Glorious!

 

Review by Paul Towers, 25/2/26

Glorious! by Peter Quilter

Directed by Kirk Jameson

Produced by Hope Mill Productions

At Derby Theatre til Saturday 28 th February 2026

Many years a go I happened upon a music cassette in a battered box. It was a recording of one Florence Foster Jenkins, an American opera singer. For the few pence I paid for the cracked case and unrewound tape, I was willing to gamble on it being of interest. It was. But for all the wrong reasons.

Miss Foster Jenkins was possibly the very worst singer ever to appear before an audience, let alone preserve her performance on acetate. Unbelievably she committed her warblings for posterity on a series of five 78rpm records. She self-published them and sold them to her ‘adoring fans’ for $2.50 a time. As she was a wealthy widow she donated proceeds to her favourite charitable cause, rumoured to be abused penguins.

In 1944 she ‘bowed to public pressure’ and sold out Carnagie Hall in New York. Several weeks later she died supposedly of syphilis.

Glorious! is an hilarious interpretation of her life as an entertainer and how her undying self belief, despite so may indications of her total lack of talent as a singer, buoyed her up in her later years to such an extent that she allegedly died with a beatific smile on her face.

Wendi Peters (Coronation Street’s Cilla Battersby) plays her hysterically as a cross between Hyacinth Bucket and Hinge & Bracket. Of course in order to sing so badly, as Miss Foster Jenkins does, you need to be able sing well and Ms Peters sure can sing.

Peters puts in a very physical performance alongside  Matthew James Morrison as Cosme McMoon, her pianist, Sioned Jones as her confident Dorothy and Caroline Gruber as Spanish maid Maria and Mrs Gedge.

The comedy comes quickly and fast as Cosme starts off front of curtain assuring us that this a true-ish story.

While Glorious! runs at Derby Theatre until Saturday 28 Feb the tour continues nationwide.

https://gloriousplay.com/

https://ptheatre.blogspot.com/ 

The Memory of Water

 

Review by Paul Towers, 23/2/26

The Memory of Water by Shelagh Stephenson

Directed by Leigh White

Produced by Leicester Drama Society

At The Little Theatre til Saturday 28^th February 2026

“Memory of water” is the hypothesis that specific biological information could be still present (whatever its form) in water samples after the biologically-active molecules have been removed. In other words, there is always an echo of things that happened. It has never been proven but is a nice explanation for how memories suddenly pop up unannounced, but are not always accurate.

Shelagh Stephenson’s emotional, hilarious tale of three sisters reuniting for their mother’s funeral beautifully illustrates how shared memories can somehow get twisted.

Mary (Kat Seddon) is the middle sister, a doctor and, on the surface, the most sensible. Teresa (Laura Brookes) is the eldest and runs a health food business with older husband Frank (Joff Brown). She is neurotic and desperately unhappy. The youngest of the three, Catherine (Nikki Favell) feels desperately unloved and is attention seeking in all the wrong ways.

Mary’s married partner Mike (Jordan Handford) won’t leave his wife but has been quite happy for the last five years to keep stringing Mary along.

To give some context as to how the girls have turned out as they have their dead mother Vi (Karen Gordon) keeps showing up to Mary to twist the knife.

The Memory of Water is a laugh out loud, heartfelt glimpse of how a shared childhood can be remembered in vastly different ways.

As always with LDS productions the acting is exemplary with sharp direction from Leigh White on an eye catching set by Stef Nichols.

The Memory of Water is at The Little Theatre until Saturday 28^th February.

Pics: Jonathan Pryke

https://thelittletheatre.co.uk/

https://ptheatre.blogspot.com/ 

The Curious Incident of The Dog in the Night-time

 

Review by Paul Towers, 26/1/26

The Curious Incident of The Dog in the Night-Time adapted by Simon Stephens from the book by Mark Haddon

Directed by Paul Beasley

Produced by Leicester Drama Society

At The Little Theatre til Saturday 31^st January 2026

Christopher Boone is 15 years old and has Aspergers. He views this not as a disability but rather as a super power. He is a maths genius and has a didactic memory.

One morning he wakes to find a dog speared with a fork outside his house.

This, author Mark Haddon uses as a jump off point to discover what it is like living with a condition where you cannot bear to be touched and cannot lie. Christopher believes that everyone is like him and always tells the truth. It makes life confusing when he is trying to work out who killed the dog. He also often finds himself overwhelmed by noise and shuts down.

As the boy Christopher Tristan Olesiak gives an extraordinarily accomplished performance, especially as this is his first major acting role. His father, Ed (Chris Merricks) has to tread a fine line between disciplinarian and sole parent after separating from his mother Judy (Caitlin Mottram). He often doesn’t get it right. Christopher’s significant female role model, his teacher Siobhan (Karen Sales), encourages him to write about his adventures and this forms the basis for the play.

There are a further five actors (Nadine Beasley, Luke Evered, David Lovell, Holly Matusiewicz and David Stevens) who make up an ensemble and take on several roles.

Huge kudos have to go to the scenic designer, Gemma Greaves and the accomplished carpenter, Dave Towers, for an amazing set of pristine monochrome.

This has to be one of the most stunning productions I have seen at The Little with an accomplished cast and direction worthy of any mainstream company. Grab a ticket and not only be entertained but also maybe learn something.

The Curious Incident of The Dog In The Night-Time is at The Little Theatre until Saturday 31 January.

Pics: Jonathan Pryke

https://thelittletheatre.co.uk/

https://ptheatre.blogspot.com/ 

Eric & Ern

 

Review by Paul Towers, 7/1/26

Eric and Ern written and performed by Ian Ashpitel and Jonty Stephens

At Curve til Saturday 17th January 2026

With winter finally taking a grip it is especially welcome that Eric & Ern, in the capable hands of Ian Ashpitel and Jonty Stephens, bring their sunshine to Curve for 10 days.

The boys first created this show from the original material of the much loved TV shows back in 2013 and it has evolved into a West End show and a touring version in the interim.

For us Boomers especially Eric Morecambe and Ernie Wise remind us of a more innocent time, when two grown men could share a bed with no hint of impropriety. While tonight’s audience was mainly middle aged it was heartening to see plenty of younger people enjoying the laughter and silliness.

Be assured that lots of the duo’s iconic sketches make an appearance; Grieg’s Piano Concerto, Mr Memory Man, the ice cream sketch and many more memories are triggered from the golden age of TV variety.

This a fabulous homage to the much loved duo and I can guarantee you will leave the theatre full of sunshine and laughter.

Eric & Ern is at Curve until Saturday 17^th January. Most days have very limited tickets available.

www.curveonline.co.uk

https://ptheatre.blogspot.com/ 

Dick Whittington at DeMontfort Hall

 

Review by Paul Towers, 13/12/25

Dick Whittington by Imagine Theatre, additional script by Janice Dunn, Jarred Christmas & Jack Ballard

Directed by Janice Dunn

Produced by Imagine Theatre

At DeMontfort Hall til Saturday 3^rd January 2026

My second pantomime this weekend and my second Dick Whittington. Can you have too much Dick? Certainly not when you are at Leicester’s premier concert hall, DeMontfort Hall.

Returning to the hall is Imagine Theatre with the feel-good tale of an impoverished boy, Dick (Jarred Christmas) and his Beat Boxing Cat Boots (Hobbit) as they try to realise their dream of making it in London. Along the way they have to prove their worth to Alderman Fitzwarren (Richie Anderson) in order to win the hand of his daughter Alice (Rebecca Keatley). Jack’s mum, Sarah The Cook (Jack Ballard) does her best to support her son and help him out. Inevitably she just makes it worse.

The villain of the piece is the gloriously vile Queen Rat (Djalenga Scott) who is up against the saintly Fairy Bow Bells (Suzanne Shaw) who has to counter the regal attempts to thwart Dick’s aspirations and take over London with her swarm of ratty minions.

Dick and his Mum, ably assisted by the incredibly talented Boots, quickly have the audience in the palms of their hands and the squeals of delight from the (mostly) younger members of the audience was testament to how right this show is.

All the expected elements of pantomime are here including the water fight and the toilet roll shenanigans. Of course you have to expect to find some unexpected songs shoehorned into the narrative. But that’s half the fun.

The main cast are ably supported by an adult ensemble and a couple of teams of local junior dancers/singers

I was not expecting Richie Anderson to have such a nice singing voice and was a bit dubious about the inclusion of a beat boxing cat but it all worked incredibly well.

Dick Whittington runs at DeMontfort Hall until Saturday 3^rd January 2026. Grab a ticket for a fun filled evening of family frolics.

https://www.demontforthall.co.uk/

https://ptheatre.blogspot.com/ 

Dick Whittington

 

Review by Paul Towers, 12/12/25

Dick Whittington devised & written by John Bale

Directed by John Bale

Produced by Leicester Drama Society

At The Little Theatre til Saturday 4^th January 2026

Christmas has officially started with The Little Theatre’s annual pantomime under way. This year’s offering is the evergreen tale of Dick Whittington, the almost true story of how a lowly man, Dick, trudges to London to find his fortune and ends up as Lord Mayor. Well, that’s the accepted story. Of course pantomime is not about the truth if it gets in the way of lots of fun.

Our Dick Whittington (Rose Adams) and his cat, Tommy, (Lyd Rushton) start their journey and soon meet the outrageous Alderman Sarah Fitzwarren (John Bale in his latest Dame incarnation) and her daughter Alice (Ellie Cassie), with whom he falls instantly in love.

The Alderman has a sidekick, Idle jack (Thom Jones), whose energy is only outstripped by his idiocy. The villain of the piece is the evil King Rat (Simon Butler) who is determined to take over London for his own nefarious ends.

For reasons that make little sense (this is panto, it doesn’t need to make sense!) they all set sail on the Saucy Sue for Morocco with Captain Cockle (Allen Smith) and Bill Cockle (Russell Webster) and get shipwrecked.

All sorts of extra characters  are played by an ensemble of singer/dancers choreographed by Caroline Walsh.

All this is explained to the audience by the exotic Spirit of The Bells (Keiran Wheelan-Newby) in traditional rhyming couplets.

Right from the start the Alderman and Idle Jack have the audience in the palms of their hands and the booing, hissing and behind you’s are on cue. The largely junior audience members had a whale of a time, which is as it should be. Pantomime is often a youngster’s first experience of live theatre and this most traditional of pantomimes is a perfect introduction.

Dick Whittington runs at The Little Theatre until Saturday 4^th January 2026

Pics: Jonathan Pryke

https://thelittletheatre.co.uk/

https://ptheatre.blogspot.com/ 

The Sound of Music

 

Review by Paul Towers, 27/11/25

The Sound of Music book by Howard Lindsay & Russel Crouse. Music by Richard Rogers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II

Directed by Nikolai Foster

Produced by Curve

At Curve til Saturday 17th January 2026

From the moment that the Preludium started and the Nuns of Nonnberg Abbey slowly  emerged from under the stage and out of the wings it was obvious that this production of The Sound of Music would be spectacular.

There were gasps from the audience as the curtain rose to reveal the full splendour of the set. Michael Taylor has created an amazing edifice of a mountainside rearing up from the back of the stage which enables members of the cast to run up and down the mountain. It even has a series of pools with water in. What adds to the spectacle are the birch trees scattered across the landscape. The other main feature of the set is the now traditional spiral staircase. In this case it is wound round a tower of medieval splendour.

The aforementioned nuns are lead by Mother Abbess (Joanna Riding) as she unsuccessfully battles to rein in the exuberance of Maria (Molly Lynch using her native Irish accent to add a further layer to the character’s free spirit).

Sent off to be temporary governess to Captain Von Trapp’s (David Eadon-Young) children Maria quickly allies herself with the youngsters and eventually catches the eye of the widowed Captain, much to the chagrin of his fiancée Elsa Shraeder (Faye Brooks).

Eventually Maria and the Captain are married and Elsa retreats to Vienna.

As the storm clouds of Nazism gather (cleverly illustrated by Hitler’s soldiers gathering along the skyline on the mountain) there is confusion in the household as to the best course of action. Max Detweiler (Minal Patel) the Captain’s best friend, champions acquiescence even if he doesn’t agree with the policies, while Von Trapp insists on escaping with his family to safety. Thus the scene is set for the family to travel over the Alps to safety.

The success of this show rests on the children and Nikolai Foster has got three teams of youngsters playing the various children to great effect. 

A large ensemble of actor/dancers along with two teams of the Community Company ensure the stage is full to overflowing and the live orchestra of 11 provides a full sound to the score. 

The Sound of Music runs til Saturday 17 th January 2026 

Pics: Marc Brenner 

www.curveonline.co.uk

https://ptheatre.blogspot.com/