Textile Art in the form of a tapestry river map part of River Tours: The Avon a touring theatre production by Stan's Cafe West Midlands PREVIEW River Tours: The Avon Writer and Associate Director Craig Stephens This is the latest touring theatre production from Birmingham based theatre company Stan's Cafe with great rivers of the world as a theme. What has been devised is documentary style, storytelling experience, where a 3m long textile map of Warwickshire's River Avon (als

Ramin Karimloo (Sweeney Todd) and David Bedella (Judge Turpin) in Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street at Birmingham Rep - Photography by Manuel Harlan Stage Review ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street A Musical based on play Sweeney Todd by Christopher Bond Music and Lyrics Stephen Sondheim book by Hugh Wheeler Directed by Joe Murphy Musical Supervisor Dr John Rigby It is Victorian London and Benjamin Barker returns to England after being wrongfully

Pictured Tess Edmonds (Juliet) and Sean Day (Romeo) in Romeo & Juliet A Chatsworth Players touring production July 2026 Illustration by Debra Hall Stage Review Romeo & Juliet by William Shakespeare Directed by Lindsay Jackson ⭐⭐⭐ it is what it is explains away the experience of attending an amateur theatre performing Shakespeare outdoors. Throw caution to the wind and delight in both the positives

Buxton Fringe 2026 - what are we going to do when this is all over? A Split Infinitive Theatre Touring Production PREVIEW what are we going to do when this is all over? Written and Directed by Alexander and Helen Millington This is a touring production by theatre company Split Infinitive - 'an award-winning theatre company dedicated to creating intimate and engaging pieces of original theatre'. what are we going to do when this is all over? is a play that explores a wife's c

The cast of Little Shop of Horrors at Derby Theatre, June 2026. Photograph by Pamela Raith ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Little Shop of Horrors Book Writer and lyrics Howard Ashman Music scores and songs Alan Menken Director Sarah Brigham Orchestrator and Musical Supervisor Matthew Malone Amena El-Kindy (Audrey) and Kristian Cunningham (Seymour) in Little Shop of Horrors at Derby Theatre Photograph Pamela Raith Overview It looks like the future is bleak for Mr Mushnik and his flagging little flowe

In Rehearsal: reading Hedda Gabler by Henrik Ibsen Photograph by Richard Hall Hedda Gabler by Henrik Ibsen version by Patrick Marber Directed by Tim Connolly Hedda has just returned from her honeymoon to a life that already feels too fixed and mundane. As complex relationships from her past resurface and unravel, Hedda is confronted with her life choices

Stage Review Poor writer - Katriona O'Sullivan Adaptor - Sonya Kelly Director - Roisin McBrinn Overview A true story from the memoir of Katriona O'Sullivan. A bright little girl, born into a hard up family with parents that had addictions. Her Irish father had moved to Coventry, in or around the late 60s early 70s, met the mother and so stayed. He was dealing drugs from the house sometimes. He was a chain smoker, a cheat and a compulsive liar and was in and out of prison for

Actor Mark Knightley (Sherlock Holmes) in Sherlock Holmes:The Hunt for Moriarty at Derby Theatre, May 2026 Photograph by Asun Olivan Sherlock Holmes: The Hunt for Moriarty Adapted and Directed by Nick Lane from the works of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Writer Nick Lane has combined a good few of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's stories and arrived at one mystery of Sherlock and his arch-nemesis Professor Moriarty, for stage, Sherlock Holmes: The Hunt for Moriarty. The opening reveals the

A new play MAKE IT COUNT at Louth Riverhead Theatre this June PREVIEW MAKE IT COUNT Writer: James Sweeney Director: John Hewer This June, at Louth Riverhead Theatre, Lincolnshire is writer, James Sweeney's debut play Make it Count; a three-hander, comedy-drama, about love, control and second chances. Brayden Kerr, Derek Hodges and Laura Thompson in Make it Count at Louth Riverhead Theatre this June 2026 Overview When Jonas dies unexpectedly, an afterlife error gives him the

Actor Alfred Enoch in Henry V a RSC Production 2026 Photography Johan Persson Henry V ⭐⭐⭐⭐ by William Shakespeare Directed by Tamara Harvey Background Shakespeare's history play, Henry V theatrically drip feeds a tale from the middle ages; one which tells of strong bonds existing between England's nobility and the common people. Based on factual events and on real people including members of the English and French royal families for example, and those attached to court lif

Mark Arends (Bernard) Daniel Ward (Gilbert) Anna Crichlow (Hortense) - Small Island at the Rep, Birmingham Photograph Pamela Raith Small Island ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Written by Andrea Levy Adapted for stage by Helen Edmundson Directed by Matthew Xia Overview Small Island plots around distinctive characters whose stories overlap. In rural Jamaica, the young Hortense is a teaching assistant

PREVIEW A Grain of Sand Writer and Director Elias Matar Coming soon to the Belgrade Theatre, Coventry is A Grain of Sand ; a monodrama about war through a child's eyes. Sarah Agha plays the role of eleven year old, Renad, from Gaza. This play blends the real-life testimonies of children with the mythical story of Anqaa: a symbolic, phoenix-like creature from Arab folklore. Told by Renad as she goes in search of family (and of Anqaa); equipped only with the echoes of her gran

Scene from Meet Fred a Hijinx theatre production in association with Blind Summit Theatre at Derby Theatre March 2026 Photograph by Jorge Lizalde Meet Fred ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Director Ben Pettitt-Wade (puppet consultant for Blind Summit) Puppetry Dramaturgs (of Blind Summit) : Tom Espiners & Guila Innocenti A Hijinx theatre production in association wit

Actors Joanne Howarth and Laura Penneycard in Glitch at Derby Theatre A Rabble Theatre production - Photograph Tony Bartholomew Glitch ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Written by Zannah Kearns Directed by Gareth Taylor Background Glitch is a stage play that tells of the plight of hundreds of subpostmasters wrongfully accused and held accountable for financial shortfalls within their sm

Actor Wendi Peters as Florence Foster Jenkins in GLORIOUS! at Derby Theatre 2026 Photograph by Chris Davis GLORIOUS! ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Writer: Peter Quilter Director: Kirk Jameson About Florence Foster Jenkins Based on the true story of New York socialite, Florence Foster Jenkins (1868 - 1944). Florence became known as the Coloratura Soprano singer who sang high notes glorious

A new play Crown of Blood by Oladipo Agboluage Directed by Mojisola Kareem Photograph by Robling Photography Crown of Blood ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Written by Oladipo Agboluaje Directed by Mojisola Kareem A perfectly structured, pulsating, production From humble beginnings, General Aderemi proves to be a worthy leader and so is promoted to Field Marshall after being paramo

Pictured are partners of the Shine Programme, Leicester Leicester’s award winning Curve theatre and the Randal Foundation, in partnership with Sunrise Wellbeing and De Montfort University are creating a new framework for arts-based mental health and wellbeing support that will be implemented by arts organisations and educational institutions. Shine , a three-year project will support mental health and wellbeing of young people in Leicester through drama-based initiatives. Aim

Pictured left to right actors Bruce Chattan, John Burton, Chris Walker, Adam Mort, James Morley. The cast of The Signalman A Middle Ground Touring Production 2025/2026 at Derby Theatre January 2026 ⭐⭐⭐⭐ The

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time Directed by Katy Maclaughlin of KTCo (Kristian Thomas Collective) ⭐⭐⭐⭐ The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon Written and Adapted for stage by Simon Stephens Directed by Katy Maclaughlin Kicking off with the first reviewing assignment of 2026 and reviewer enjoyed this fab little community theatre group and t

Actor Aaron Shosanya (Tom Robinson) in To Kill a Mockingbird at Curve Theatre, Leicester Photograph by Johan Persson ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ To Kill a Mockingbird From the novel by Harper Lee Adapted for Stage by Aaron Sorkin Directed by Bartlett Sher Background The narrator, Scout, daughter of lawyer, Atticus Finch recounts past events over two summers past; much of which had involved persons of her own household. Also those on the outside including a black family from t