Fat Friends, the Musical – Theatre Royal Nottingham

So here is the plot … in a nutshell.

The upcoming wedding of a Slimmer of the Year candidate’s daughter, whose dress is too small – leads to a weight loss challenge… with the bill for the wedding at stake! 

Like all good comedies, there’s plenty to poke fun at. But what sets this aside is that far from contrived, like most of author Kay Mellor’s work this story borrowed heavily (pardon the pun) from true life, so the jokes really hit home with the audience.

So if you’ve ever been to a slimming group (or one of your family has…) there’s so much in this show to resonate with the day-to-day world we all live in. 

And as for the music! With a real band playing live, and some superb singing voices among the cast, it’s a hilarious romp that can’t fail.

Freddie Flintoff plays the gentle giant role (until Thursday); he’s bit of a buffoon in this show – and was a revelation! Best know for his Ashes winning bowling in the 2005 cricket contest, he’s branched out since with a series of wide-ranging challenges. 

Natalie Anderson (ex-Emmerdale) also revealed her superb singing voice, alongside I’d Do Anything winner Jodie Prenger as the soon-to-be wed daughter and X-Factor winner Sam Bailey as her mum. Atomic Kitten star Natasha Hamilton completed the trio to set the weight-loss challenge.

When you consider that Sam and Freddie aren’t actors, the polished, funny, and tuneful performance shows how a well-drilled tightly rehearsed group can pull out the stops for a tip-top performance. 

Kevin Kennedy, from Coronation Street, didn’t have the part you might expect for such a big star of the small screen, but together the cast gel perfectly to take you on an emotional rollercoaster.

It really worked as a musical, with some fabulous songs, audience-appropriate language – and at two hours and 20 minutes, it didn’t seem a long show at all. 

The cleverly-written songs were funny, got the point across and left everyone chattering as they left with a smile on their face as they headed into the night.

Beauty and the Beast panto, Theatre Royal Nottingham

It’s only the second time since 1867 that Beauty and the Beast has been performed here. 

Yet with a hint of fairy tale magic, some sizzling special effects, colourful costumes and loads of belly laughs thrown in, it will surely be back before another 100 years is up.

As always, the comedy moments proved the biggest hits, with cheeky Ben Nickless – back for his fourth panto at the Theatre Royal – perfectly nailing a routine where his Apple watch filled in his missing words. Then later on his DVD collection provided some rather apt (if not altogether safe-for-work) commentary on  panto dame Andrew Ryan’s night out with some poor fella in the front row of the stalls. 

A personal highlight was the traditional staple “If I Were Not Upon This Stage”. You can’t really beat the tried and tested routines, and this one left tears of laughter rolling down my cheeks well into the curtain call. Another set-piece, the pleasant pheasant pluckers, had the cast in stitches too – along with most of the adults watching, though thankfully this one went over the heads of all those kids in the crowd. 

The lovely Sherrie Hewson, a local lass of course, provided the glue between the scenes as Mrs Potts-Temple-Savage, with some traditional audience interaction to help the fairy story along, although in truth there was already a fair pace to the action and a good mix of fairy tale, comedy and song. 

Benidorm’s Sherrie, previously a star of Coronation Street, sometimes looked a little alone on stage when she was chatting with the audience – it would only have taken a couple of dancers as her escorts to leave her looking less lonely on what is a very big stage.

We loved the baddie, Trent Bridge, played by Danny Bayne, already a veteran of musical theatre and TV entertainment news. Perfectly over-the-top, he took to the stage with just the right amount of fun to hit the mark as Deadly Nightshade’s henchman. Deadly herself (Natalie Spriggs) should really have attracted more boos from the auditorium but had so many lines the audience really needed to listen to keep up! 

Naomi Slights was a ringer for Disney’s Belle, helped along by some wonderful wardrobe. Her beau, Ben Richards from Footballers’ Wives and Hollyoaks, perfectly captured the torment of being the beast. And while the classic dining room scene came alive thanks to some nifty dance work from the young Theatre Royal Babes ensemble, my favourites were the dancing jammie dodgers. 

If you’ve got some very young children you might need to hold their hand towards the end of Act One, when Beast slays the kraken – but not before an amazing piece of stagecraft brings it terrifyingly to life within inches of the audience’s noses. 

The in the second act, it’s time to slip the 3D glasses for the haunted Forest, complete with all its creepy crawlies to give the I’m A Celebrity critters a run for their money.

Awful Auntie, Theatre Royal, Nottingham

Have you read Awful Auntie?

I have – and this play is very close to the book, with so much to fit into the 1hr 45mins that the action moves really quickly.

The plot isn’t rushed, though. It was still easy to follow and the youngsters in the audience had a great time laughing along with – and at – the characters from David Walliams’ famous book.

There wasn’t a lot of scenery but it was cleverly rotated around the stage to suit indoors, outdoors, upstairs and the cellar. They also ended up on the roof, which was surprisingly easy to believe!

Sly Awful Auntie Alberta is played by Timothy Speyer, who was true to the book in making his character a manly woman (less a pantomime dame and more a tweed-clad dragon).

Without giving too much away, she’s the baddie and tries to reclaim the family stately home she believes should be hers.

In her way is poor orphaned Stella Saxby, the only child of parents who died in a suspicious car crash. The talented Georgina Leonidas is easily believable as a 13-year-old girl. You may have spotted her as Harry Potter’s fellow quidditch player in The Half-Blood Prince and the Deathly Hallows. She is the main character and on stage for nearly all the show. She keeps interest up by constantly revealing new details of the story, leading us all to wonder what will happen next.

Her new friend Soot (Ashley Cousins) is a great comedy character who helps Stella piece together the truth about the car crash and who (and what) he really is.

Watch out for doddery butler Gibbon (Richard James), who gets funnier and funnier as the play goes on and for the cleverly created Wagner, an owl whose puppeteer Roberta Bellekom stays well in the background.

Ten out of ten for a show that’s true to plot and spirit of the book – although this play is so much funnier.

Review by Louis Astill (12)

Out of Order, Theatre Royal, Nottingham

A little trouser-dropping is never really out of place on stage, and with a falling towel or two and a beautiful young secretary running around in her skimpies, it’s clear there’s a Ray Cooney farce under way.

Suspend your disbelief at what unfolds because, like the actors, you’ll have a whale of a time. It’s over 35 years old now but this summer-season trouser-dropping show IS still funny.

Jeffrey Harmer is a Tory MP hoping for some extra marital fun with a minion from the opposition side of the House (Susie Amy from Footballers’ Wives) until he discovers a body in his hotel room which puts a stop to any thoughts of romance.

Soon there are doors (and the window) opening and closing, people popping in and out, here, there and everywhere as the plot not only thickens, but gets hopelessly tangled.

Sean Williamson, (EastEnders’ Barry Evans) as the beleaguered personal private secretary, shows mastery of a range of emotions – taking the audience along for the ride through his bewilderment, agony, anguish, desperation, mania and what can only be described as an unknowing smouldering sexual prowess.

Arthur Bostrom (from ‘Allo ‘Allo) appears as a hotel manager who continually walks in on people in compromising positions. And there’s Sue Holderness (Only Fools) and Cooney regular David Warwick in the mix too.

As always, the contrived jigsaw slots nicely together after all the big set-ups in the first act, as the second sees events spiral out of control only to be neatly – and satisfactorily – dispatched as the play hurtles towards its close.

There’s not much imagination required to see the bare cheek (!) of it all. In fact some of what you don’t see gets the biggest reaction. That, and the actors shrugging off a jammed door with aplomb.

This is an updated version of the original 1990 play and while there are certainly some  (now) rarely heard “phwoars” which set it back in time, up-to-date references to UKIP, Brexit, our current prime minister and the leader of the opposition firmly place it in the present day. 

Of course, all of the to-ing and fro-ing would never happen now because of the mobile phone – but who’d consign a fun evening like this to history?

Jack and the Beanstalk, Nottingham Theatre Royal

Christmas has well and truly begun! Forget your Slab Square winter wonderlands – and don’t hold out hope for an early Christmas gift from our local football teams.

There was a palpable buzz about the Theatre Royal for Jack and the Beanstalk and every one the cast oozed star quality.

New panto dame Tony Maudsley touched down from Benidorm as Dame Trot – and proved to be a revelation. How he’s managed to avoid the panto season up until now we’ll never know – but he’s going to be at the top of the "wanted" list this time next year, whether he’s busy as Kenneth or not.

He arrived in his TV character’s trademark hot pants and his opening number, a wonderful rendition of Danny la Rue’s signature tune The Girl With a Little Bit Extra, was perfect for panto – raising a laugh for families and giving a little bit extra for the grown-ups (if you know what I mean!) Dame Trot also scored well with some of the best lines, as well as some of the rudest double-entendres.

And then there’s the seasoned pros Paul and Barry, the Chuckle Brothers, playing her sons, and bringing the house down with tried and tested routines that had many of the audience crying with laughter. Picture pensioner Barry in his frilly knickers and nothing else and you’ll start to get the idea…

Their opening got some of the biggest squeals of the night as their naughty presents once more meant different things to different people. Their squabbles, giggles and mastery at working the audience fitted seamlessly with the plot. Perfect family fun.

Meanwhile, it’s always Chico time with Jack (yes, he sang it), and his own striptease at bedtime had a little more wow-factor than it did x-factor!

Daniel Boys was suitably hiss-worthy as Fleshcreep, while Sarah Earnshaw was eminently lovable as the Spirit of the Beans, keeping our story moving forward and helping out the Trots in their quest to rescue diminutive Princess Apricot (Gemma Buckingham) from the giant’s lair.

Ian Gledhill was a ready-made stand-in as King Crumble for the press night, and was a wonderfully gentle and transparent chap as he fell for the colourful Dame’s amorous advances.

We also embarked on an amazing 3D trip inside the Giant’s castle. Just a word of warning though – you might need to let very small children know there are rats, maggots, spiders and more leaping out at you once the 3D specs are on your nose.

This year’s panto is so much more than just the laughs. The musical numbers, led by Allan Rogers and his band, were all top-notch. The comedy was spot-on, even if the audience was sometimes half a beat behind the quickfire repartee of the leads. 

It’s a sparkling antidote to winter and one of the best Christmas shows in years.

George’s Marvellous Medicine, Theatre Royal, Nottingham

We all know that horrible things happen to horrible people, and in the world of Roald Dahl, this is a fact rather than mere supposition.

As if to prove it, along comes the Birmingham Stage Company with their latest adaptation of a well-loved children’s tale, George’s Marvellous Medicine.

Clearly one of Dahl’s shorter books, the cast make the most of the tools they’re given through his words and take us on a journey of one small lad who’s determined to improve his somewhat rude and nasty gran.

She’s invited herself to stay on the family farm indefinitely as she’s become infirm. And George immediately decides he can improve on the medicine she’s already on. So while his parents are busy with their household and farmyard chores, out comes the devil in little George, who uses every household ingredient from deodorant and shampoo to brown paint, pig pills and horse medicine. Note: Don’t Try This At Home, kids.

Gran, who he fears is actually a witch, really does swallow the new and improved mixture, and grows taller than the house, bursting through the ceiling and looking down on the farmyard – but still being a rude and bossy pain in the neck to the rest of the family.

This performance is a knockabout experience and probably best for pre-teens and fun-loving adults.

It’s another winning adaptation from the talented David Wood with loads of audience participation and a great turn from the adult Ed Thorpe who’s truly believable as the wide-eyed eight-year-old George.

Dad Richard Mullins, mum Tessa Vale – who passes out perfectly with shock during the show – and the Deborah Vale as manic gran all fit their roles like fingers in a glove.

So could George’s dad make use of the medicine to super-size his farm animals? And how will they make more medicine? What will happen to gran – will she ever get back to normal, or is she really an old witch?

Giselle, by the English Youth Ballet at Nottingham Theatre Royal

“A credit to Nottingham and the surrounding area” was how the city’s Lord Mayor Mohammed Saghir summed up this energetic performance of Giselle.

He more than had a point, as over 100 youngsters were filling the stage behind him after nailing a popular ballet first aired over 150 years ago.

The English Youth Ballet works on a kind of rep theatre basis – which means the young performers have only days to learn their masterpiece.

But you’d never know it. From the youngest babes marking out their steps through the dozens of teens in perfect synchronisation and onto the leads, this was a neat, tight and well-drilled performance.

The dancers were clearly chosen for their grace, boys and girls alike – something most striking in the first scenes of Act II, when the ghostly wilis glide across the stage as though afloat.

The enthusiasm of the audience seemed to give the youngsters an extra edge, spurring them on to such a high standard in such a short space of rehearsal time. Of course the planning from director Janet Lewis, assistant director and choreographer Dominic Marshall and company manager Scott Butterworth stretches far in advance of the rehearsals – and their dedication shines through.

Back to Giselle, though. And for those who don’t know, all the trouble in store is down to Albert, who’s engaged to Lady Bathilde but clearly loved Giselle. She also loved to dance for her father and after some beautiful woodland dancing realises the betrayal and dies because of her weak – or broken - heart.

Yet she is summoned from her grave in a spectacular series of scenes where the wilis show their mastery of the dance floor, while condemning Albert and leading Giselle’s protector Hilarion to his death.

Updated to a modern setting, with evocative costumes, the youngsters brought the tale to life in an accessible performance that, as the mayor said, did everyone proud.

Matthew Bourne’s Sleeping Beauty, Nottingham Theatre Royal

This is a stunning ballet performance with a new, lavish, relevant take on the traditional story.

It’s far from the classic version of the Sleeping Beauty story, but neither passive nor brash – yet it’s comfortable in the bounds of the well-known Tchaikovsky composition.

It’s an eye-opener for visitors to the Theatre Royal until Friday, with some neat touches and am accomplished performance thanks to spot-on choreography.

Baby Aurora sets the tone from the start, the realistic puppet moving around her crib and tapping her hand knowingly to the music as she watches the good fairies dance. After the good, inevitably, comes the bad. The dark fairy casts the spell that seals the princess’s fate.

From then on it’s an energetic, gothic version of the traditional story with twists and turns including a vampire, with the unexpected twist ending the first half thrilling the opening night full house.

As you would expect from a Matthew Bourne production, there are several new characters which owe nothing to Disney, existing tales or earlier ballet productions. Yet this remains faithful and true to a story that enjoys celebrated versions, forms and formats around the world.

Over several distinctive scenes, revealed as layers throughout the show, linked with narrative prose beamed onto the background to move the action forward. Moving from nursery to a garden party and the palace gates, little was left to the imagination.

The dancing likewise. It’s a very accessible production and easy to follow, despite those unexpected twists which differentiate it to all that’s gone before.

Less traditional ballet we find the stage graced by modern dance, albeit a disciplined portrayal by more than a dozen key members of the company – although you’ll see some new dancers depending on the performance. From fairy dancers in traditional ballet garb through to the strongest characters in their heavy and distinctive costumes.

The show lends itself well to the special effects sprinkled throughout, from atmospheric mist-filled scenes through to loud and striking thunderstorms. Link this with some amazing character performances that could send a shiver down the spine of younger members of the audience, you’ll take away a memory that will last as long as the old, old story itself.

Whoever forgot to invite the evil Carabosse to the family christening has a lot to answer for. But, of course, they all live happily ever after, with the “baby” puppet making another appearance right at the end – but this was the result of the Sleeping Beauty’s relationship with her “handsome prince”, Leo, the royal gamekeeper.

Horrible Histories: Barmy Britain. Theatre Royal, Nottingham

Just how barmy is our Britain then?

Quite – if this whirlwind of a show is anything to be believed.

A whistle-stop tour through the ages, starting with Boudicca and the Romans and ending with the conclusion of the First World War showed us the facts.

But the facts were draped across music, comedy and sketches which never failed to hit the spot in a two-hour performance.

It’s hard to call it education theatre because although everyone will learn something from the show, it’s hardly tough learning - and perhaps the way forward for some of the drier history teachers out there to take on board.

If you’ve ever seen the television programme, you’ll be familiar with the Terrible Tudors, Vile Victorians and Rotten Romans – but it was all new to me.

It was the wide choice of historical tales by the Birmingham Stage Company that prompted me to reiterate to my nine-year-old that everything he was watching was true.

It all really happened. From Henry VIII’s execution of 72,000 people to the real meaning of the word ‘Viking’.

A striking and sobering thought for the adults watching was how much history can repeat itself. From the Crusades and King Richard the Lionheart ordering the massacre of 2,700 muslims at Acre to the threat of a worldwide plague in the middle ages. The parallels with the modern world were obvious to see. When there was last a Queen Elizabeth nearing the end of her reign, we had supposedly corrupt politicians and an economy struggling to make ends meet. There was even a parallel with the Scottish independence debates of today, with a reminder of how we sold our lands north of the border to help pay some mediaeval war debts.

There was more for the adults with a couple of real groaners of gags, including a particularly memorable Alex Salmond joke.

The gunpowder plot to blow up our politicians was acted out with Guy Fawkes talking about his plans via a Who Wants to be a Millionaire format – and we had Burke and Hare singing about their gruesome exploits to the tune of Postman Pat.

Horrible? Yes. History? Definitely!

Shrek the Musical; Theatre Royal

One thing is evident right from curtain up in this fairytale spectacular.

It isn’t your regular hum-drum screen-to-stage production with people simply dressing up.

Right from the off the actors on stage become truly believable characters as they live and breathe the world of Shrek, Princess Fiona, Lord Farquaad and Donkey.

The make-up and costumes are worthy of a big-bucks, big-screen production. Dean Chisnall without his green make-up, padded suit and doleful demeanour would easily pass as just another shopper if you were to spot him away from the stage. But on it he’s Shrek; nothing more, nothing less.

Gerard Carey as the diminutive Farquaad shares the comic star turn with Idriss Kargbo as Donkey and the pair could have been born for their roles, stuffed with one-liners, visual comedy and the ability to simply deliver a great line.

Meanwhile, everyone’s favourite princess, played by Faye Brookes, clearly enjoys her role gradually falling for our straightforward ogre hero, who’s tasked with rescuing her from the tower.

They soon discover they have much more in common than they might ever have imagined, as they embark on their journey of music, song – and the full host of nursery rhyme and fairy tale characters wonderfully played by the ensemble. We have the Gingerbread man, Pinocchio, the three little pigs, the three bears, Peter Pan (“Grow up!” he’s told – “But I can’t!” comes the reply) and a somewhat camp wolf from Little Red Riding Hood.

And here is the key. Shrek The Musical is perfect pant material. Don’t be surprised to see it coming back again one festive season.

Away from the story the show is packed with gags and asides for the children, as well as another level for the adults - which go straight over the kids’ heads. 

Each of the superb songs carries the story forward. They’re not there to fill any gaps or stretch out the show. There’s not a single dud. They are great production numbers with tried and tested harmony and techniques so that we’re treated to a couple of real show-stoppers too, such as I Think I Got You Beat and The Ballad of Farquaad. We’re treated to styles from 1940s musicals through to the 70s disco sounds reminiscent of Carwash and beyond.

We’re also introduced to what must be the most amazing stage dragon seen at the Theatre Royal, as our heroes battle to rescue the princess.

But it’s the blossoming love story between the main characters which leaves an imprint on the heart.

Down-to-earth Shrek is blind to his qualities and as long as the princess is looking for her prince, she fails to spot that she may already have found her true love.

Beauty isn’t always the same as pretty, the script tells us. Perhaps you should get along to see for yourself.

With a rip-roaring finale, it’s no wonder this show is booked in for three weeks at the Theatre Royal on the back of its huge West End success.

Scooby-Doo! The Mystery Of The Pyramid, Theatre Royal

The Mystery Inc. gang is back - live on stage with some comic strip hokum another new mystery to solve.

And we’re here to help them! It’s a no holds-barred adventure with Scooby-Doo, Shaggy, Fred, Velma and Daphne, who are in Egypt and – surprise surprise – come across some mysterious mummies.

The mystery of Pharaoh Hatchepsout's Pyramid brings some classic panto-style fun along with the traditional Scooby fun we’ve come accustomed to over the past 40 years or so. 

The gang is in Egypt thanks to Velma’s friend Otto, who needs some help with a troubling mystery. Creepy but fun, it’s a surefire hit for all the family.

Lots of music and dance, awesome special effects and some good old slapstick combine with a typically Scooby-style story and the wrath of a pharaoh who’s more than happy to transform to stone anyone who dares approach the pyramid!

You might soon guess who the villain is – but that doesn’t matter as the audience participation, gags and singing keep the show bouncing along.

There were rumours of a real Great Dane in the role of our four-legged hero but although it’s not a real-life doggie-detective on stage, the central character is wonderfully brought to life thanks to the skills of the cast and the audience’s own imagination.

Scooby-Doo is unique in that it’s a cartoon made in the 1960s that’s still being produced and broadcast today. It spans the generations and so does this live tour, which reaches its final leg in Nottingham.

Among the children’s TV shows which we’ve seen translated to the stage in Nottingham this has to be one of the best, with superb sets, sound and production making it a slick experience.

Happy Days, Theatre Royal

Cast your mind back almost 60 years to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in 1959.

Richie Cunningham and his friends are about to graduate from High School – and there’s the little matter of getting his love life on a firm footing too!

Solid performances from the boys’ new harmony group The Dial-Tones, along with duets from Marion and Joanie (Cheryl Baker and Emma Harrold) were among the first act highlights, as we learn in a straightforward plotline that Arnold’s Diner is under threat from developers. 

A fundraiser with the Fonz (Emmerdale’s Ben Freeman) as the star turn would bring in some money for a fighting fund. Alas, as the curtain falls on Act I, Fonzie has ridden off into the night to escape his responsibilities – which include former squeeze Pinky Tuscado, played by former Sugababe Heidi Range.

Great care had been taken with some superb scenery, clever scene changes and neat changes of pace - such as the Leopard Lodge scene, where Howard’s (James Paterson’s) comic secret society does its work – move the story along.

Deft little touches like Howard Cunningham’s cardigan and Big Al’s white hat for the diner brings the characters from the TV show to life in this brand new musical, enjoying only its second week for its stint in Nottingham.

But there was a nagging feeling at the interval that something was required to lift the show. The orchestra was a little too panto-esque to be big band, and with a little too much grimacing from Fonzie, no single character having the presence required to take over the stage - and the lack of a show-stopping number - we were ready for the party to start in Act II.

And yes, the musical numbers after the interval were bigger and more accomplished, the show had finally made its mind up to take things less seriously and the actors were hamming things up as they should. We saw Cheryl’s fine pair of pins, shared some ‘in’-jokes and enjoyed the creative theatre that brought the fundraiser to its inevitable conclusion.

There are over 20 new songs to enjoy – and therein may be exactly what’s holding the audience back; I’m not sure there’s a chart-topper in this musical.

But if you can free your mind of the 70s television show – and what the “real” Fonz looks and sounds like – and throw yourself into the 50s, you could get along and be able to say you were in at the start of something new.

The Snowman, Theatre Royal

There was only one question on the lips of the audience as the lights dimmed for this truly magical experience...

“Will he fly?”

And as James and his cool new friend gracefully left the ground we too were taken on a journey in this masterpiece of dance, drama and fantasy.

The Snowman truly is a tale of friendship and discovery as a young boy enjoys the trip of a lifetime packed with the colourful characters we're now so familiar with from television. 

The freedom of the stage, rather than being a constraint to the action, allows for so much more imagination and colour.

The first section set the scene for young James's home life, his discovery that the world outside his front door was white-over; building a snowman and making the amazing discovery that it could come to life.

This is the Birmingham Repertory Theatre's acclaimed production and with no dialogue, the story is beautifully told through music and movement. So we are treated to real musicians in the orchestra pit and what seems like a cast of dozens – although the programme assures us the actors are doubling up during the show. 

The opening night's child actor, Archie Durrant, is a fizzing ball of life with the many strings to his bow including dance, mime and acrobatics. But he looks very assured and comfortable, despite being centre stage for almost all of the hour and 20 minutes.

Aside from raising a laugh with his clever creation of the snowman, he sparks a kitchen scene of limbo-dancing fruit, plays a major role in the North Pole dance routines (with the big man in red there too) and helps defeat the naughty Jack Frost. The traditional toys in the playroom come to life in a most charming manner and it's all so easy to believe in.

The flying sequences (always magical in theatre) are gracefully done with child and snowman perfectly co-ordinated as they travel the globe.

There are some 60 costumes in the show, and it's said the 11 snowmen costumes take up more than 11 miles of white netting to create. The spectacular has more backstage crew than dancers, such is its complexity. 

Attention to detail is key, from the expressions on the performers' faces to the snowman's familiar hat and scarf. 

For all the world it's as though the actors have been plucked from the pages of the book and it's clear that 20 years of The Snowman on stage have honed the polite doff of the hat, the seamless scene changes, and energetic choreography that never lets up.

So does the tale end in the sadness of a lost friendship as the thaw sets in? There's only one way to find out... get along to enjoy the all-dancing festive conclusion!

The 39 Steps, Theatre Royal

This quick-fire rattle through Buchan's novel is all the stronger for its comic take, its pacey style and a light touch to tickle the funny bone. It is a smart take on a famous story which thankfully doesn't suffer from its own cleverness.

Playing with a cast of four, Tony Bell and Gary Mackay support the romantic leads of Richard Ede (as hero Hannay) and Charlotte Peters.

Charlotte Peters smoulders as the femme fatale in each scene, despite her occasionally downbeat or eccentric characters. And a word for the dashing Ede. With his pencil moustache, tweed suit and upper-crust manner, it's hard to believe anyone would mistake him for a murderer...

Charlotte's first role as Annabella Schmidt leaves her murdered by a rubber knife in the opening minutes, leading to Richard Hannay's adventures north of the border to solve the secret agent's riddle.

It is here that Bell and Mackay come into their own, veering happily between a Stanley Baxter approach and the old character actor skills of the likes of John Laurie. So versatile are they that more than once they each play two characters at the same time.

The concept throughout is simple: tell the story, turn the highlights into wonderful cameos – and have fun while you're at it.

The 39 Steps – given cinematic treatment by Alfred Hitchcock in 1935 – was first produced on stage in 1996 and this format has been so successful that it's been doing the rounds for more than eight years.

Simple but effective use of doors, window frames, smoke and ladders all make the action grippingly real while reminding us that every boys' own hero while ever-dashing must use his charm, guile and wit to win the day.

Memorable action such as the Forth Bridge rail scene and Hannay's impromptu address at the Scottish election meeting are all wonderfully replicated here, with clever direction and acting never leaving a smile very far away.

Another strength is the length of this play. It's only 90 minutes of action and this means the concept, as well as the players and their cod-Scottish/faux upper-class English accents, don't outstay their welcome. The action moves easily from Mr Memory at the Palladium to a lonely Scottish moor and we're willing to embrace the swings in tone thanks largely to the cast, entertaining from start to finish.

The 39 Steps plays all week – and if you get along, watch out for subtle nods to other Hitchcock classics along the way.

Blood Brothers at Nottingham Theatre Royal

It was my first time, I admit it. And I was unprepared for the power of a story which left us all in danger of leaving the theatre as emotional wrecks.

And not just me. By the end of the final number, a thundering reprise of Tell Me It's Not True, Maureen Nolan needed three curtain calls before the tears were finally wiped from her eyes.

If you've ever been touched by tales of Peter Pan, Two Little Boys or even Puff The Magic Dragon, you'll know how important it is to enjoy your childhood and resist growing up for as long as you can.

In this musical, separated-at-birth twins Mickey (Sean Jones) and Eddie (Mark Hutchinson) somehow keep bumping into each other without knowing their true identities – and become firm friends from school through to adulthood and all of the challenges that brings.

Embracing the Prince and The Pauper theme, one of these lads ends up having it all, while the other has nothing and manages to lose even that.

Maureen (as their mother, Mrs Johnstone), and the narrator Warwick Evans, kept the tempo and the story ticking along at pace, so that even though we didn't leave the theatre until after 10.30pm, the show never felt like a long haul. Warwick's ability as a performance poet, passing vital elements of the narrative as the spoken word blended neatly with his musical skill, helping every life event for the cast move seamlessly from one to the next.

The love interest for Mickey – and then Eddie – came in the perfect shape of Olivia Sloyan as Linda. She had each milestone off to a tee, and we particularly enjoyed her part in the schoolday pastiches, the moments when she tries to woo Mickey, and her powerful performances later on, dealing with ex-con Mickey, by then her husband, who's struggling to live a family life while up to his eyeballs in anti-depressants.

So there, in a nutshell, is the plot. Of course no man could fail to notice Linda, and when Eddie is drawn to her as he tries to help get her and Mickey's lives back on track, tragedy strikes.

This is a full-scale modern musical celebrating its 28^th anniversary, which still stands aside from many of the traditional theatre-fillers. Catchy reprises of Marilyn Monroe, Shoes Upon the Table and Tell Me It's Not True ensure the inevitable standing ovation.

Cabaret - Theatre Royal, Nottingham

Anyone turning up expecting to see Cabaret done Will Young-style will be in for a short sharp shock.

It's clear from this show that the lad doesn't just sing love songs for a living but is a consummate all-rounder, acting - indeed hamming it up - as the Emcee of the seedy Kit Kat Club.

He's loving it so much you could even believe Will Young was born to this role. He even seems completely at ease with his nude scene.

And that's great news for a show that's touring four regional venues before embarking on its big West End run.

 It's a mature performance from the man everyone wants to see, ten years on from his Pop Idol win.

He's perfectly cast, white-faced and manic, resembling one of Hogarth's grotesques as his role brings a chilling reminder of the changes affecting Berlin and Germany in 1931.

Will's clearly enjoying himself and deserves his share of the standing ovation at the final curtain.

His co-star Michelle Ryan has a silky strong singing voice but doesn't quite bring the gusto we'd hope for as Sally Bowles.

She works neatly with Clifford Bradshaw (played by Henry Luxembourg) as we follow their developing relationship through the inter-war years as Nazism slowly rises in Berlin.

We're treated to a string of top-notch well-known numbers as both jump aboard the helter-skelter anything-goes lifestyle of the party set.

Will's The Money Song, Michelle with Cabaret and some touching melodies as we begin to see how Sian Phillips' Fraulein Schneider might have a future with Jewish Herr Schultz (played by Linal Haft, who although he has a string of stage, TV and big screen credits, will be forever Maureen Lipman's son in the BT ads).

As we lose ourselves in the plot and mayhem of the debauched Kit Kat Club, it comes as something of a shock when Ernst Ludwig (Nicholas Tizzard) takes off his overcoat to reveal a swastika armband.

And that's where the lives of both couples begin to unravel.

Avenue Q - Theatre Royal, Nottingham

If you’ve ever wondered about the hand life’s dealt you or the best way forward, then these wonderful puppets will point the way.

Their – at times – outrageous path through a section of their own lives may reveal the inspiration to help you through a troubled time too.

In that respect they owe an awful lot to The Muppets. Cleverly constructed puppets with carefully drawn characters who are, for the most part, knowledgable, well-meaning and of course fallible.

And it’s that fallibility which makes for such a great story in a comedy musical that’s now a worldwide hit.

From the off the songs tell us how ‘It Sucks to Be Me‘, thanks to new graduate Princeton, who turns up to live on Avenue Q with his new degree but no experience and no job.

One of his neighbours explains to another that he‘d still love to be a friend ‘If You Were Gay’ and then the adult realities of life are hammered home with the delightfully-written and performed ‘Everyone’s a Little Bit Racist’.

Are you starting to get the picture? Maybe not: this is by no means a “right-on” morality tale. It’s an adult show with the F-word just five minutes in. Human actors share the stage with puppets and puppeteers – and the mix works well!

We get a puppet vamp, puppet nudity and even puppet sex. But it’s not as outrageous as you might imagine. Hilarious, yes – but not indecent or even titillating.

There is some outrageous talent among the puppeteers though, with Katherine Moraz, Chris Thatcher and Sam Lupton among the leading lights.

So we witness a tender love story, a tale of true friendship and learn that ‘There is Life Outside Your Apartment’, but find that ultimately, many people never find the purpose Princeton seeks.

Does he find what he’s looking for? Why not give this a whirl and see for yourself? The show runs until Saturday with tickets available at all prices.

The King and I - Theatre Royal, Nottingham

An explosion of colour and sound and two wonderfully cast leads, along with heroic stagecraft and scenery, whisk the audience off into another time and a far-off world.

We're often told that this is the true story of the King (played by the excellent Ramon Tikaram), willing to embrace the best of what the West can offer while fearful that it will take away much of what he loves about home.

It takes the guile and rapport of the British school teacher Anna (Josefina Gabrielle) to help him muddle along – and together their diplomacy and tact wins through.

While Ramon is probably best known for TV roles such as Ferdy in This Life and Qadim, in EastEnders, he's a natural in front of the live audience, subtly working the crowd in a not-too-knowing way.

Double Olivier-nominated stage and screen actress Josefina has scores of theatre credits from the regions and the West End and she breathes life into Anna in a performance that clearly won more than just the King's heart.

Aiko Kato, as Eliza in the performance of The Small House of Uncle Thomas, was a pint-sized star, expressive to the point where we were hard-pushed not to share her anguish, relief and joy during the set-piece ballet from Act Two.

Add 32 locally-cast children to the mix and it's an unforgettable theatrical extravaganza.

One of the great Rodgers and Hammerstein musicals, it combines superb music with a strong story and this show boasts some great one-liners from the King which betray his deep wisdom, albeit in a mind constrained by his beliefs and upbringing.

Some of the most colourful stage costumes eased in a traditional Siamese theme, working well with scene changes involving giant golden statues, the all-important throne and a cityscape that made it so easy to lose yourself in the story and its nuances.

The March of the Siamese Children is of course a memorable number, along with I Whistle a Happy Tune and Shall We Dance, all performed with perfect orchestral backing.

The cast are clearly enjoying themselves so much – and their show more than stands the test of time and the rigours of a live performance.

At two hours and 25 minutes long, you'll leave in agreement that it's not over-long, but simply outstanding value and excellent theatre.

Swallows and Amazons, Nottingham Theatre Royal

Did you have adventures in the wilds of the countryside as a nipper?

Here's a tale of youngsters from a time when you could let your imagination run riot - and it's a feast of music, exploration and piracy for all ages.

And there's ample opportunity for the audience to use their imagination too, as some of the oldest children around prepare to do battle and defeat their enemies in front of a backdrop of clever scenery and props.

Swallows and Amazons is the Arthur Ransome book set in the Lake District and written in the 1930s and this touring production comes from the Children's Touring Partnership whose Goodnight Mister Tom recently visited Nottingham.

Any child who's old enough to read will enjoy this action-packed show. They will immediately appreciate the adult actors playing the children of two families, brought together during school holidays as they sail the lakes and islands of an idyllic era, something that makes it easy to relate to for the grown-ups in the audience too.

After a battle of supremacy between the crews of Swallow and Amazon, the youngsters join forces to take on the barbarian adults who almost succeed in curtailing their fun.

If you were ever a child, this show is a must. If you ever had a den, made weapons from a stick, camped out or spent a day exploring at the seaside, the actors here will vividly recall those feelings of freedom - and the threat posed by rival youngsters.

You'll also find an unexpected chance for audience participation which slots seamlessly into the show despite being quite a departure from what went before. Sail a Swallow or Amazon for yourself, join in the pitched battle and vote on whether the captain should walk the plank!

Verity Rushworth in The Sound of Music

INFECTIOUS and addictive: half an hour after leaving the theatre you're guaranteed to be whistling a reprise of the Lonely Goatherd out loud – even if it does surprise the passengers on the bus home.

Direct from the West End, it says, and this realisation of a wonderful and timeless classic demonstrates how the legacy of Julie Andrews' film role is in very safe hands.

The tomboy nature of a lanky trainee nun who's unsure of her commitment to the abbey is expertly conveyed by Verity Rushworth. It's no wonder the Captain falls for her.

It's also easy to see why this Rodgers and Hammerstein musical attracts such a hardcore fan base. And while it's true you know what to expect because of the film, the stage version inevitably results in a truncation of the plot. But fear not. The reason you're going is for that music – Maria's subtle comic asides mean Verity scores an instant and natural connection with the audience. And we find that she sings too!

Reading in the lavish programme that Connie Fisher was taking the lead at some other theatres on the tour, it was something of a welcome revelation that with former Emmerdale girl Verity, we couldn't have wished for a better incarnation of Maria.

Alongside Keiron Crook as Captain Georg Von Trapp, the would-be lovers play off each other magnificently, despite the plot format making their marriage a very swift conclusion to their attraction.

The younger Von Trapp children were all spot on, winning the hearts of youngsters in the audiences, and generating a tear or two among their parents!

We all loved Claire Fishenden as the eldest von Trapp daughter Liesl, soon to realise womanhood. And Martin Callaghan's comic turn as Max Detweiler was also a winner, along with our Mother Abbess for Nottingham, Marilyn Hill Smith, who gave an exhilarating invitation to Climb Ev'ry Mountain to send the first half of the show out on a high. It's hard to resist singing along with all those bright, familiar tunes with, of course, Do-re-mi among the numerous highlights.

The house was packed for this first Saturday night of a three-week run. Judging by the whoops of approval at the curtain call, remaining seats will be selling like hot strudel.