Blood Brothers 2026

 

Review by Paul Towers, 27/10/26

Willy Russell’s Blood Brothers

Directed by Bob Tomson & Bill Kenwright

Produced by Bill Kenwright Ltd

At Curve til Saturday 31^st October 2026

Set in 1960’s Liverpool Blood Brothers is Willy Russell’s contribution to the nature vs nurture debate and tells the story of twin boys, Michael and Edward, separated at birth to be brought up at opposite ends of the social scale and how one soars while the other fails.

Narrator Richard Munday guides us through the story. The boys’ mother, Mrs Johnstone (Vivienne Carlyle) falls pregnant at the drop of a hat and as a single mother finds that having twins to add to her brood would be beyond her means. The woman she cleans for, Mrs Lyons (Tricia Adele Turner), is desperate for a baby so a deal is struck whereby she takes one of the twins when they are born. So Edward (Joe Sleight) is taken to live in middle class luxury while Mickey (Sean Jones) languishes in the poverty of his birth home.

Superstition says that if twins are separated at birth then they should never be told. If they find out then they will both die. Nonsense of course but both women abide by it.

Coincidentally the boys come into contact with each other and become best friends. To try and avoid the curse Mrs Lyons persuades her husband (Tim Churchill) to move away. Unfortunately the Johnstone’s street is due to be demolished and the Council rehomes them on a brand new estate which is near the Lyon’s new home.

To add to all their worries the boys both fall in love with the same girl, Linda (Beth Danher) and it causes their blood brotherhood to be fractured and ultimately leads to their deaths.

Sean Jones as Mickey brings a wealth of physical comedy to the role, especially as a 7 year old, but is equally effective as the broken adult Mickey as he descends into depression.

Blood Brothers is, to my mind, the perfect piece of musical theatre. It has a beautiful story, hummable songs and a moral. The text, lyrics and music by Willy Russell are in turn hilarious and poignant. Vivienne Carlyl’s Mrs Johnstone breaks your heart as she mourns the loss of both her sons in the final number. The set by Andy Walmsley and lighting by Nick Richings are astounding.

Pics: Jack Merriman

Blood Brothers Tour

www.curveonline.co.uk

https://ptheatre.blogspot.com/ 

Night Must Fall

 

Review by Paul Towers, 26/10/26

Night Must Fall by Emlyn Williams

Directed by Mary Jones

Produced by Leicester Drama Society

At The Little Theatre til Saturday 31^st October 2026

Night Must Fall is a chilling, psychological thriller spookily apt for Hallowe’en season.

Mrs Bramson (Elizabeth Spendlove) lives in a remote cottage in the woods and is supposedly wheelchair bound. Her multiple medical conditions can easily be categorised as hypochondria. As she demands to be wheeled around and generally waited on hand and foot by her niece Olivia (Carla Lawes) who is forced to live with her for monetary reasons it is only her cook Mrs Terence (Helen Vye Francis) who stands up to her. The housemaid Dora (Amelie Wilson-Knight) one day announces she is pregnant. Bear in mind this is 1935 and the household is scandalised with Mrs Bramson demanding that the young man responsible is brought before her.

It turns out the father-to-be is Dan (David Knight), a footman from the nearest hotel. No sooner does he turn up than he proceeds to charm the bitter old lady and ends up employed by her as her assistant. Sometime house guest Hubert Laurie (Gwyn Johnstone-Wright) is also taken in while Nurse Libby (Helen Gronhaug) can see no wrong in him.

Meanwhile there is much excitement locally as a woman has gone missing, believed murdered. Olivia is convinced that Dan has something to do with it as he was working in the hotel she was staying in. Police Inspector Belsize (Adam Jones) also has his suspicions.

By the end of part one it is fairly obvious who the actual killer is. The only question is will there be further casualties as the truth is revealed.

As always the acting is first rate and the set by Phil Newman is very impressive. The sound design by Tim Neville and Stew Wale adds to the tension.

Night Must Fall is at The Little Theatre until Saturday 31^st October 2026

Pics: Russell Webster

https://thelittletheatre.co.uk/

https://ptheatre.blogspot.com/ 

The Great British Bake Off Musical

 Review by Paul Towers, 13/10/26

The Great British Bake Off Musical book & lyrics by Jake Brunger, music & lyrics by Pippa Cleary

Directed by Vaughan Barton-Ashcroft

Produced by Leicester Amateur Operatic Society

At The Little Theatre til Saturday 17^th October 2026

What better way to escape the darker autumnal nights than a visit to the Bake Off tent at Leicester’s Little Theatre.

The story follows eight amateur bakers competing to impress the judges, Phil Hollinghurst (Steve Elliott) and Pam Lee (Karen Gordon), who are affectionate parodies of Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith. They have to be parodies because, unlike the originals, they have a relationship away from the tent. The hosts of the fictitious show are Jim (Martin Green) and Kim (Charlotte Brown), all shiny outfits and cheesy quips.

The set is basically the various workstations that the bakers work on. They move around to accommodate the dance routines choreographed by Hollie Carrington.

Each of the contestants get their moment in the spotlight, some for longer than others. Gemma (Tasha Plummer) has the best story arc as she goes from insecure singleton to assured baker with a new love. The object of her affections, Ben (Russell Carrington) is a widower with a 6 year old daughter Lily (Amelie Vickers on Press Night). Alongside them is Izzy (Kyla Burton), an entitled brat, and Babs (Karen Hamilton). The baby of the competition is Hassan (Arlen Panesar) a naturalised Syrian wearing his lucky shirt, Francesca (Sarah Barton-Wales), Russell (Tom Mottram) the sole gay baker and has a spectacular moustache. Dezza (Dan Brewer) is the first to be voted off but continues to butt in and get hopes to get invited back on. There is also an ensemble of 11 who play various roles including the TV crew.

Musical director has done a fine job schooling the cast in a sometimes challenging score while a live band of 6 is hidden behind the set .

While most of the songs are instantly forgettable there are a couple that stand out. Pam & Phil singing I’d Never Be Me Without You has a pleasing old Broadway feel about it. Grow, sung by Francesca about her inability to conceive, is very like a similar song in Waitress and is equally heartrending.

If you want a warm and comforting evening of musical theatre you won’t go wrong with a visit to the Bake Off tent.

https://www.leicesteramateurs.com/

https://thelittletheatre.co.uk/

https://ptheatre.blogspot.com/ 

Peggs Comedy Club Oct 26

 11/10/26

Peggs Comedy Club

By Laffalot

Reviewed by Paul Towers

As autumn starts to close in it was a welcome return to Swadlincote’s best kept secret. Hidden away in the back streets is Peggs Bar & Street Food which hosts all sorts of entertainment on a regular basis. Their partnership with Laffalot comedy promoters is proving to be very popular.

This quarter we had a completely different lineup to last time but with equal success.

MC for the afternoon/evening (it starts at 6pm) was Harry Jenkins. Don’t let his callow youthfulness fool you. This outstanding comedian, who has just got into the semi-finals of British Comedian of the Year, led the audience by the hand all evening with his assured crowd work. He even managed to create a film club along the way!

First up was self-confessed blokey geezer Eddy Brimson. His quick fire, quite rude stories about his historic failures with the fairer sex went down well, especially with the female members of the audience.

Next up was Jake Steers, an unashamed sufferer of ADHD and anxiety. Probably not the ideal background for a stand-up comedian but he made good use of his short comings.

Top of the bill was self-assured comedian Nick Page, a master of acrobatic linguistics. Rather than a string of gags Page gave us increasingly hilarious stories that inevitably built to a great punch lines.

 

 

Educating Rita

 

Review by Paul Towers, 1/10/26

Educating Rita by Willy Russell

Directed by Cara Nolan

A Made At Curve production

At Curve til Saturday 17th October 2026

In 1980 Willy Russell’s Educating Rita premiered at London’s Donmar Warehouse and was an immediate hit. Just 3 years later it was filmed with Michael Caine and Julie Walters to BAFTA winning acclaim. In the intervening years it has been revived and the latest is yet another audience-pleasing hit at Curve.

Rita (Coronation Street’s Alexandra Mardell) is a 29 year old hairdresser who is convinced there is more to life than cutting old ladies’ hair and fighting with her feckless partner. In an effort to better herself she signs up to an Open University course in English Literature. To increase her chances of passing her exams she gets private tutorials with English lecturer Frank (TV and theatre stalwart Dominic Mafham), an alcoholic who takes on private pupils to pay for his drinking.

Right from the off this mismatched pair click and swiftly find they can be very beneficial to each other, if they let it. Where Rita sucks the knowledge and understanding of words and ideas from her mentor, Frank falls deeper and deeper into his hidden half bottles of scotch. Very much A Star Is Born of the educational world.

Of course, this is Willy Russell and the script fair zings with his Scouse humour as well as some rather course language.

The set by Michael Taylor is Frank’s musty study, sky-high shelves filled with books in alphabetical order to hide his booze. Everywhere there are piles of papers and debris indicative of his chaotic life. Up above are the brutalist concrete blocks of an inner city university.

Pics: Jonathan Pryke

www.curveonline.co.uk

https://ptheatre.blogspot.com/ 

Art

 

Review by Paul Towers, 28/9/26

Art by Yasmina Reza, translated by Christopher Hampton

Directed by Steve Illidge

Produced by Leicester Drama Society

At The Little Theatre til Saturday 3^rd October 2026

Art is a sharp, witty and thought-provoking stage play that takes a seemingly simple disagreement between friends and turns it into an examination of friendship, taste, ego and insecurity. It also punctures the pomposity that surrounds modern art appreciation.

At the centre of the play is a white painting that wealthy dermatologist Serge (Piers Flavin) has bought for the ridiculous sum of 100.000 Euros. One of his best friends, Marc (Matt Evans) is vocal in calling out the vacuous idea that a white canvas with white paint and white lines can be art. Late arrival to the social gathering is Yvan (Graham Muir) who is more interested in people pleasing than taking sides in the discussion. What follows is far more than an argument about whether the painting is actually art. The artwork becomes a catalyst, exposing tensions and resentments that have been quietly building between the three friends.

The strength of the play lies in its dialogue which is funny, fast-moving and often uncomfortable, with humour sitting alongside moments of genuine hostility. Each of the three brings a different perspective, making it difficult to see the conflict as simply right versus wrong.

The minimalist, monochrome set by Stephanie Nicholls works particularly well. With so little on stage, attention remains firmly on the actors and the shifting relationships between them. The painting itself becomes almost another character, being constantly shunted off and on, provoking questions about value, taste and what we choose to believe is important.

Beneath the comedy is a much more serious exploration of friendship. How well do we really know our closest friends? How much honesty can a friendship withstand? And when personal pride becomes involved, can an argument about something as trivial as a painting reveal something much deeper?

Overall, Art is an intelligent and entertaining piece of theatre. It combines humour with uncomfortable truths and leaves the audience considering not only what constitutes art, but also what holds friendships together.

Director Steve Illidge has been gifted a talented cast, especially Graham Muir’s Yvan’s hilarious 3-way telephone conversation with his bride-to-be, his mother and step mother. It got a well-deserved round of applause as he collapsed in an exhausted heap.

Clever lighting allows for each character to break the fourth wall and address the audience.

Art is at The Little Theatre until Saturday 3^rd October

Pics: Russell Webster

https://thelittletheatre.co.uk/

https://ptheatre.blogspot.com/ 

Sweeney Todd

 

Review by Paul Towers, 15/9/26

Sweeney Todd, music & lyrics Stephen Sondheim, book by Hugh Wheeler

Directed by John Bale, musical staging by Keiran Whelan-Newby

Produced by KW Productions

At The Little Theatre til Saturday 19^th September 2026

Surprisingly the tale of Sweeney Todd, The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, first appeared as a weekly serial in a ‘Penny Dreadful’ in 1846 and was staged as a play in 1865. By then his dreadful deeds had made him the bogeyman to most Victorians.

In 1970 Christopher Bond fleshed out the story to give it a psychological backstory and it was this version that Sondheim used as the inspiration for his 1973 musical version.

The story and staging were ripe for Gothic Horror, which the Victorians loved. But wasn’t until Tim Burton’s blackly comic 2007 film version that the full gory, blood-soaked horror hit the modern audience between the eyes.

On stage, understandably, much has to be imagined and implied.

In recent years KW Productions have made a name for themselves as proponents of Sondheim’s work with great success. Sweeney Todd is no exception.

The barber (Keiran Whelan-Newby) has returned to London after having had his heart broken and been deported by a corrupt Judge (Steve Elliot) who had designs on Todd’s wife (Nicole Collins). Years later, alongside shipmate Anthony Hope (Dan Rowberry), Todd has returned to exact his revenge on the Judge and takes his old barber’s shop above Mrs Lovett’s Pie Shop (Alexandra Elliott). Her pies are the worst in London due to the scarcity of fresh meat. The pair conspire to remedy that problem as well as indulging Sweeney’s lust for revenge when he kills his first victim, Adolfo Pirelli (Freddie Perkins). The Italian’s gofer, Tobias Ragg (Harry Woodward), is left without a protector and Mrs Lovett takes him under her wing. Thus the grotesque double act of barber and baker is born as the ideal method of body disposal is to use them to fill her pies.

With his nemesis, the Judge, in his sights, Todd continues his murderous mission to fill Mrs Lovett’s pies as quickly as she can sell them. All the while he schemes to entice the Judge to within striking distance so he can despatch him to the meat grinder and Mrs Lovett’s best pies.

Sondheim’s score is both sinister and comedic as the story becomes more and more grisly, unlike Mrs Lovett’s pies.

A live band of ten under the auspices of musical director James Steven fills the auditorium as each victim is despatched. While a suitably gloomy set incorporates the grubby pie shop, Todd’s gruesome barber shop is above with its notorious chair which tips to slide the bodies down into Mrs Lovett’s meat grinder.

If you like your musical horror laced with comedy then get down to The Little before Saturday 19^th September for the best pies in town.

Pics: Russell Webster

https://thelittletheatre.co.uk/

KW Productions

https://ptheatre.blogspot.com/