Compere: J P Houghton | 1000 Trades

Local comedians inject some much-needed humour into recent news stories in a series of improvised sketches ranging from odd to utterly surreal.

‘Whose Line Is It Anyway?’ was one of my favourite TV shows when I was a teenager in the 1990s. I think it was the danger I loved. What if they couldn’t come up with any ideas on the spot? What if they spoke over each other and it all went horribly wrong? What if they just weren’t funny?

Willy Russell | Belgrade Theatre | Directed by Bob Tomson and Bill Kenwright

Willy Russell’s multi-award-winning musical about twins separated at birth is the stuff of theatre legend. Directed by Bob Tomson and Bill Kenwright, the latest touring production, which opened in Coventry last night (and will also visit Cheltenham, Sheffield, Chelmsford, Bristol and Brighton) confirms why: it is a timeless and moving show which never fails to bring audiences to their feet. It lived up to its affectionate title of the ‘Standing Ovation Musical’ at the Belgrade’s opening night after stunning performances from the whole talented cast.

William Shakespeare | Derby Shakespeare Theatre Company | Directed by Leni Robson

The high quality of acting is consistent across the whole cast, Shakespeare’s words being delivered with exactly what you’d expect from a company specialising in the Bard: an understanding of the rhythms and poetry of the language.

Duncan Abel & Rachel Wagstaff | The Crescent Theatre | Directed by Rod Natkiel

The stage adaptation of Paula Hawkins’ bestselling 2015 novel is proving to be a popular choice for amateur theatre companies. I reviewed a production of ‘The Girl on the Train’ at Sutton Arts Theatre back in September 2022 so was looking forward to seeing how the Crescent Theatre’s latest main house production tackled this challenging story of mystery and suspense.