Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?

 

Review by Paul Towers, 23/10/25

Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? By Edward Albee

Directed by Cara Nolan

A Made at Curve production

At Curve til Saturday 8^th November 2025

Very rarely do we, in provincial theatre, get to experience two actors at the top of their game in a production that stretches their talents to such a degree as in this staging of Edward Albee’s Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?

A tight cast of just four are lead by the indomitable Cathy Tyson and Patrick Robinson with able complimentary performances by Tilly Steele and George Kemp.

One night in the apartment of long married couple Martha (Cathy Tyson) and George (Patrick Robinson), having just endured a faculty party thrown by Martha’s influential father, they start their familiar alcohol-induced bickering. A young couple, Nick (George Kemp) and Honey (Tilly Steele), come to visit and are immediately drawn into the older couple’s increasingly bitter and frustrated relationship.

As the drinks trolley is depleted tempers raise and secrets are revealed until finally one secret too many comes to light and all hell breaks out.

Albee wrote the play in 1962, his sixth but first full length successful one. But, by making the set fairly anodyne designer Amy Jane Cook has avoided anchoring the time to any particular period. The dynamics of the relationships are just as pertinent today as they were 60 years ago.

Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? is at Curve until Saturday 8^th November. Grab a ticket and witness some of the greatest theatre performances you will see in a long time.

Pics: Marc Brenner

www.curveonline.co.uk

https://ptheatre.blogspot.com/ 

The Producers

 

Review by Paul Towers, 9/10/25

The Producers, the Mel Brooks Musical, book by Mel Brooks & Thomas Meehan

Directed by Patrick Marber

Produced by Menier Chocolate Factory

At Garrick Theatre, London

You really need to be a Mel Brooks aficionado to fully appreciate the humour of The Producers. Like the film it is irreverent, outrageous and tasteless. Only even more so!

With a chorus line of both old ladies and Hassidic Jews you know that there will be a deep well of tastelessness. Throw into that mix the showstopping Springtime For Hitler and it is no wonder that some (unprepared) audience members have walked out in disgust.

Of course you need to understand that Mel Brooks’ reasoning is that the best way to confront and debase fascism is to make fun of it. It is hard to be afraid of something you are laughing at.

The show centres around almost bankrupt producer Max Bialystock (the indefatigable Andy Nyman) and his shy accountant Leopold Bloom (Marc Antolin). In going through the books Leo spots the potential to make money through ‘creative accounting’. If Max can raise a lot of money from theatrical angels (investors) and the show fails, it wipes out the debt. And if he raises much more than the show costs to put on, there is a huge profit to be made.

Reluctantly Leo agrees to go into partnership with Max and the scam is born.

Together they pore over scripts until they find the very worst, gold plated potential failure. Springtime For Hitler by not-so closeted Nazi Franz Liebkind (Harry Morrison). Next they need a director an outrageous queen Roger DeBris (Trevor Ashley), a subtle in-joke for the Jewish community, and his partner Carman Ghia (Raj Ghatak).

With the agency getting so busy the guys need a receptionist, enter Swedish bombshell Ulla (Joanna Woodward) who Leo falls for while Max is off servicing a multitude of little old ladies into giving him cheques to invest in the show.

Of course it all goes wrong, the show is a critical success and Max ends up in jail.

As I said at the top of the page this is typical Mel Brooks, hilarious, outrageous and completely tasteless. I loved it!

https://ptheatre.blogspot.com/ 

Noel & Gertie

 

Review by Paul Towers, 8/10/25

Noel & Gertie, words and music by Noel Coward. Devised by Sheridan Morley

Directed by Thom Southerland

Produced by Mayflower Southampton

At Curve til Saturday 11^th October 2025

Sheridan Morley has rummaged through the almost limitless back catalogue of the legendary Noel Coward and, using lots of his musical numbers and dialogue, has created a sparkling journey through the intertwined lives of Coward and Gertrude Lawrence.

While both grew up in the early 20^th century it is only now that the full scale of Coward’s attempt to balance his public and private lives can be told. In some ways he was a Master of hiding in plain sight. His many autobiographical lyrics and dialogue, spoken by Lawrence, can now be used in what, in a perfect world, he would have had them performed. By men.

For many of us we have only ever heard the headline lyrics to some of his songs. A prime example is Don’t Put Your Daughter On The Stage, Mrs Worthington. Here, sung in its entirety, it is revealed as an incredibly vicious, derogatory defenestration of the titular daughter.

The show doesn’t shy away from Noel’s conflicted sexuality. He knew full well that he could never ever confirm the rumours about his male lovers for fear of absolute ostracisation.

Gary Tushaw’s Noel Coward is the epitome of public suave sophistication while descending into viperous insults when the private occasion warranted it. Rebecca Trehearn’s Gertie Lawrence has an incredible voice as well as the comic timing to parry Tushaw’s. This is especially seen in the couple’s vaudeville routine to Has Anybody Seen Our Ship? From Red Peppers.

To compliment this talented couple are onstage musicians Joey Hickman (piano) and Michaela Murphy (piano, accordion and ukulele) whose instruments travel around the stage as scenery.

This intimate show is perfectly suited to Curve’s Studio space.

www.curveonline.co.uk

https://ptheatre.blogspot.com/