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

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

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 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

cast members of Starter For Ten a new musical at The Rep, Birmingham - October 2025. Photography Pamela Raith ⭐⭐⭐ Starter For Ten Director and writer Charlie Parham Lyrics Emma Hall Introduction Based on two written works by author, David Nicholls: the novel Starter For Te

Actor, Adrian Lester is Cyrano de Bergerac An RSC production at The Swan Theatre 2025 Photograph Marc Brenner ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Title: Cyrano de Bergerac Written by Edmond Rostand Directed and co-adapted by Simon Evans Co-adaptor Debris Stevenson Written over a century ago and prem

at the tearoom till point Milford Junction Station Still Life Chatsworth Players October 2025 at Whitworth Centre, Darley Dale Still Life by Noel Coward Directed by Grace Day Still Life is a short play with five scenes, last night’s performance was the first of three at Whitworth Centre, Darley Dale this October. The setting is the tearoom at Milford Junction Station, decades before British decimalisation,

David Rankine as Nick Carraway. The Great Gatsby at Derby Theatre. Photograph by T ommy Ga-Ken Wan The Great Gatsby ⭐ ⭐ Written by F. Scott Fitzgerald Adapted by Elizabeth Newman Directed by Sarah Brigham The character Nick Carraway is the narrator and is purposed well, crucially, he provides a first person narrative of Jay Gatsby (Gatsby) and is an important figure in this old story. The play is structured ar

Actors Tom Mothersdale (Angelo) Adam James (Duke Vincentio) and Sion Pritchard (Escalus) Measure For Measure at The Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford Upon Avon. Photograph by Helen Murray Review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Measure For Measure by William Shakespeare Directed by Emily Burns Overview Duke Vincentio decides to dodge the heat of having to deal with a breaking news scandal and so appoints, Angelo in a deputy role and makes himself scarce. However, he seeks out Friar Peter and tells

Not such a happy birthday in a Northern Irish home that harbours secrets

less observed traditionally, but wonderfully variegated

Helen Phillips (Pam) and Tom Richardson (Dennis) Just Between Ourselves Derby Theatre Photograph Will Green Connie Walker (Marjorie) and Holly Smith (Vera) Just Between Ourselves Derby Theatre Photograph Will Green Joseph Clowser as Neil Jus

Cast of Much Ado About Nothing. The RSC Photograph Marc Brenner Review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare Directed by Michael Longhurst 'This review has much to unwrap!' Longhurst has concocted a modern day version of Much Ado [...] and as the audience files in and are locating their seats they are exposed to a media style presentation of a full on championship style football tournament. Claudio scores a hat-trick and the commentary and screens celebrate t