Category: Theatre Reviews

Nancy was back presenting as Emmy & after a break since the first show of this run, Dave was back in the cast.

It was a time travel musical set in Ipswich called Ipswich It Up.

Social media asked for sidekick sid, who always tries to get into the action, Samantha Sunshine, the cheeriest character who has the darkest suggestions and best interruption by a cheerleading squad.

It had a computer shop, a pizza restaurant, and trying  to alter the timeline to save a life.

Due to a lack of women in the acting cast the men for dvthey were playing women – often only when their character name was announced – which was very funny.

9/10

This was my 3rd time seeing this play and my first live in-person theatre trip for over a year and a half!

I chose this as my first show after lockdown as I wanted something I liked and was familiar with to try to spot covid related safety changes. The pre-show show has been adapted with the cast/crew interacting with the audience from the stage or sound desk area, with a cast/crew member taking the role normally filled by an audience member.

This is a “play within a play” and is a pure farce with a drama group putting on a murder mystery. It has fault props, problems with lines, injuries and scenery/set problems.

It was just as good as the pre-West End your version I saw with the original cast and the one I saw a couple of years ago at the Duchess Theatre (although this time didn’t have an unscripted extra safety curtain appearance due to something going wrong for real), there were understudied for Trevor (Euan Bennet) and Max (Jack Michael Stacey), but they were very good in the role – and Winston, the dog, is still missing!

10/10

Tonight was Charlie’s debut as Emmy presenting the show.

It was a superhero horror film set on a cruise ship called Good Guys Finish Last.

Social media asked for a character whose inner monologue is narrated by another character, bad idea pandas whose advice you should ignore, and most intense use of a key change.

It had 2 teenage guys(one of whom had powers that made things appear) on a seniors cruise who heard superhero Captain Awesome was onboard.

The pandas brainwashed the passengers and had to be defeated.

7/10

Tonight we had Nancy as Emmy instead of Jonathan as Oscar to present the show.

It was a Hallmark RomCom set in an abandoned school called Abandoned Love. Social media asked for chaotic Zumba session, complicated handshake, and most dramatic music used in the least dramatic situation.

A lonely caretaker whose ex-wife remarried a rich man with 5 jaguar pets, as she wanted children but is unhappy. He is in crazy therapy sessions examining his life and if he can get his love back.

6/10

This was a useful break in between the men’s final at Wimbledon and the Euro Final between England & Italy.

We got a crime drama set in an old abandoned funfair called If It Wasn’t For Those Pesky Kids.

Social media requested a complicated description without naming it, aggressive rendition of head, shoulders, knees and toes and a vivacious entrance.

It had a couple of detectives one of whom was very forgetfull, with a daughter who had a crime loving friend. They got bad jobs like litter picking and feeding ducks.

The fun fair has mysteries such as a death and a fire that have to be solved.

6/10

This was a teen movie set at NASA space school called Angst-stroughnaughts. Social media asked for 2 guys both called Wolliam who spoke in old fashioned language (and another called William), a brief mirror scene between 2 people and a cooking show dream.

6/10

The audience picked a sci-fi film where aliens come to Earth, called Star Paws. Social media asked for interpretive dance, Remedy Ron who offers things to heal ailments and a lullaby about hats.

It has a war hungry Prime Minister & her devoted assistant, scientists, funny dismembered headed aliens – who then take human form.

It is a battle between good and evil in what happens to the aliens.

6/10

Tonight it was decided to have a murder mystery set in Las Vegas called A Dice with Death. Social media also request an opera number, the musicians playing 2 contrasting pieces of music at the same time and a ventriloquist performance.

It had a wringed woman who got those who wronged her to Vegas for revenge.

Someone is poisoned, and a ventriloquist Vinnie who like proposing A LOT with his puppet hand Barbara, tries to solve the crimes, and the bodies start to pile up

7/10

Tonight we a musical set in ASDA called Singing in the Aisles. Social media asked for dramatic camera work in a scene with no dramatic happening, most imaginative use of stairs and an impromptu dance routine.

It had an employee who enjoyed hourly purging, with vomiting and sometimes used enemas and was keen on an audience. At one point, ASDA was a sentient god-like being that looked like a wizard. Who kept wanting to have his way with staff and kill and consume them.

They had to work out how to defeat the store.

7/10

The hybrid audiences picked an alien invasion movie set in a zoo called Zoomania. Social media asked for the most romantic rock paper scissors battle, most spectacular fireworks display and the sexiest rendition of mary had a little lamb.

The performers played animals and shape-shifting aliens. There was tail dancing, sex-obsessed lambs, elephants, tortoises, and an Ian McKellan impression.

It was very funny with some very dodgy “family friendly” parts!

8/10