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The Verdict – Gripping Courtroom Drama at Wolverhampton Grand
You may know of ‘The Verdict’ from the 1982 film starring Paul Newman in a tour de force role that brought him yet another Oscar Nomination. The story of an alcoholic lawyer reduced to ambulance chasing for cases, who decides to fight a case of malpractice that could be settled out of court, is firmly in the proud tradition of courtroom dramas. And now, in the hands of Clive Mantle and Jack Shepherd, the play version which is currently playing at the Wolverhampton Grand Theatre, delivers a powerful punch as it shows how fatal mistakes can be covered up, and that those you trust with your life may just be…
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Behind the Scenes at Billy Elliot
Last Friday I was invited to go behind the scenes at the Birmingham Hippodrome to have a look at what goes on backstage at the musical Billy Elliot. Actor Scott Garnham, who plays Tony in the stage production, took us on a tour of the set and backstage areas so we could really get a feel of the hustle and bustle that goes into making a hit musical. The props, the wigs, the sets and the ballet tutus and riot shields were all there, making it a very exciting experience. Billy Elliot is a big musical in more ways than one. It has a large cast, and large production set…
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Gangsta Granny – Live on Stage at the Wolverhampton Grand
David Walliams is a literary genius when it comes to children’s literature. I have just finished reading ‘Demon Dentist’ to my little boy Joe, so it is fitting that this is also the week that I was able to see my first Walliams adaptation on the stage. ‘Gangsta Granny’ is his most popular book, and it was brought to life in thrilling and hilarious fashion at the Wolverhampton Grand last night, proving to be a treat for both the young, and they young at heart. Ben is twelve years old. His parents are a little obsessed with ballroom dancing, which leads to Ben dreading Friday nights, when he is forced…
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Billy Elliot – Just Brilliant!
Growing up in Durham during 1984/85, as the Miners strike was at its height was difficult for anyone. But for a motherless 12 year old boy who longs to be a ballet dancer, despite being pushed towards a boxing ring, life is damn near unbearable. Dad and brother are on strike, caught up in the terrible times they are living in, but not too caught up to not react with anger and horror when they discover the boy’s secret. This is the story of Billy Elliot, which left me open mouthed with awe at the Birmingham Hippodrome last night. It is, quite frankly, the best musical I have ever seen…
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Shirley Valentine – A Jodie Prenger Masterclass
Jodie Prenger proved, once again, what an amazing talent she is as she brought Willy Russell’s 1980s heroine Shirley Valentine to life at the New Alex Theatre last night in a one women tour de force. Leaving a note on a post-it on the fridge, explaining that she had ‘gone to Greece, be back in two weeks’, Shirley Valentine has proved to be one of Willy Russell’s most enduring and beloved characters. Shirley is a bored surbuban housewife who feels that life, and all it has to offer, has passed her by at the age of 42. Her kids are grown up, and she has grown apart from her husband…
