WITH echoes of the tragic illness and death from multiple sclerosis of the great cellist Jacqueline du Pre hovering like a ghostly spectre in the background, this highly emotionally charged two-hander explores the relationship between a 42-year-old internationally renowned violinist Stephanie Abrahams, newly diagnosed with MS, and her psychiatrist Dr Feldmann. For two and a…
IT would seem that Colin Ingram, the producer of the current tour of Grease, has the same philosophy when it comes to selling something to the public as Tesco founder Sir Jack Cohen, who is credited with saying ‘pile it high and sell it cheap’. From the start, this production leaves nothing hidden, putting everything out…
THOSE of us who loosely refer to ourselves as ‘middle aged’, especially classical music lovers, will remember the tragic story of the brilliant cellist Jacqueline du Pré. From an early age, her glittering career and marriage to concert pianist and conductor Daniel Barenboim seemed to forecast a charmed life, but all that changed when she…
IT was a courageous act by BLOG when they choose My Fair Lady for their 2024 production at Bath’s Theatre Royal. I can almost here the cries of “How can you say that, My Fair Lady is one of the all time great musicals, so why did it take courage to choose it ?” The…
CATHEDRALS are some of our most remarkable buildings – ancient, up to 800 years old in some cases, beautiful, spiritual and often located in remarkable positions. Durham immediately leaps to mind and St Paul’s in the Blitz is truly described as iconic. But perhaps the most extraordinary is Salisbury, not just for its undeniable beauty…
ONE of the most stylish and best-loved musicals of all time, Lerner and Loewe’s My Fair Lady, is the autumn choice for the award-winning Bath Light Operatic Group at the Theatre Royal, from Tuesday 10th to Saturday 14th September. The classic stage production, which was also a famous film with Audrey Hepburn and Rex Harrison,…
HAVE you heard of Harriet Quimby? Maybe you have – but most likely you haven’t. So Middle-Weight Theatre Company’s new play tells a story you should hear. What’s Next?, at Dorchester Corn Exchange on 14th September at 8pm, is a solo show with actress Victoria Lucie, which brings overdue recognition for the life and achievements…
READING recent reviews of performances and plays seen at this year’s Edinburgh Festival, it would appear that practically every presentation and performance was a smash hit, including Scaffolding. It was therefore a little with the attitude of ‘go on – show me how good you are’ that I arrived at the Bristol Old Vic’s Weston…
PHILIPPA Langley, who came to national attention with her persistent – and ultimately successful – efforts to locate the remains of King Richard III (under a Leicester car park), comes to the Electric Palace at Bridport on Thursday 19th September with a talk about her latest historical investigations. Her talk, The Princes in the Tower,…
IF you enjoy the clever Mischief Theatre productions (The Play That Goes Wrong, etc) look out for Our Star Theatre’s new play, Death(s) At Sea on a lengthy national tour with local dates at Dorchester Corn Exchange on Thursday 19th and Seaton Gateway on Friday 20th. The play, a comedy murder mystery, is when Our…