Midsomer Murders

 

Review by Paul Towers, 14/4/26

Midsomer Murders by Guy Unsworth, original novel by Caroline Graham

Directed by Guy Unsworth

Produced by Nicholson Green Productions & Colin Ingram Ltd

At Curve til Saturday 18^th April 2026

In Midsomer there is always a murder. Or two or three or …

Midsomer Murders, The Killings at Badgers Drift is the stage version of the very first TV episode from way back in 1997. Quite why we have had to wait so long for this touring version, I don’t know. But it was well worth the anticipation.

So, to the plot. There are no spoilers here. When beloved spinster of the parish Emily Simpson is found dead in the picturesque village of Badgers Drift her best friend Lucy Bellringer (Julie Legrand) is convinced her demise was no accident and urges DCI Barnaby to investigate. To much laughter from the audience, Barnaby says he has been in Midsomer for 30 years and this is his first potential murder.

DCI Tom Barnaby (Daniel Casey), along with his naïve Detective Sergeant Gavin Troy (James Bradwell), starts rooting around in the world of hidden passions, long buried secrets and deadly rivalries that inhabit the seemingly perfect village of Badgers Drift.

Without giving anything away I can almost guarantee the ending will be completely left-field. And all the more satisfying for it. As well as being a conventional murder mystery Midsomer Murders is intentionally hilarious, much more so than the TV original.

The main actors are supported by an ingeniously cast ensemble playing with no regard for gender, and have a whale of a time. The script by Guy Unsworth more or less follows the original plot lines but he has inserted loads of knowing nods to the original. You don’t have to have seen any of the TV series to appreciate the humour. But if you are an aficionado then the enjoyment of all the in-jokes makes it even better.

For the avid viewer it is of especial satisfaction to know that Daniel Casey, now playing DCI Barnaby, was the original DS Troy. Which just goes to show that if you put the time in promotion will follow. LOL

Midsomer Murders is at Curve until Saturday 18^th April and then continues to tour.

https://midsomeronstage.com

www.curveonline.co.uk

https://ptheatre.blogspot.com/ 

Sailor Beware!

 

Review by Paul Towers, 13/4/26

Sailor Beware! By Falkland Cary & Philip King

Directed by Russell Hughes

Produced by Leicester Drama Society

At The Little Theatre til Saturday 18^th April 2026

Sailor Beware! Was written in 1954 and first performed in Worthing. It starred Peggy Mount in her first stand out role. She stayed with the play when it transferred to London’s West End and the role of Emma Hornett became the template for her battle axe stage persona.

The Hornett household is dominated by Emma (Rachel Draper), the tyrannical wife of stoical Henry (Freddie Dobrijevic), sister-in-law of Edie (Michelle Louise Scott), and mother of Shirley (Maddox McNicholl). Able Seaman Albert Tufnell (Thomas Bates) is in love with Shirley, but he views the prospect of marrying into her family with concern. He is an orphan and has never known home life. Albert has arrived for the wedding with his best mate from the Navy, Carnoustie Bligh (Joey Perez-Jones).

It doesn’t take long for Albert to realise it is time Mrs Hornett was shocked into recognising how badly she behaves to other people. So he jilts Shirley on their wedding morning which sets off a chain of events that lead family, neighbours Mrs Lack (Alison Kisby), Daphne Pink (Natalie Tebbutt) and even the vicar (Andrew Webster) to tell Emma what they think of her, good and bad. She is duly chastened and all ends happily.

On a set designed by Anna Field, the preparations for the wedding are in full swing. Emma Hornett, the dominating matriarch of the family, is micro-managing every thing and everybody. Into this chaos comes the groom-to-be, Albert, and Carnoustie, fresh from the sea. Edie, Henry’s sister and Emma’s live-in maid, is still having flashbacks to her jilting at the alter and regularly has a case of the wailing vapours. Mrs Lack takes great joy in catastrophising every little thing, which only winds Emma up even more. There is much slamming of doors as Henry wisely disappears from the uproar to deal with his pregnant ferret.

Sailor Beware! was a very successful West End play in the 50’s running for more than 1200 performances. Since then it has been a staple of amateur theatre companies nationwide and was revived in 1991 with, unsurprisingly, cast members of Last Of The Summer Wine. With lashings of humour and heart Sailor Beware! runs at The Little until Saturday 18^th April.

Pics: Jonathan Pryke

https://thelittletheatre.co.uk/

https://ptheatre.blogspot.com/ 

Kiss of the Spider Woman 2026

 

Review by Paul Towers, 8/4/26

Kiss of the Spider Woman by Terrence McNally, music  John Kander, lyrics Fred Ebb

Directed by Paul Foster

Produced by Curve, Bristol Old Vic & Mayflower Southampton

At Curve til Saturday 25^th April 2026

Kiss of The Spider Woman is based on a book by Manuel Puig. It was successfully staged as a play (without music) in 1983 but it was a further 10 years before Kander & Ebb (renowned for hit musicals such as Cabaret and Chicago) added songs and broadened the story out with the help of Terrence McNally’s libretto. It is this full blown musical version that Curve is staging in a co-production with Bristol Old Vic and Mayflower Southampton.

Starting with the set you could be mistaken for thinking that this was Chicago. But no, while the song writers obviously have a fascination with prison stories, this is a far earthier, violent penitentiary. Argentina in the mid 70’s was a lawless military-ruled dictatorship where violence was the norm for anyone who came into contact with the regime (sound familiar?)

Against this background Luis Molina (Fabina Soto Pacheco), a flamboyantly gay window dresser has been arrested after being caught with a supposedly under-age agent provocateur. He is forced to share a cell with a homophobic Marxist activist called Valentin (George Blagden). In order to try and maintain his sanity Molina constantly reruns in his head the many movies of his idol, Aurora (the ever fabulous Anna-Jane Casey). Luckily for us we get to actually see the divine Aurora in a multitude of ever more drag-queen-esqe frocks (designed by Gabriella Slade) emoting from her back catalogue as Molina lip-syncs along to his favourite songs and dialogue.

While Valentin is constantly beaten and tortured in order to get the names of his collaborators, Molina is bribed with the thought of early release to see his dying Mother if he can get the names from his cell mate.

As the weeks and months drag on Molina and Valentin become closer until the latter’s homophobia is replaced with genuine love for the former and they consecrate their union.

This production makes full use of Curve’s astonishing video capabilities with very realistic effects designed by Andrzej Goulding and atmospheric sound by Matt Peploe. The ensemble are choreographed by Joanna Goodwin.

Kiss of The Spider Woman is a love story set against the horrors of incarceration in a barbaric hell. It runs at Curve until Saturday 25^th April and then tours to Southampton and Bristol

Pics: Marc Brenner

www.curveonline.co.uk

https://ptheatre.blogspot.com/ 

Barnum

 

Review by Paul Towers, 2/4/26

Barnum, The Circus Musical by Mark Bramble, music by Cy Coleman, lyrics by Michael Stewart

Directed by Jonathan O’Boyle

Produced by Bill Kenwright Ltd

At Alhambra, Bradford til Saturday 4^th April 2026

Barnum is the fictionalised story of master showman PT Barnum, the original hustler in 19^th century America, famed hoaxer and co-creator of Baily & Barnum’s circus.

Starting out as a newspaper owner he quickly learned the art of exaggeration. This led on to his renowned museum of curiosities which included a ‘mermaid’ and Col Tom Thumb (Fergus Rattigan).

Barnum the musical, currently touring with Lee Mead in the title role, really is a circus with a musical story set around it. PT’s wife Charity (Monique Young) is constantly attempting to rein in his wilder ideas, including signing up a Scandinavian opera singer called Jenny Lind (Penny Ashmore) who also plays the harp! The Ringmaster (Eamonn Cox) narrates and keeps the story flowing. A hugely talented ensemble of singer/dancers/musicians/circus performers provide all the thrills and spills that a circus needs.

This is a hugely entertaining production with just the right amount of hokum.

Barnum continues to tour nationwide.

https://ptheatre.blogspot.com/ 

The Lightning Thief

 

Review by Paul Towers, 17/3/26

The Lightning Thief, book by Joe Tracz, music & lyric by Rob Rokicki

Directed & choreography by Lizzi Gee

Produced by Bill Kenwright Ltd

At Curve til Saturday 21^st March 2026

Percy Jackson is a 12 year old American boy with ADHD and dyslexia. Having been excluded from multiple schools his mother, in desperation, enrols him in the recommended Half Blood Summer Camp. It is here that Percy (Vasco Emauz) finally finds his ‘tribe’ and discovers he is a a demigod, half human half Greek god.

Along with his new best friends, Grover (Cahir O’Neill), a satyr, and Annabeth (Kayna Montecillo) he sets off on a Quest to Hades to find Zeus’ Master Bolt.

Inspired by the Greek Gods’ Myths The Lightning Thief is based on Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson books beloved of many teens. Having started as a series of books it became  a TV series, a film and finally a rock musical.

With a thumping original soundtrack performed by a live band of five hidden behind the set, this show is full of magical illusions (courtesy of Richard Pinner), puppetry and imaginative fights. Expect lots of smoke and explosions as the daring trio fight off demons and wraiths.

It is all huge fun and excitement. This week at Curve is the last chance to catch The Lightning Thief on this tour.

www.curveonline.co.uk

https://ptheatre.blogspot.com/