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Writer: J M Barrie Adaptor: Michael Harrison Director: Barbara Evans Reviewer: James Dunnill The Public Reviews Rating: This year sees the return of the Grumbleweeds to Darlington Civic Theatre in this seasons pantomime Peter Pan. Neverland has been recreated with flying sequences, interesting sets and some really fun special effects. Taking the role of Captain Hook is household [...]

Writer: Garry Lyons Music and Lyrics: Tim Sutton and Garry Lyons Director: Ian Brown Reviewer: Tabitha McGrath The Public Reviews Rating: The Rep’s Christmas Show is always highly anticipated and their new collaborative work this year certainly did not disappoint. Fortunately for them, The Secret Garden is a childhood favourite of mine, and thankfully for me, they made [...]

Reviewer: Vicky Bell The Public Reviews Rating: Writer, director and choreographer Sebastian Rex is artistic director of Acting Like Mad theatre company and Sebastian Rex Dance Group. The latest works of each of these companies are currently playing as a double bill at The Blue Elephant Theatre. Both share a strong framework, understanding of portraying meaning through [...]

Reviewer: Ian Winterton The Public Reviews Rating: The phrase “preaching to the converted” may have been invented for Jeremy Hardy. He so perfectly encapsulates left-leaning middle-class Radio 4-listening Guardianistas who can handle the occasional F-bomb that it would be annoying if A. I wasn’t pretty much his exact target audience or B. he wasn’t so bloody funny or [...]

Writer: John Hester Director: John Brant Reviewer: Deborah Klayman The Public Reviews Rating: On Christmas eve Elf, Santa’s loveable helper, is busy wrapping the last of the presents for Father Christmas to deliver to all the boys and girls. However, Elf does not truly understand the meaning of Christmas or relish the joy of giving, so it [...]

Writers: Steven Canny & John Nicholson Director: Gemma Bodinetz Reviewer: David Noble The Public Reviews Rating: Christmas is coming, and what better way to celebrate its arrival than to go to the theatre! No Wise Men was a festive frolic that just about contained a reference to everything remotely Christmassy, with the added bonus of not being ridiculously [...]

Writer: Eric Potts Director: Warwick Davis Reviewer: Dave Cunningham The Public Reviews Rating: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is not an obvious choice for a pantomime. Traditional characters such as the panto dame and principal boy are absent. As if to compensate for this lack First Family Entertainment extends their version of the panto to embrace also [...]

Writer: Peter Rowe & Alan Ellis Director: Peter Rowe Musical Director: Ben Goddard Reviewer: Michael Gray The Public Reviews Rating: “Hello, Dolly!” we dutifully yelled, happy to humour the larger-than-life man in a frock. This time it’s Jack and the Beanstalk at the Wolsey in Ipswich, done in their unique rock’n'roll style, with limited forces but unlimited panache. [...]