Caroline Cronin

Producers Christopher D Clegg and James Drury have had a remarkable journey with Cool Rider, the much-lauded Grease 2 stage adaption. From a supposed ‘one night only show’ back in 2014 at the Lyric Theatre, to record-breaking ticket sales, a flurry of last-minute additional dates, then a return run three months later at the Duchess Theatre…not to mention an original cast recording.

Written by BAFTA Award winners Laurence Marks and Maurice Gran, this play can be viewed as a standalone...although if you're a fan of the board game, there are enough in-jokes to keep you satisfied.

This is a gold standard production in every sense of the phrase. It holds up extremely well against the west end production, to which inevitable comparisons will be drawn. Ivano Turco is fourth in a line of iconic Jamies past, and his elegance of movement is what sets him apart from those who stood before him. Turco’s beauty and grace is imbued in every step taken and every note sung, and it takes no time at all to fall in love with him.

2:22 A Ghost Story has made a bit of a mark for itself in its regularly rotating cast – often well-established actors known more widely for their off-stage work. As the show sweeps into its Brighton leg of the tour, the cast du jour boasts Joe Absolom, Charlene Boyd, Nathaniel Curtis and Louisa Lytton.RY at Theatre Royal Brighton?

Whether you're a lifelong mega-fan of Blood Brothers, or have never heard of it, this particular production is so finely curated with accomplished performances that I can't imagine anyone being disappointed. 

Creating a stage musical of Mrs. Doubtfire, a much beloved 90’s film with an even more beloved Robin Williams at its helm, could in theory be disastrous. Happily, my inner child is thrilled to report that Kevin McCollum and Jamie Wilson’s adaptation is not only a sensitive homage to the original, but delivers compelling performances and a modern twist that combine to create a nostalgic, relatable…and hilarious piece of theatre.

Touting themselves as 'The Spice Girls of improv', the team behind Notflix the Improvised Musical certainly knew how to inject some zig-a-zig-ah into the Brighton Fringe as they took the stage in Luna Park at the Caravanserai site this week.

A compelling and reflective one-woman play, My First Time was in a Car Park invites us inside the mind of protagonist Mira, a young woman that tells her story of losing her virginity through fragmented time-hopping anecdotes.

Aptly kicking off its UK Tour in James’ hometown – and that of his protagonist detective Roy Grace – this stage adaptation by Shaun McKenna is capably performed and authentically menacing in its simplicity, but a problem with pacing prevents it from fulfilling its full potential.

Heathers the Musical is touring the UK after a successful premiere at The Other Palace in 2018, which was followed by several revivals, all of which have contributed to its cult status as a musical in its own right, not just the 1988 movie on which it is based. 

If you’re looking for a wholesome yet hilarious evening out supporting your local theatre, look no further than the UK Tour of Steel Magnolias, which this week hit the Theatre Royal Brighton for its latest stop on tour.

What have I just witnessed? That was my overriding thought as I wandered out of the Theatre Royal Brighton, dumbstruck, baffled, fascinated and charmed by this extraordinary production of The Rocky Horror Show.

As a self-professed panto enthusiast, Mother Goose has never been a favourite of mine...until now. This high profile production written by Jonathan Harvey is a super smart interpretation which has been updated sympathetically for 2022 without losing the original intent.

Zorro the Musical has lived many lives before its latest engagement at the Charing Cross Theatre. From the West End Production of 2008-09 to this production’s first outing at the Hope Mill Theatre in Manchester, which was cruelly cut short just two previews in by the pandemic. It bursts into its new home with fiery abandon.

I’m not sure I was prepared for what I witnessed as I sat in the round of the Charing Cross Theatre, awaiting the overture for Broken Wings which I’d heard so much buzz about. An adaptation of a poetic novel by Gibran Khalil Gibran, Broken Wings is pitched by Director Bronagh Lagan as being a “tale of first love, loss and identity”.

Having joined the cast of Les Misérables at the newly refurbished Sondheim Theatre back in December 2019, Gerard Carey and Josefina Gabrielle have had quite the rollercoaster experience as everyone's favourite rogues, the Thénardiers. Between them, their list of theatre credits is impressive and despite having never met prior to the show, Carey and Gabrielle have united to create a strong partnership throughout multiple lockdowns and two different productions.

Finally – a major theatrical event in a prime-time slot on a Saturday night. Not since Andrew Lloyd Webber’s array of reality shows have we seen musical theatre put front and centre on a mainstream channel, and after years of The Olivier Awards broadcast being relegated to a truncated late night Sunday slot, this feels like a long time coming. And all the more poignant after the rough ride the industry has had these past two years.

As the first show out of the gate at The Other Palace since the pandemic, and the first show housed there since the venue was bought by Bill Kenwright, Heathers the Musical has a lot of attention to shoulder. Not only has it returned to its original home but it’s also got a brand new cast to boot – and reader…they are on fire.

What must it feel like to perform to a socially distanced auditorium of masked audience members? Well, if the other night’s 1000th performance of Everybody’s Talking About Jamie is to be used as a benchmark, nothing could possibly mask the sense of joy and unity felt in the room for those 2.5 hours.

This isn’t the first time that an opening night review has been written when the following day is closing night, but it is hopefully the last. When Tier 3 restrictions were announced at 3.30pm on Monday, the theatre industry heaved a collective sigh of desperation as once again, the rug was pulled out from under them. Of course, regional theatres have been closed for many months, but some is better than none, and seeing London theatres alive these past few weeks gave a glimmer of hope - not to mention employment - to thousands of people.