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 ago 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/