Antony N Britt (calls himself Nick, to be awkward) is the author of horror novels: Finding Jessica and Dead Girl Stalking, plus, short story collection: Ghost Stories. All page-turning tale that slaps you in the face when you least expect it. He lives in Walsall in a house full of CDs, videos, books and many unread pieces of paper which may hold the secret to eternal life, but are most probably pizza menus.
Finding Jessica
Finding Jessica
Jessica, Jessica, who were you? And what brought you to that bar last night?
Rob Devlin. Former TV investigative reporter, former alcoholic, formerly alive. The experience in an afterlife of near-death ends when Rob’s soul returns to the body. The wrong body.
Jessica Davies was the stranger Rob died trying to save; the reward is to live her life. But was it more than chance they met? Rob needs answers and unable to resume his old life, one option remains. She must become Jessica. First, Rob needs to know who Jessica was and in order to put things right, Rob must set about finding Jessica.
From the author of Dead Girl Stalking and Ghost Stories: Tales From The Dead of Night.
Workin’ 9 to 5. What a way to make a livin’. Barely gettin’ by. It’s all takin’ and no givin’.
Friday 24 May at 1930 marks the end of the 9 to 5 week for many, and what better way to wind down than with a trip to 1979 and the music of Country Legend, Dolly Parton.
Based on the film of the same name and with a rip-roaring score, 9 to 5 is the ultimate feelgood musical which tells the story of three women pushed to extremes. Concocting a plan to turn the tables on their sexist, egotistical boss, will they manage to reform their office, or will it all go wrong when the CEO pays an unexpected visit?
The Arcadians Musical Theatre Company have been delivering quality productions for over 50 years and 9 to 5 will be no exception. Therefore, expect lots of laughs with great vocals and harmony combined with excellent dance and acting of the highest order. One thing is sure, an Arcadians audience always goes home happy and with mainstream theatre so expensive, this is a great alternative.
9 to 5 is on at The Crescent Theatre, Brindley Place, Birmingham. Friday 24 May (1930) and Saturday 25 (1430 & 1930).
Love never dies. Love will continue. Love keeps on beating. When you’re gone.
It was a bold move from Andrew Lloyd Webber to create a sequel to possibly the greatest musical of all time but in the past, Love Never Dies has been met with criticism. So, as someone who had never seen this show, how did it fare against the mammoth Phantom of the Opera? Seriously, it can’t, but allow for a few minor niggles (and one major) and you have an incredible show. That is, if it is done well. I am, therefore, happy to say that West Bromwich Operatic Society (WBOS) did exactly that.
A few months ago, I was in the same theatre watching the UK tour of Jesus Christ Superstar. This was better by far. The sheer professionalism and quality from those who don’t get paid for doing their craft was out of this world. I’m trying not to use a cliche here, but seriously, you could not deny that this production was West End quality. And I see an awful lot of shows a year to make that claim.
The plot. Ten years after the events at the Paris Opera House, Christine Daae travels to New York with husband Raoul, and young son, Gustave. There they are reunited with Madame Giry and her daughter, Meg. It was these two who aided the Phantom in escaping all those years ago and now together, run Phantasma, a Coney Island amusement park.
Let’s get those negatives out the way. The opening is slow, and you have three numbers in the first fifteen minutes before anything happens. Also, some songs, such as Bathing Beauty, however good, have no relevance. Then the biggest gripe. The Phantom, once an epitome of mystery is normalised into humanity. Despite this, the show does stand well on its own merits, and I enjoyed it. To be honest, I found it even darker (if that can be possible) than Phantom.
As The Phantom himself, Dan Smith gave a five-star performance, particularly in ’Til I Hear You Sing. An amazing voice and equally so in stage presence. Matching that was Molly-Anna Riley as Christine who excelled during the title song, Love Never Dies. Tye Harris was Raoul, now married to Christine and he also played his part to perfection, especially during Devil Take the Hindmost with Smith’s Phantom. But there has been addition to the events of Paris in Christine’s ten-year-old son, Gustave. What can I say? The performance of Elijah Critchley was out of this world in voice and acting throughout, most clear during The Beauty Underneath.
The Giry’s were portrayed superbly by Holly White (Meg) and Sarah Moors (Madame), and they duetted well in Only for You and Mother, Did You Watch? Rounding off the principals were a trio of oddball characters who were the definitive of creepy. These were Adam Partridge (Gangle), Tasheka Coe (Fleck) and Connor Welch (Squelch) whose Coney Island Waltz was outstanding in leading the ensemble.
And it is those often unsung (forgive the pun) performers in the ensemble who also gave it all. Each time they featured, scenes were full of quality and every move mattered. This is a credit to the production of Simon Pugh (Director), Ian Room (Musical Director) and Claire Flavell (Choreographer). Of course, there will have been far more involved in bringing this show so successfully to the stage, and they can all be proud of the result. A perfect production in all departments.
Forever the champion of local productions, I am always delighted when I see one where you can’t tell the difference between amateur societies who pay for the pleasure, and the professionals, who get paid for it. And this was the case with Bournville Musical Theatre Company (BMTC) and their offering of The Addams Family.
I have an admission. The Addams Family is not high on my list of favourite musicals. I find Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice’s story basic at best with sub plots that don’t go anywhere. And in the past, I have been underwhelmed by some of Andrew Lippa’s songs which come across as fillers and don’t move the plot along. However, the fact I still enjoyed The Addams Family shows BMTC did their job. Amateur or professional? If you didn’t already know, an audience would have believed this production was part of a major tour due to the quality being of the highest standard. Everything 100% throughout with no negatives from cast and crew.
Let’s start by meeting the family. John Morrison starred as Gomez and was instantly at home in the role, bringing us a character so recognisable and more of a Gomez than Luis Guzman whose portrayal in the hit TV series, Wednesday, I didn’t warm to. Joining Morrison at the top of their game was Lily Moore who played the vampish Morticia, also capturing her character. It says it all when you have witnessed these actors perform before, but don’t see them now, only the personalities they are creating. That was also the case with Lewis Doley who truly was Fester. All the mannerisms and persona were there. One of the best characterisations I have seen in a long time.
Now, I had never seen Meg Donovan in a full show before, but it was obvious as to the huge amount of work and skill that went in to being Wednesday Addams. So moredifficult bearing in mind how much the character has been on TV in the past year. This was an excellent performance. Then, as Lurch, we had Randy Johnson who had the unenviable task of having to keep still and straight faced for much of the time, but the fact that the audience loved and reacted to this character showed just how well the job was done. Rounding off the family were a couple more Morrison’s in Viv (Grandma) and Andrew (Pugsley). Again, excellent in all areas.
The plot of this show is that Wednesday is in love and wants to introduce her boyfriend to the family. And that’s it. But to do this you need to have a boyfriend, therefore, meet the parents. Stuart McDiarmid slotted into being Lucas Beineke with ease, giving a polished performance. Likewise, Phil Snowe was great as the father, Mal, displaying the horrified realisations of what are we getting ourselves into? Finally, in the principals, Lisa Colvin-Grieve was outstanding as Alice Beineke, a character who goes through a huge transformation and loses the plot. So entertaining.
A major plus of this show is that the scope for ensemble is endless. With the inclusion of ancestors, who get a good deal of stage time, each individual production can create their own ancestors and all cast are accommodated. Here, each played their parts well, and were creepy indeed, decked out in white with likewise faces.
Stand out numbers in the show include When You’re an Addams, Pulled, Let’s Live Before We Die, The Moon and Me and a special shout out to Pugsley’s What If? Then the Full Discloser scene rounds off Act One perfectly. My favourite moment in the show is when Gomez and Morticia both realise they thought Grandma was each other’s mother, and that she may not be related to them after all.
In production, this was Chloe Turner’s first time as director after years being in a leading role or choreography, and what an excellent job she made of it. Always something going on with movement and delivery spot on. It was also a family affair with Chloe’s sister, Sadie Lovelady once again taking the helm in choreography and keeping the highest standards that BMTC audiences have come to expect over the years. Finally, Chris Corcoran was there as musical director, as always producing incredible sounds with the cast and 12-piece band.
There are only a handful of tickets available for the remaining performances. Therefore, don’t delay and grab them now, while you can.
Take me to heaven, Take me to kingdom come. I’ll take any vow.
Sister Act, a show close to my heart after portraying a former gangster in it alongside my son and fiancée, who played a nun. But this was Sister Act Jr, at a length of 75 minutes, an hour less than the version I’m used to. If I’m honest, the loss of time did not matter as all the relevant scenes were there and only a couple of numbers dropped, including the boring When I Find My Baby, which was a blessing (Forgive the pun).
This was my first time watching West Bromwich Operatic Society Youth Theatre and I’m delighted to have found another gem of a company. I am a big advocate of youth in theatre, and it often goes overlooked with ignorance that it may be like school productions in an assembly hall. Not the case and I shall continue to spread the word so these wonderful groups go beyond the expected audiences of family and friends.
Set to the music of Alan Menken, Sister Act is the story of Deloris, a singer who witnesses a murder at the hands of gangster boyfriend, Curtis and goes into hiding in a convent. There, she not only teaches the nuns to sing, but also learns valuable lessons about herself. In the lead as Dolores was Isabella Hale who shone throughout with all the sass the role requires and delivered numbers such as Take Me to Heaven and Sister Act in fine fashion. A great all-round performance.
Also strong as Mother Superior was Grace Paskin, giving us ironic humour as the reluctant saviour and excelling during Here Within These Walls. Then we had Amelia Moors playing the novice nun, Mary Robert who totally nailed The Life I Never Led. In the role of Officer Eddie Souther was Jake Dale, and going on the amount of applause coming from nearby, I think I was seated near a close family member who would have been rightly proud during I Could Be That Guy.
Due to the show being shorter (as mentioned) from the adult version, the consequence was that you had more percentage of comic relief from Monsignor O’Hara and Jack Mullen-Hughes rose to the task perfectly. Sadly, for me, though, because this was a junior version, a lot of the gangster scenes were diluted or cut, meaning you had less Curtis (Lucas Nijhof-Clarke), Joey (Tristan Marwa), TJ (Oscar Wetherall), Pablo (Freddie Wetherall) and Ernie (Nathan Thevar-Ward). All played their parts superbly, though, and we got a cheeky stripped-back Lady in the Long Black Dress (Oh, the memories).
And we had an array of nuns including Beth Higgitt (Mary Patrick), Emily Hemingbrough (Mary Lazarus), Isabelle Butt (Mary Martin of Tours), Lola Wooldridge (Mary Celeste), Eliza Rose Flavell (Mary Irene), Honor Whitehouse (Mary Stephen) and Ayda Whitehouse (Mary Theresa). Each performed to a high standard, and I enjoyed Bless Our Show, Sunday Morning Fever, Raise Your Voice and Good to be a Nun amongst others. Supporting, all the rest of the cast must have doubled up as nuns at some point, and these included dancers, Athena Paskin (Michelle), Imogen Jeffs (Tina), Eva-Grace Mahay (Elle) and Janie Patel (Nina). Excellent movement and singing in the opening number.
The rest of the ensemble included Cameron Simms (Cop) and Jordan O’Brien (Newscaster). Then, Harry Hemingbrough (Angry Street Person) was among the Street People who were Fabulous Baby in that number. These were Lola Bennett, Amara Dyer, Holly Edwards, Isobelle Evans, Elsie Hogan, Millie Jones, Emily McNally, Ena Moreton, Anaya Patel, Macy Pickett, Kiran Thevar-Ward and Emily Wilson. I hope I have not missed anyone out or got a name wrong; tell me if I have. There are a lot to list and much cross-referencing, but all deserve a mention. What was clear throughout was the exceptional standards, and even the youngest looking cast members were all precise in dance and reaction.
At the helm of Sister Act Jr was Emma Wetherall in directing with Claire Flavell doing Choreographer and Dan Hardy overseeing musical direction. This was a good afternoon out and I look forward to WBOS Youth’s next production of Annie later this year.
Good news! She’s dead! The Witch of the West is dead! The wickedest witch there ever was. The enemy of all of us here in Oz Is Dead!
However …
Not all is as it appears in the merry old land of Oz in this reimagining of Frank Baum’s 1900 novel, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Loosely based on Gregory Maguire’s own 1995 novel, Wicked, this show is one of the most spectacular musicals going. In fact, so huge, you would be hard pressed to believe it was by the same composer of the utter dross which is Godspell and Pippin in Stephen Schwartz. So many great musical numbers are present, and the uninitiated will be surprised at just how many they already know. The plot itself is an alternate version to the classic Oz tale (Let’s face it, history is written by the winning side) and shows The Wicked Witch of the West as totally misunderstood.
In the role of Glinda (The Good Witch), Sarah O’Connor was marvellous on the night and excelled especially during Popular. Opposite as Elphaba we had Casey Al-Shaqsy and she too totally nailed her part, particularly during I’m Not That Girl and together with O’Connor for What is This Feeling? For Good, and the epic Defying Gravity which ends Act One.
Supporting well, though, was Carl Man as Fiyero; a strong presence duetting with Al-Shaqsy’s Elphaba in As Long as You’re Mine. Then, playing Boq (Not Bic) we had Jed Berry who worked well with the previously mentioned, plus Megan Gardiner’s Nessarose during Dancing Through Life. Completing the principals were Donna Berlin (Madame Morrible) and Simon Truby (Doctor Dillamond and The Wizard).
In addition to songs already listed, there were excellent offerings of No One Mourns the Wicked, The Wizard and I, One Short Day, Wonderful and No Good Deed. Unfortunately, many shows have a total dodo of a song and for Wicked, it’s the irritating Something Bad (Baaaaad!). Makes me cringe every time I hear it.
Another highlight is the colourfulness of it all and just how much you can do with green. Although, there are still things to nit-pick; I shall say no more than Shoddy Lion Puppet.
Overall, it is a good tale, full of mostly good tunes and one of the musicals everyone should see. Expensive, yes. Worth it, definitely. A great night out. One which will leave you knowing you have experienced live theatre on the big stage.
Wicked was directed by Joe Mantello with Orchestrations from William David Brohm. Musical Supervision was in the hands of Stephen Oremus and Staging the responsibility of Wayne Cilento. This production is touring the UK for the rest of the year and into the beginning of 2025. Well worth checking out.
Whatever happened to all the heroes? All the Shakespearoes? They watched their Rome burn.
50 years. This was my 23rd outing seeing The Stranglers and like every time for the past ten, I wonder if it will be my last. Sure, they’ve survived and thrived since the departure of Hugh Cornwell 34 years ago. And that’s a statement to their longevity itself, despite a small number who still believe that is when the band ended. Heck, even a recent episode of TV’s Mastermind had a contestant whose specialist subject was The Stranglers, but only 1974 to 1990. Come on, if they were real fans, they would acknowledge The Stranglers are as strong now as ever. Certainly better live with Baz Warne, currently with the band for 24 years (far longer than Cornwell) and playing to huge, sell-out crowds.
They have also survived the 1990s doldrums, then survived the retirement of the late Jet Black, and finally, survived the death of Dave Greenfield which I thought they’d never get past. But there they still are. Entertaining and taking me to heaven. Like they have done throughout all the incarnations. And I have seen the lot. I know it will one day end, but as long as Jean-Jaques Burnell is willing and able, I hope to always have just one more tour. And along with Warne, Jim Macaulay and Toby Hounsham, JJ still delivers the magic, this time on tour taking more of the forefront than recent years in engaging with the audience.
For the 50 Years in Black tour, there was no support, just two packed sets from the guys lasting well over two hours. Starting with Just Like Nothing on Earth, we then had for the first time of my hearing, the final track from The Gospel According to the Men in Black in Hallow to Our Craft. JJ dedicated The Raven to Dave and Jet before continuing in a wide spectrum of classics, all familiar and intimate to me and ending the initial set with Hanging Around and Down in the Sewer. Nice to see Toby take on DG’s role of vocals in Genetix as well.
After a short break, the ante was well and truly upped, entering to the staple Waltz in Black before Who Wants the World, Dagenham Dave and Duchess. Then, Peaches, Golden Brown, Always the Sun, Something Better Change, Five Minutes and Tank, they were all there (Strangely, no Grip, though). We also had White Stallion from their most recent studio album, Dark Matters, as well as Relentless, which I believe is the most played post Hugh song at gigs these days.
Then, returning for an encore which everybody knew would happen (besides, we know where they live), the band finished with the song billed as The Stranglers oldest track in Go Buddy Go before the regular finisher and No More Heroes. I am always thankful that I still do have my heroes and pray that continues just a little longer at least. What an amazing gig from an amazing band.
The road is long. There are mountains in our way. But we climb a step every day.
I went into An Officer and a Gentleman totally blind. I have never seen it and despite the film on which the musical is based being over 40 years old, I’ve not watched that either. All I know is that according to Joe Cocker, “Love Lifts Us Up Where We Belong.” Still, I arrived with an open mind, not even having heard a cast soundtrack. What I found, though, was an enjoyable Jukebox Musical full of songs, mostly from the 1980’s. Okay, maybe not songs I would have on my default rock playlists, but familiar enough that I have become accustomed to them over the years to the point of enjoyment.
An Officer and a Gentleman was written by Douglas Day Stewart and Sharlene Cooper Cohen and tells the story of Zack Mayo during his training as an aviation officer, his developing love for local girl, Paula, and the conflicts with hard-driving Gunnery Sergeant, Emil Foley. As mentioned, this version takes its music from hits of the 80s in such giants as Girls Just Wanna Have Fun, St Elmo’s Fire, Livin’ on a Prayer, and The Final Countdown. And the show ended with the song most famous from the film, Up Where We Belong.
Playing Zack was Luke Baker who I last saw in Footloose a few years ago. An excellent, impressive performance all round, especially during Blaze of Glory with the equally good Tim Rodgers as Byron. As Paula on the night, we had Julia Jones who was top drawer, and I really enjoyed the duet with Baker in I Want to Know What Love Is. Jamal Crawford portrayed a memorable Sergeant Foley and led the recruits well in song too during Hearts on Fire. Then, supporting in great fashion were Paul French (Sid), Sinead Long (Lynette), Melanie Masson (Esther) and Etisyai Phillip (Casey Seegar),
The one criticism I did have was that the basic plot was a little thin but when you have 22 Jukebox hits, the plot became secondary. I also wasn’t impressed with the softer version of Kids in America, but that was probably just me. Apart from that, it was an energy packed performance that left the audience buzzing.
The Director for An Officer and a Gentleman was Nilolai Foster, Choreographer, Joanna Goodwin and Musical Supervision/Orchestra, George Dyer with Musical Direction of the band from Christopher Duffy.
A great evening out, with spirits and feelgood factor up where they belong.
There’s a place for us. Somewhere, a place for us. Peace and quiet and open air. Wait for us. Somewhere.
I have never been a fan of Bernstein, Sondheim and Laurents’ West Side Story. Hated the 1961 film (although enjoyed the 2021 remake) and have always found the characters unlikable. I have even performed the show on stage, and still did not enjoy it. However, I loved this version from the wonderful Starcross Youth Theatre.
What can I say? I see many amateur and youth companies and in Starcross, an exceptional quality of talent runs throughout. There were no weak areas in this production, time flying fast due to being captivated by what was on view. Of course, West Side Story is one of the best-known musicals going. A re-imaging of Romeo and Juliet set to gang warfare in 1950s New York. And as I have said, few characters in the show are likable, but still engaging all the same.
Playing Tony was Brandon Harrison who once more shone in a lead role, excelling during Something Coming and Maria. Then, complimenting him as Maria herself in this performance was Christine Cross. A believable portrayal with added petulance and fight which brought more to Maria than just being perfect, which has often been the case in the role. Great control in voice, hitting the top notes during Tonight and One Hand, One Heart, in particular. Plus, excellent acting and dance.
As Anita, we had the outstanding Kelsey Taylor. This is such a good role and Taylor totally gave it justice with A Boy Like That. Superb. In the part of Riff, Alex Hill was on form as the hot-headed leader of the Jets, as was his Shark counterpart, Bernardo (Dimitri McDonald). One other performance also standing out in the principals was Lily Cross as Action where I totally believed the anger issues shown in the characterisation. That moment where one person constantly grabs your attention each time they are on stage.
The rest of the cast was made up by Noel Jeavons (Diesel), Tia Rafferty (A-Rab), Daisy Lunt (Baby John), Emmie Adcock (Snowboy), Callum Brothwood (Gee-tar), Sophie Spruce (Mouthpiece), Lucy Keates (Spiff), Lauren Downes (Anybody’s), Jack Harley (Chino), Jay McDonald (Pepe), Requane Wade (Luis), Mia Lombard (Anxious), Elle Fletcher-Brown (Nibbles), Grace Froggatt (Juano), Zadie Wilson-Smith (Toro), River Onions (Rosalia), Lexie Jennings (Consuella), Shayera McDonald (Francisca), Lottie Wilkes (Margarita), Lily-Grace Palmer (Estella), Scarlet Bennett (Graziella), Alexa Nutting (Velma), Darcy Harman (Minnie), Holly Hunter (Clarice), Harry Webb (Doc) and Jaime Nutting (Krupke).
The final cast member to be mentioned gets a special one as six years ago I played Shrank, so I took note and not only was Mitchell Griffiths strong and commanding as the Police Lieutenant, but I was also genuinely scared at times.
On alternate performances some roles were changed, including Maria/Darcy Harman, Riff/Lucy Keates, Anita/Holly Hunter, A-Rab/Jack Harley, Pepe/Ellie Fletcher-Brown and Lily-Grace Palmer/Consuela, all swapping the roles with those I saw.
This production pulled no punches, particularly staying faithful during that scene towards the end in Doc’s Drug Store. Shocking, yet not glorified. I must also credit some wonderful choreography, especially during the dream sequence, plus America and Dance at the Gym. There was so much to enjoy about this offering, and I do think Starcross has won me over into liking West Side Story now. And how can I finish without mentioning the epic Tonight Quintet? Heck, the whole show was amazing.
At the helm in terms of production, direction and choreography were husband and wife team and Starcross founders, Belinda and Phil Cross MBE. The vocals were also on top form throughout, and this is a testament to the direction of Ben Batt in terms of music, with support from Ashleigh Foster. Especially so as due to West Side being ridiculously OTT and expensive to do with a live orchestra, backing tracks were used by Starcross. Most in the audience would not have been able to tell, and how brilliant it was that the timings were all spot on. Such a feat. As well as playing Maria on the night, Christine Cross also aided in production as well as choreography where the latter area was then supported by April Kruszynski, Emma Babiy and Brandon Harrison.
First show of 2024 and it’s the wonderful Birmingham Youth Theatre offering the classic tale of Sleeping Beauty. Written by Stephen Duckham, the show was an overwhelming success with cast and crew deserving everything given in appreciation by sell-out audiences.
Yes, Sleeping Beauty, and I’m not going to dwell on the plot because if you don’t know the traditional story, you should. The main thing, though, which was obvious on watching, was the continuing emergence and development of newer members as many of those we have become accustomed to have now passed the upper age limit. Sad in a way, but great for the future as the newer generations move up a notch with more experience. It is a pleasure to see the progress when you follow over the years.
With the cast at 40 plus in numbers, there was much to love and admire from the production team of Vivienne Morrison (Director), Kennedy Glews (Choreography), Chris Corcoran (Musical Direction) and Maddison Clarke (Production Assistant). Such large numbers to work with and do so successfully. And a special shout out to the latter mentioned, Maddison, who has made the jump from performing member to production.
Playing Sleeping Beauty (Aurora) was Livy Owen who excelled during Gift from a Friend and Another Love. However, Sleeping Beauty needs her charming prince and Luke Griffiths was equally strong as Prince Michael, teaming up with Owen for A Thousand Years as well as solo outings with Don’t Wanna Miss a Thing and Unstoppable. Also standing out was Harrison Doherty who as Nanny Nora gave one of the best Pantomime Dame characterisations that I have seen in a long while, teaming well with David Morrison who continued wonderfully where he left off last year as the comic foil, this time Barney. Great interaction and audience involvement from both.
Villain of the piece, Eva Phelan was outstanding in the role of Carabosse, aided well by Megan Allsop who worked the Raven puppet. I Put a Spell on You ranked as one of the best numbers of the night. But there were so many others who shone. As Lord Chamberlain we had Saran Sambhi with Daisy Wright (Fairy Queen) leading a trio of magic in the Fairies; Moonbeam (Bea Roberts), Sunlight (Sophie Terry) and Stardust (Lucy Holcroft). And I particularly enjoyed the comic chemistry between Kitty Smart (Queen Sybil) and Gethin Randerson (King Septimus).
Other named characters were Hans (Andrew Morrison), Bruce (Luke Holcroft), Lance (Edgar Shirley), Chardonnay (Emily Green), Merlot (Shire Clarke), Shiraz (Marni Carroll), Grigio (George Beckett), Zinfinndel (Finn Hill) and Beast of the Forest (Lucy Jones). All were magnificent, as were the dancers made up by Ava Jones, Bella Hoppner, Chyna Smith, Ella Pierce, Masie Cotterill, Shorouq Al Saffar, Sophie Swann and Tabitha Vlok. It was also pleasing for me to see the dancers give a little cameo in the forest with the moving trees used so well last year (Yes, we love the trees). Completing the ensemble was Anna O’Hara-Green, Breah Grimley, Edina Bilham-Moore, Ena Moreton, Freya Baylis, Georgie Dunn, Hannah Ashford, Niamh McKeon, Oonagh Williamson, Sophia Chilton and Talia Ellahawi.
The night ended in marvellous style with the full company giving it all during Walking on Sunshine. In 2018, I produced and directed my own version of this tale, and guess what song I also ended with? Great Minds.
Sleeping Beauty had it all: Professionalism, energy, and lots of talent. The main thing, though, was that it looked like everyone had fun. And that’s half the job. BYT is a fantastic company, well led and with a bright future. They return to The Crescent Theatre in July for Menken’s, The Little Mermaid. I have no doubt it will be amazing and highly recommend you join us, Under the Sea.
Everybody wants a piece of the action. Everybody needs a main attraction. I’ve done what everybody needs. Satisfaction guarantees.
From an early age, I was always into rock and one of the first bands to register as I began to take music seriously was The Sweet. Now, 50 years later, and with only one member remaining from the classic lineup, I tasted something Sweet for the second time.
It’s a credit to Andy Scott that he doesn’t just roll out the old favourites. Sure, a lot were on view but also more recent and even new tracks from their forthcoming album. Yes, we all remember the Glam Rock images but there was always much more to Sweet than the commercial image promoted in the 70s with the (still marvellous) tunes from Nicky Chinn and Mike Chapman. Having moved away from their writers in the mid 70s, a bold direction after so much success, we saw the harder rock which is still being produced today.
Although Scott is the only remaining (and living) member of the most commercially successful lineup, this is still Sweet. The spirit is the same, the energy is the same, and the sound is the same. On vocals and guitar was Paul Manzi who after standing in for Tony O’Hora on tour in 2014, became a full-time member four years ago and boy can this guy front a band. Then, on bass, and outed by Scott as a West Bromwich Albion fan to the enemy in Wolverhampton, we had the excellent Lee Small. Completing the five-piece is Tom Cory (Keys and Guitar) and Adam Booth (Drums). Phenomenal.
The Action began with that very same-named banging tune and that action did not stop all night. New York Groove (from the acclaimed 2020 album, Isolation Boulevard) followed this before Hell Raiser, Burn on the Flame and The Six Teens. The latter two from the 1974 outing, Desolation Boulevard.
Mid set, Scott took a break, leaving the rest of the band to a trio of early hits in Co-Co, Funny Funny and Poppa Joe. After saying to the audience that when he heard them in rehearsals, they sounded so good he didn’t want to interfere, I did question the explanation as the last time I saw Sweet in 2005, I am sure these tunes were treated with derision. However, they went down a storm with the crowd, as did the run in to the end with Teenage Rampage, Wig Wam Bam, Little Willy, Love is Like Oxygen and Fox on the Run. Rounding off, Sweet gave the crowd what they were waiting for with a Blockbuster finale then a Ballroom Blitz of explosive proportions.
A new album is promised for 2024 with hopefully more shows on the road. Catch them while you can, Sweet still deliver.
Antony N Britt - Author 