Less in MORE theatre company, Middlesbrough Theatre. Glasgow-born playwright CP Taylor had a long-standing relationship with Live Theatre in Newcastle, with many of his plays first performed there. ‘And A Nightingale Sang’ began life in the 1970s as an oral-history project commissioned by Live, first performed there in 1978, set in and around Eldon Square … Continue reading And A Nightingale Sang – 5 stars

People's Theatre, Newcastle. The original BBC series’ ‘Yes, Minister’ and ‘Yes, Prime Minister’ are widely considered as genuine comedy classics, and so a brand new up-to-date stage version was greatly anticipated when it first opened at the Chichester Festival Theatre in 2010, subsequently embarking upon a West End run and a national tour the following … Continue reading Yes Prime Minister – 3 stars

People's Theatre, Newcastle. In his programme notes, director Tony Childs writes: “It's easy to see how Much Ado About Nothing is one of Shakespeare's best loved comedies”, and The People's production of it is everything a Shakespeare comedy should be: clever, witty, stylish, and very funny. The pace never lets up for a moment. The … Continue reading Much Ado About Nothing – 5 stars

Live Theatre, Newcastle. John Challis's poetic play about a chance meeting on a railway concourse between a call centre worker and a would-be poet is the first of three Bitesize plays produced by Queen's Hall Arts playing at Live Theatre. The production is a perfect blend of poetry and theatre, with the writing succeeding in … Continue reading The Next Train To Depart – 4 stars

People's Theatre, Newcastle. This classic 1892 farce by Brandon Thomas broke all records when it was first produced, running in London for four years (1,466 performances) and making a star of its original 'Charley's Aunt', comic actor W.S. Penley. It has been revived and revisited ever since, by both amateur and professional companies around the … Continue reading Charley’s Aunt – 3 stars