I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue, Royal Concert Hall

Arriving at the Concert Hall for this sell-out event, our hearts were lifted by the sight of a kazoo carefully placed on each seat in the auditorium.

How would it compare with last year, when we still had "Humph" in the chair, now replaced by the solemn Jack Dee?

Something of a curate's egg, in truth.

Yes, there were moments of inspired nonsense, and some of the gags were just as funny as last time around.

And there lay the rub.

They were pretty much the same gags as last time around.

Of course, you wonder how much of an evening like this is scripted, and, I guess, on a tour around the UK it would be impossible to do a wholly new show every night.

But it seemed the whole of the introduction about Nottingham from Jack Dee and much of the warm-up from producer Jon Naismith were lifted from this time last year.

And worse still, Jack appeared to be reading directly from Humphrey Lyttelton's previous script.

When he deviated from the written word he was comfortable, but joining this antidote to panel games must surely go against the grain.

Despite the baffling "repeat" situation, we warmly welcome on stage Barry Cryer, Graeme Garden and Tim Brooke-Taylor, along with the new regular, Jeremy Hardy. Colin Sell provides piano accompaniment.

Sadly, there was no sign of Samantha, who would have been Jack's delectable assistant. She was waylaid at home, organising new insulation with a team of hunky workmen. She sent a note to the team: "I'm looking forward to getting felt laid in the loft", she wrote.

It's not often you can marvel at Tim Brooke-Taylor duetting with Kaiser Chiefs, - or 2,000 people joining a kazoo version of Bohemian Rhapsody.

Great fun – but we could have done without the repeat.

Best Of British Variety Tour, Royal Concert Hall

I never imagined I'd spontaneously applaud a Tom O'Connor gag.

But there's a first time for everything and this ageing comic finally won me over.

You can't help but warm to him as he introduces some very well-known faces and one or two quite well-known jokes.

He held the show together and hit the mark with an audience that was probably a little over retirement age. No surprise really, when the average age of the turns was nudging 70.

First up was good old Norman Collier, allegedly 83. Yes, he does the chicken routine, and yes, he still does that microphone thing too.

But he got some of the biggest laughs of the night for his jokes, and rightly so. Probably on first so he can get tucked up with some cocoa. It was a three-hour show so staying on until later might have been too much.

Did you enjoy a bit of Nookie a few years back? We had our share last night but it was over rather too quickly. Roger de Courcey's ironic opening gambit is "for those who've never seen me before...". His cheeky little bear made a ten minute appearance at the end of his amusing ramble of a set.

Anyone who was expecting to see Buck's Fizz might have been disappointed. There was only Bobby from the line-up that conquered Europe, plus three others. Nice karaoke to end part one.

As for Faith Brown, she always was a bit of an oddball. She did a good Susan Boyle but the rest of her act was on another planet...

And so to the star turns, a completely bald Tommy and truly little Bobby, with a rather impressive paunch.

The boys ran through the comedy that made them famous. And it did go down very well, the interaction with the fans at the front showing they've still got what it takes.

The Grass Is Greener, Theatre Royal

Billed as a battle of the sexes this was more a battle of wits between a middle aged wife with 20 years of marriage behind her, whose head is turned by a visiting American millionaire, and her doting husband who can't live without her – despite what he says!

The wife, Liza Goddard, is Hilary, the lady of the manor, with her husband Victor (former Dynasty star Christopher Cazenove) ruing the day he ever opened their stately home to the public.

Their life together is turned upside-down by the dashing – and calculating –tourist Charles, played by Jack Ellis, who audiences may know from Bad Girls and Prime Suspect.

The excruciating tension in the first couple of scenes is uncomfortable to say the least, with the perfectly-timed silences saying more than any dialogue could manage.

While Victor tries to sort out his wife's dilemma over leaving him for the passion of Charles over love for her husband in a most English way, the American banks on the whirlwind romance and a new life for Hilary winning the day.

The comedy is 53 years old but every one of the sentiments holds true today. Without spoiling the ending it's fair to say that after four days with the American, Hilary gets her chance to find out if the grass really is greener – but does she take it?

Superb comedy lines are delivered by Sophie Ward as Hilary's old friend (and Victor's old flame) Hattie, and by the butler, Sellars (Jack Fagan). But the butlers always play it for laughs, don't they?

Milkshake! Live, Royal Concert Hall

THIS was a show that got the thumbs-up from all our family.

That's the four-year-old, a three-year old, one who's 40 and a 30-something.

Granted it was the kids who enjoyed it the most, shouting, singing, clapping and dancing along to their favourites from the Five morning magazine, Milkshake!

And yes, it was the kids who were agog at seeing their favourite TV presenters – Jen and Derek – bounding about with seemingly endless energy.

But it was the mums and dads who got the enjoyment out of seeing the little ones having so much fun.

The story involves the team putting on a show.

But, of course, they need some help from their friends...

So along come Fifi and Bumble, Peppa Pig and George, Rupert, the Little Princess, Noddy and Tessie Bear and even a sprinkling of Little Misses and Mr Men. It's the Milkshake! mix, all right.

The first half set the scene nicely, ready for showtime after the interval.

Good old Jen and Derek gave it their all, including a series of well known staples such as Do Reh Mi and Together Wherever We Go, mixed in with some favourites from the telly show, that let everyone show off the steps they practice in front of the small screen at home.

Not quite sure what the attraction was for this one… but it was good to see so many dads at the venue, which was packed out.

LazyTown Live, Theatre Royal

With Robbie Rotten as Blackbeard, determined to rid LazyTown of all the kids - and our superhero Sportacus - this is a feast of music, costume, dance and mayhem that's the perfect tonic for the rainy school holidays.

We follow the gang as they thwart Robbie's plan - with the trademark teamwork and a little extra energy from eating the so-called sports candy.

Every little girl wants to be Stephanie as she joins her LazyTown pals of Ziggy, Pixel, Stingy and Trixie on their adventure.

This time it takes them across the seven seas - but only after Robbie has turned Sportacus into an ice cream man and removed his special powers.

The entrance of Sportacus at the start of the show brought gasps and applause. Robbie, on the other hand was lean and mean (and a little hairy with his pirate beard disguise) and you couldn't help feeling he'd have preferred a few more boos.

The more intimate surroundings of the Theatre Royal make this a real family show compared to the comparative vastness of the Concert Hall stage next door, where LazyTown was staged last year.

We enjoyed a packed house with kids of all ages jumping up and down to sing and dance. And they all joined in with the very best songs from the television series, like No One is Lazy in LazyTown, You Are a Pirate, Bing Bang, and Teamwork.

And its popularity means that it's booked in until Sunday, with matinees this weekend - and tickets are still available.

Julian Clary, Just The Tonic

This was Julian Clary approaching his caustic best in a sneak preview of his forthcoming national tour, Lord of the Mince.

Very little was off-limits as the king of innuendo hit the stage in an intimate show which touched on life, love, sex and middle age.

Clary, now a national institution, is surely the pretender to Dame Edna Everage's crown for quick-witted repartee and filthy double-entendre (but only if you have got the mind to go with it).

Hitting 50 this year, and preparing for something of a comeback tour, he reveals that he and Michael Jackson led rather parallel lives, except one made it as far as the tour and the other didn't.

The banter took in gossip surrounding Simon Cowell, the secrets of the Strictly Come Dancing tour dressing room, and Clary's special psychic powers.

There were real jokes too, among the chat, with one memorable line (perhaps another innuendo?) about Paul Daniels – when a little squirt does the trick.

Please don't go into the discussions surrounding a combine harvester in rural Kent, where Julian now lives with his boyfriend.

And perhaps we ought to probe more deeply into his apparent obsession with the success of Paul O'Grady?

Back for the second half in a ringmaster's outfit (think about it…) he encouraged some audience participation with a couple of likely lads from the crowd.

This was a great curtain raiser to what's sure to be a hit tour, and he's due back in Nottingham for his "proper" gig at the Playhouse on September 30.

Babe, The Sheep Pig, Palace Theatre, Newark

THIS Theatreworks production proved a great antidote to the half-term blues.

A clever adaptation of a well-loved tale brought puppets to life on stage to thrill the young crowd in the stalls.

Perhaps 'puppet' gives the wrong impression though, because although the main animal characters were operated on stage by real people standing behind them, the artistes were so accomplished that after the first few minutes you really didn't notice them. Honestly. So unintrusive were they, and such was their mastery of very believable puppets/models, that the story was all.

It runs pretty much along the lines of the famous film, with Farmer Hogget winning a piglet at the village fair and going on to bond with him as he grows up among the sheep dogs.

Genuinely sad moments like the mother sheep dog Fly saying goodbye as her pups are sold off are matched with the drama of sheep rustlers and the death of a ewe after being frightened by a dog.

They are balanced with Babe's success in winning round the doubters – and eventually walking away with the sheep dog trials' main prize.

This adaptation of the Dick King-Smith novel by top children's stage writer David Wood was good value at an hour and a quarter, with an interval for those with a penchant for ice cream.

Just a pity more good folk of Newark didn't think to nip in to avoid the showers by cosying down in the stalls for a surefire winner with the kids.

The Tiger Who Came to Tea, Newark Palace Theatre

You've read the book, seen it on telly at story time – so now make sure you see the play!

It must be something of a challenge to turn a children's book that lasts just five minutes into a full-blown stage production.

And while it only lasts just under an hour, this modern classic was brought to life with such clarity that we didn't really notice how long it took.

A cast of three manage to warm up the audience admirably right from the start so that we are soon joining in from our seats.

And even though the first tantalising sight of the tiger sent some kids whimpering into their parents' arms, we grow to love him and are even a little sad when he exits – after devouring all the food and drink from little Sophie's house. (All the water from the taps, too, if you didn't know already!)

He's seven feet tall, with black and bright orange stripes and while he's a little fierce, he's also a little cheeky and if there are any doubters in the packed house, he soon wins them over!

With lots of singing, joining in and even a little magic, it's no wonder this show is back on the road after a successful tour last year.

Directed by children's entertainment supremo David Wood, it's a show that helps you step right into the familiar pages of Judith Kerr's famous book, which now stands as a children's classic. This show certainly does it justice.

Chuckle Trek - The Lost Generation, Royal Concert Hall

WELL-WORN family favourite skits were definitely the high spots in this mixed show from TV's most famous brothers, Paul and Barry Chuckle.

Perhaps it was the unfamiliar surroundings of the Starship Exercise, rather than more comfortable ground on Planet Earth, or perhaps the stop-start nature of the show, due to a couple of magic acts and a neon puppetry session being wedged in for good measure.

The best reaction was always for the Chuckles' tried and tested material – the opening song, promising something "pink and soft" for the audience, or the mums and dads up on stage for a messy rendition of The Three Bears, for instance.

The lads' bunk bed routine, where the top bunk's trapdoor drops Paul onto the bottom while Barry's avoiding an alien intruder, got the biggest contribution from the kids in a packed matinee house.

Every child was screaming "it's behind you!" before the inevitable payoff (where the alien takes one look at Paul and runs away). Simple, self-demeaning and fun. And it brought the house down.

Interventions from No Slacking and Gerroutofit (as Captain James T Burke and Dark Wader) pushed the boundaries a little. Patchy, yes – but I'll be back to see them at Christmas for a one-off panto. It's what they do best.

Anton and Erin: Cheek to Cheek, Royal Concert Hall

I'm no big fan of TV's Strictly, in fact I only tend to tune in for Brucie.

But when the nice lady at the Royal Centre said she could squeeze us into this sell-out show starring Anton du Beke and Erin Boag I was all the more intrigued.

Perhaps there was nothing on the telly. Or perhaps it was the sheer power of the telly drawing the crowds to what, if we're honest, was a night of entertainment from years gone by, full of spotlights and sequins.

And yet the magic was definitely there. From the moment the Manchester Concert Orchestra struck up their first chord to the second that Anton and Erin glided in from the wings there was a certain something in the air.

Then the supporting vocalist Richard Shelton (of Brat Pack Confidential and Emmerdale, oddly) was introduced, along with three times world salsa champions, Chris Marques and Jaclyn Spencer.

They took off to the strains of Cherry Pink and Apple Blossom White with the superbly laid-back first trumpet almost begging you to help it along.

That followed Anton and Erin performing to Sing Sing Sing – and the tone for the night was set.

Like I say, I'm no expert but I spotted some Latin in there, a bit of swing and some slinky moves that combined ballroom with modern and brought us the foxtrot and a waltz.

Popular tunes, daring moves and unconditional love from the audience. I'll bet Anton and Erin went home happy.