 escape from the infamous Stalag Luft III prisoner of war camp, Tom, Dick and Harry (the names of the three tunnels) opened at New Vic Theatre for an extended run before it premiers in London's West End, Alexandra Palace Theatre. Expertly directed by Theresa Heskins (who also co-wrote the play with Andrew Pollard and Michael Hugo both of which also star in the production) the script was inspired by top secret information that was classified in the war archives until 1972. The production starts in darkness with the unmistakable noise of a…

Read More