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

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The Silence of The Lambs

 

Review by Paul Towers, 5/8/26

The Silence of the Lambs by Gina Gionfriddo, novel by Thomas Harris

Directed by Nikolai Foster

Produced by Crossroads Live, Indigo Productions and Curve

At Curve til Saturday 15^th August 2026 and then touring

Stunning production, great acting and an amazing set. Yet again Curve’s co-productions lead in ground breaking new work.

The Silence of the Lambs was written by Thomas Harris in 1988 and made into an iconic film in 1991 starring Anthony Hopkins and Jodie Foster.

For the very first time a stage version has been written by Gina Gionfriddo and directed by Curve’s own Nikolai Foster. Launched at Curve before an extensive national tour it stars John Partridge (ex-Eastenders) as Hannibal Lecter and Mollie Gallagher (ex-Coronation Street) as Clarice Starling.

Clarice is detailed by her boss Jack Crawford (Oliver Farnworth) to try and get some information out of notorious cannibalistic serial killer Lecter who is kept in a very high security prison. On the loose and prolific killer Jack Gumb aka Buffalo Bill (Sam Jackson) is flaying women to satisfy his very warped relationship with his late mother.

Starling and Lecter also have a very complicated relationship. Separated by unbreakable glass Clarice has to try and pick Hannibal’s brains to try and identify Buffalo Bill. Lecter, on his part, uses the insight and information he has in order to leverage a move to a prison with a view.

Partridge makes no effort to emulate Sir Anthony Hopkins and makes the role of the sadistic killer all his own. Confined to a glass box he exerts control over all around him while Gallagher, in her first professional stage role, holds her own as her character wrestles information from her nemesis.

An amazing soundtrack designed by Carolyn Downing superbly ramps up the tension as the action escalates. The set by Michael Taylor reaches high up on the stage and features Lecter’s glass cell wheeling in and out of the wall.

There are still some tickets available but you should be aware that there are a whole load of trigger warnings and it is not suitable for those of a nervous disposition.

The Silence of The Lambs is at Curve until Saturday 15^th August and then tours nationwide

Pics: Marc Brenner

Tour details

www.curveonline.co.uk

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Operation Mincemeat

 

Review by Paul Towers, 22/7/26

Operation Mincemeat by David Cumming, Felix Hagan, Natasha, Zoe Roberts

Directed by Robert Hastie

Produced by Avalon with SplitLip

At Theatre Royal, Nottingham til Saturday 1st August 2026

Operation Mincemeat is based on true events. In 1943 the British Government wanted to fool Hitler into thinking that Sardinia was the place that a huge invasion was being prepared while in actual fact Sicily was the intended target.

To this end it was proposed that a fake ‘accident’ would be staged with a senior Royal Marine having drowned along with a quantity of incriminating paperwork. So a suitable body was found in a mortuary and disguised as a fictitious officer. He was then planted in an appropriate spot in the sea off Spain.

The original 2019 production was staged in a tiny 80 seat studio. The plan was to take it to Edinburgh in 2020 but Covid put paid to that.

Considering the production has won a slew of awards and has toured worldwide I was surprised that the money it has obviously earned is not visible on stage. It looks exactly like it would have been in 2020, a cult musical that was a hit at The Edinburgh Festival and toured in studio performance spaces nationwide. But, for some inexplicable reason (to me) it has become an international hit. Basic props and minor costumes give it a University Footlights vibe as the cast of five switch characters.

Such was my disappointment in the show that I left at the interval

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Something Rotten!

 

Review by Paul Towers, 15/7/26

Something Rotten! by Karey & John Kirkpatrick, music & lyrics by Karey & Wayne Kirkpatrick

Directed by Tim Jackson

Produced by Jas Theatricals

At Manchester Opera House til Saturday 19th July 2026

I originally booked to see this show back in 2020 but, of course, Covid put paid to that. So I was thrilled to hear that Manchester Opera House was debuting it, at last.

The script is a delicious mash up of Shakespearean song and dance in a far from accurate depiction of Renaissance England in 1595 London.

The premise is that wannabe playwright Nick Bottom (Jason Manford) along with his brother Nigel (Cassius Hackforth) are trying to emulate the accomplishments of local hero Will Shakespeare (Richard Fleeshman). Nick’s wife Bea (Marisha Wallace) is his rock but aspires to be his equal.

Desperate to write something popular Nick consults with Nostradamus (Cory English) who predicts that the next big thing will be a musical. Cue a fabulous number, A Musical, which spoofs so many musical numbers, old and new, sometimes only a single line but the audience recognised about 90% of the cues.

Will Shakespeare bursts onto the stage as a leather clad pop star, very much channelling Frank N Furter in The Rocky Horror Show and the assembled peasants fall at his feet, much to the chagrin of Nick Bottom.

The set by Colin Richmond is a skewed medieval street giving choreographer Tim Jackson plenty of scope for big dance numbers.

It is a shame it is only in Manchester for a month but there is hope it will eventually transfer to the West End. The soundtrack of the original Broadway production is well worth finding.

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A Vicar of Dibley Christmas

 

Review by Paul Towers, 13/7/26

A Vicar of Dibley Christmas – the second coming adapted by Ian Gower & Paul Carpenter
Based on the original TV series by Richard Curtis & Paul Mayhew-Archer

Directed by Nikki Favell

Produced by Leicester Drama Society

At The Little Theatre til Saturday 18^th July 2026

It may seem strange to be talking about Christmas while we are enduring yet another heat wave but, here in the air conditioned Little Theatre, The Vicar of Dibley Christmas is exactly what we need to lift our spirits.

Following on from last year’s visit to Dibley we find Alice Tinker (Kathryn Lenthall) back from her honeymoon with new husband Hugo (Keir Watson) and pregnant. As she is showing Geraldine (Kat Seddon) her holiday pictures the vicar’s mind is on other things, namely the planning of the annual Dibley Christmas Show.

As is to be expected the various members of the parish council all have different ideas about how to spice up the event. Owen Hewitt (Jordan Handford) has his usual inappropriate suggestions, Jim Trott (Ian Carr) makes little sense, Letitia Cropley (Elizabeth Spendlove) knits and Frank Pickle (Nic Adams) dithers. Trying desperately to maintain order David Horton (David Lovell) only serves to alienate everyone. Watch out for a surprise cameo from Tabitha Fogg

The first half lovingly combines snippets from many episodes of the beloved TV series to keep the audience laughing from the get go. The second half is when the chaos really kicks in as the night of the Christmas Show looms.

With the entire original cast from last year (plus Nic Adams) this is a wonderfully comfortable show to watch. It is obvious the team work well together and director Nikki Favell, back in charge again, has great fun with the script. Once again every cast member has the impersonations off pat.

A Vicar of Dibley Christmas is at The Little until Saturday 18^th July. Grab a ticket and enjoy the familiar warmth of this evening of laughter and love.

Pics: Poyner & Mee Photography

https://thelittletheatre.co.uk/

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Anything Goes

 

Review by Paul Towers, 1/7/26

Anything Goes by PG Wodehouse, Guy Bolton, Howard Lindsay & Russel Crouse
Music & lyrics by Cole Porter

Directed and choregraphed by Lee Proud

Produced by Celia Mackay for Kilworth House Theatre

At Kilworth House Theatre til Sunday 2 August 2026

Anything Goes is just about the perfect American musical. It has a daft farcical plot, is jam packed with hummable Cole Porter songs and enough tap dancing to make your ankles swell in sympathy.

Set on a cruise liner sailing from New York to London (great Art Deco set design by Phil Witcomb), the SS American is home to a very mixed bag of passengers. Nightclub singer Reno Sweeney (Emily-Mae in fine voice and with a great sense of comedy) is onboard along with her backing singers, debutante Hope Harcourt (Megan Gardiner) is with her fiancé Lord Evelyn Oakleigh (Tom Hopcroft) and her mother Evangeline Harcourt (Penelope Woodman). Billy Crocker (Richard Carson) is assistant to Wall Street banker Elisha Whitney (Thomas Sutcliffe) but has stowed away onboard to try and win Hope’s heart. To this end he has to disguise himself. Moonface Martin (Dougie Carter) aka “Public Enemy No. 13” causes all sorts of trouble as he sneaks around while his ‘associate’ Erma (Sophie Naglik) turns all the sailors’ heads with a promise of fun and games below decks.

Trying to keep some sort of order on the liner is The Captain (Robert McNeilly).

As with all good musicals the first half is taken up with creating the chaos that is resolved in the second half. Along the way there is comedy, farce, great dancing and glittering costumes.

For those of us of a certain vintage and a keen interest in musical theatre/films the Cole Porter score is enough to turn us to jelly. But add into that the iconic show stopping first half finale of the Anything Goes tap routine and I am in musical theatre heaven.

The score for the second half is full of less well-known Porter songs but no less hummable for that.

Staged under the marquee of the Kilworth House Outdoor Theatre on a balmy July evening this is the perfect antidote to today’s troubles. Grab a ticket while you can.

The whole production is de-lovely and is a very welcome return for resident director/choreographer Lee Proud.

Pics: Fox Corporate Photography

Anything Goes

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The Incident Room

 

Review by Paul Towers, 10/11/25

The Incident Room by Olivia Hirst and David Byrne

Directed by Jake Leonard

Produced by Leicester Drama Society

At The Little Theatre til Saturday 27^th June 2026

In 1975 West Yorkshire Police in Leeds had the unenviable task of trying to hunt down the killer ultimately labelled The Yorkshire Ripper, Peter Sutcliffe.

Calling on the wealth of paperwork, interviews and records of the hunt Incident Room attempts to highlight the many failures of the police that led to 13 women being murdered and a further 7 attempted murders. Sutcliffe was eventually caught but who knows if the tally of victims is more?

In hindsight so many red herrings were chased, the media was mishandled and hoaxes were given unwarranted credence. Of course by modern computerised standards they were in the Stone Age and relying on paper and index files. It is no wonder things were missed.

The ensuing 6 years of the investigation are played out by a creative cast. Leading the narrative is DS Megan Winterburn (Natasha Carr) who, new to her rank, is constantly fighting the misogynistic boy’s club that is CID at the time. She is up against her superiors in the shape of Dick Holland (Andy Longley-Brown) and George Oldfield (Matt Evans). Jim Hobson (Russell Hughes) is another prehistoric chauvinist who dismisses Megan’s expertise.

Over on the desk at the other side of the office is Sylvia Swanson (Jane Towers) who is far too long in the tooth to put up with the laddish banter.

Newly promoted from PC to Detective Andrew Laptew (Joe Allen) is largely ignored by most of his colleagues but still manages to finally make the connection between Sutcliffe and the murders.

While the production rightly avoids glorifying any of the Ripper’s exploits and also neatly steers way from causing the dead girls’ relatives further anguish by dwelling on their appalling injuries one survivor, Maureen Long (Natalie Tebbutt), is used to show the pain of even those who escaped Sutcliffe’s clutches.

The Press in the form of reporter Tish Morgan (Holly Matusiewicz) don’t get away scot free either as their misguided attempts to help often hindered the police’s efforts to weed out hoaxes.

As expected this is a hard watch and you are entitled to come away cursing the inefficiency of the authorities to stop Sutcliffe earlier. However the authors have managed to lighten the mood from time to time with some laughs.

Pics: Jonathan Pryke

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