One of the most iconic films of the 1980’s is currently on tour in its musical form, and last night, ‘An Officer and a Gentleman’ flew into the Wolverhampton Grand. Combining the original story with high octane vocal performances of 1970’s and 80’s classics, this is the very definition of the term ‘crowd pleaser’. If you love the film, and the audience certainly did, then you will love this show. An Officer and a Gentleman is, primarily, a love story. It tells of a group of disparate hopefuls who all want to become pilots but are all fighting their own demons along the way. Key are the rebellious Zack Mayo,…

Mozart’s beloved final opera ‘The Magic Flute’ was brought to vivid and wonderful life by Wild Arts at the Rep Birmingham last night. It was there for a one night only show, and was an absolute delight, with an exception cast, performing an updated English translation by Jeremy Sams. The Magic Flute is often described as a gateway opera, an opera for people who have never seen an opera, or believe they wouldn’t actually like an opera. It is also one of the most beloved shows of all due to the fact that it is often funny, and has one of opera’s most famous characters in the irresistible Papageno, here…

A new version of that evergreen classic The Wizard of Oz arrived at the Wolverhampton Grand Theatre this week, taking its audience on a truly magical journey to Oz that is not to be missed. Keeping all the elements that make this a much loved classic, but adding glorious modern technology to create wonderful backdrops and staging, and with an utterly brilliant cast, this production shows why we will never tire of going ‘Somewhere over the rainbow.’ The story is so well known it doesn’t need repeating, but for those who have been living under a rock, a young girl in Kansas, Dorothy Gale, who is worried she is going to…

Disney got it all wrong. Ursula was never the baddie in the story of The Little Mermaid, she was instead framed for a crime she did not commit, was misunderstood and victimised for being poor but clever, and was only trying to help Arial see that frankly, all men are bastards who will leave you and betray you, one way or another. This is the premise of the absolutely filthy, and totally hilarious ‘Unfortunate – The Untold Story of Ursula the Sea Witch’, which arrived at the Wolves Grand last night in an avalanche of rude words, bawdy fun, and just about the campest show you will see all year.…