Verity Wilde

Given the turbulent times that we live in, a new stage adaptation of Hans Fallada's Alone in Berlin would seem like a smart choice for an ambitious theatre (or theatres, as this is a co-production with York Theatre Royal, in association with Oxford Playhouse).

The London Musical Theatre Orchestra's new concert A Night at the Musicals is a well-judged programme of crowd-pleasing favourites, where my only real complaint was the sound mix. Guided by their charming conductor Freddie Tapner, there are songs from The Greatest Showman, Dear Evan Hansen and Hamilton as well as Disney classics and the more expected West End staples from Lloyd Webber, Wicked and Les Mis.

A slice-of-African-American-life in 1960s Pittsburgh comes to life at Royal and Derngate

The world premiere of Anthony McCarten's (The Theory of Everything, Bohemian Rhapsody, Darkest Hour) play The Pope at Royal and Derngate looks at a turning point moment in the Catholic Church - the retirement of Pope Benedict XVI and his replacement with Pope Francis. Two popes living, but more than that, the retirement was a challenge to the idea that a pope should die in office - an idea that had been unchallenged for 700 years.

Held together by a mesmerising performance by Tom Mothersdale, Headlong's production of Richard III races along at such a pace that it's only after it stops that you realise exactly how much ground they have managed to cover. In John Haidar's hands, one of the very longest of Shakespeare's plays is a just over two and a half hours - including interval - which means that the death toll mounts at some speed.

Mike Poulton's new version of Ibsen's Ghosts will play on your nerves and force you to confront some dark truths.

The very stiffest of stiff upper lips is on display at Royal and Derngate in the premiere of Barney Norris's adaptation of The Remains of the Day.

The world premiere of a stage version of Jill Murphy's The Worst Witch is the non-panto festive show at Northampton's Royal and Derngate this Christmas, ahead of a national tour in 2019.

SPACE SHAMBLES, hosted by astronaut Chris Hadfield and comedian Robin Ince, was part of the Royal Albert Hall's inaugural Festival of Science on Friday 15 June. Verity Wilde was there.

Agatha Christie and Frank Vosper's Love from a Stranger returns to the stage in this collaboration between Royal and Derngate and Firey Angel. And it's a disconcerting experience, as what starts off seeming like a conventional enough story turns into something altogether creepier.

For me, the best thing about panto is the stuff that's not in the script - we went every year when I was little and my favourite memory is of the year that Brian Blessed's trousers split when he was playing Captain Hook and he and Smee had an extended fit of giggles.

My first ever Christmas theatre experience was in the Royal Theatre in Northampton - back when they had a celebrity panto in the Derngate and a traditional panto in the Royal.

Christmas is coming, and along with the lists of food to buy and presents to wrap, there's the traditional conundrum about which Christmas show to go and see. Fear not - BroadwayWorld has been checking out what's on around the Midlands this festive season. Hint: Cinderella is *really* popular this year.

A bittersweet trip back to a school in throes of Cool Britannia.

A family Christmas hurtles towards disaster with hilarious consequences in RULES FOR LIVING at Royal and Derngate in Northampton ahead of a national tour.

Making the European premiere of Peter and the Starcatcher the not-panto Christmas show in Northampton's Royal Theatre may well have been an inspired move by the powers-that-be at Royal and Derngate. There are no soap stars, celebrities or Britain's Got Talent competitors here, but it does feel like it has some shared DNA with a pantomime. There's a dame - Michael Matus's Mrs Bumbrake; an evilly over-the-top baddie you can't take your eyes off in Greg Haiste's Lord Flashheart-eque Black Stache; and Evelyn Hoskins' Molly is practically a Principal Boy. And that's before you get to the fact that this is a prequel of sorts to Peter Pan. There's jokes about farts for children, about British colonialism for grown-ups and about Philip Glass for the geeks.

A National Youth Theatre ensemble shines in a specially adapted TEMPEST at Royal and Derngate, Northampton.

SOUL is billed as the untold story of Marvin Gaye - but it's really a dysfunctional family drama, with one participant who happens to be famous.