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Writer: Alan Ayckbourn Director: Robin Herford Reviewer: Sarah Bannister The Public Reviews Rating: As the long nights draw in, Season’s Greetings is a welcome (early) festive treat at the Lyceum this week. It is first and foremost an acclaimed comedy; a play with characteristic biting wit and bearing all of the poignancy of realistic truths of family [...]

Writer: Alan Ayckbourn Director: Robin Herford Reviewer: Selwyn Knight The Public Reviews Rating: It certainly felt a little odd to see a Christmas tree complete with fairy lights and presents take centre stage at the back end of September. However, in setting his classic play at Christmas, Ayckbourn simply adds more sources of barely-concealed conflict in a piece [...]

Writer: Alan Ayckbourn Director: Robin Hereford Reviewer: Glen Pearce The Public Reviews Rating: You can choose your friends but not your family. Despite the blood ties it’s surprising that clan gatherings don’t come with a health warning. Or at least that’s the impression Alan Ayckbourn would give us with his bleak look at the familial festive gathering. Hostess [...]

Writer: Noel Coward Director:Robin Herford Reviewer: Michael Gray The Public Reviews Rating: This Northern Coward is not the Manchester in-the-round experiment, but a much more predictable staging which started life in the Coliseum Theatre, Oldham and arrived at the Mercury by way of Harrogate. And hugely enjoyable it proved. Beautiful period costumes, two lovely contrasting sets [Michael Holt] – [...]

Writer: Alma Cullen Director: Robin Herford Reviewer: Ali Lantukh The Public Reviews Rating: Calling all Inspector Morse affectionados – this is a play for you. A homage as much to John Thaw of the televised version as to Colin Dexter’s creation, this staged production felt very much like the ITV episode that never was – which brought with [...]

Book: Susan Hill Adaptor: Stephen Mallatratt Director: Robin Herford Reviewer: Gina Skillings The Public Reviews Rating: The Woman in Black is a play set in two different times, in the present an older Arthur Kipps re-lives, by way of a manuscript he has written, the events that turned his life into one of fear and tragedy. The Actor [...]

Writer: Jeremy Paul Director: Robin Herford Reviewer: Susan Locke The Public Reviews Rating: The recent success of Guy Ritchie’s film can only attest to the British public’s long standing love affair with Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes and his faithful assistant Dr. Watson. This new production by director Robin Herford is in the more traditional mold than it’s filmic [...]

Writer: Jeremy Paul Director: Robin Herford Reviewer: James Higgins The Public Reviews Rating: At Richmond Theatre last night I had the pleasure of being transported back in time to Victorian London. Simon Higlett had created a quite wonderful set. The stage had become a dark but cosy bachelors lodgings filled with desks, comfy chairs, old books and strange [...]