-
9 to 5 at the Wolverhampton Grand – Great Fun
Dolly Parton made a surprise appearance at the Wolverhampton Grand last night, as a hologram introducing the musical theatre version of one of her most famous movies. The South Staffs Musical Theatre Company were in town, with the opening night of their fun filled version of ‘9 to 5’. And, despite the fact that one of the leading ladies was ill and had to be replaced at the very last minute, the company put on a fine show filled with songs, laughter and sisters doing it for themselves. ‘9 TO 5’ is set in 1979 and tells the tale of three suburban ladies, a clever and ambitious widow Violet (played…
-
Reviewed – Dead Sheep at the Birmingham Rep
“Being savaged by Geoffrey Howe is like being savaged by a dead sheep.” – Denis Healey One of the greatest political stories of modern times is that of how the Iron Lady, Margaret Thatcher, was ultimately brought down by her most loyal acolyte, Geoffrey Howe. The man who had been described by playwright Jonathan Maitland as Thatcher’s ‘political soulmate’ became her Brutus, her assassin with a resignation address that opened the floodgates to the growing dissent that had already been rumbling in the Conservative government. ‘Dead Sheep’, which opened at the Birmingham Rep last night, looks into the intrigue, the key political characters of the time, and also the premise…
-
Guys and Dolls at the Wolverhampton Grand
When it comes to musical theatre, Guys and Dolls is a bonafide American classic. Inspired by the betting and gambling side of New York City that spilled from the pen of the great Damon Runyan, Guys and Dolls is a world where every man is, on the surface at least, a no-good heel, and every woman is a doll, a dame, a broad, but it is also warm and funny, and ultimately a love story where true love does conquer all. The latest touring production opened at the Wolverhampton Grand Theatre last night and proved that its power to entertain and enchant audiences shows no signs of flagging. It was,…
-
End of the Rainbow – Judy’s swansong at the Wolverhampton Grand
If ‘Over the Rainbow’ was Judy Garland’s signiture tune, then ‘End of the Rainbow’ is definitely her swansong. The play, that started a three night run at the Wolverhampton Grand last night, is the story of the screen legend in the months before she died, during a 6 week run at London’s ‘Talk of the Town’. This is Judy destroyed by the alcohol, the pills, the late nights, bad men and heartache, with no will to go on with the show anymore. Set in London in the early months of 1969, the play is a three hander concerning Judy, her fiance Mickey Deans and her erstwhile piano player Anthony Chapman.…
You May Also Like
Elizabeth Taylor Fashion moments.
-
The Rotters Club – Teen Angst in 70s Birmingham
If you asked me to name my favourite book, I could do it quite easily. ‘The Rotters Club’ by Jonathan Coe is a coming of age novel set in 1970s Birmingham, complete with teenage crushes, ‘prog rock’, meals at the Bernie Inn, and the horror of the Birmingham Pub Bombings. The Rotters Club will make you laugh, make you cry and make you smile, and it has now been bought vividly to life by The Young Rep, the Birmingham Rep’s Youth Theatre. The action starts in 1973 and follows the high school life of Ben Trotter (or Bent Rotter as he is more commonly referred to). Ben is a pupil…
