Category: Entertainment

The Sound Of Music – Sutton Arts Theatre ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

The Sound Of Music – Sutton Arts Theatre.
Sutton Arts Theatre
Thursday 19th June 2025
By : Nigel Gambles
Photography by : Studio 55 Photography

The Sound of Music is a timeless classic, with Julie Andrews playing the iconic Maria in the film. The show follows Maria, a postulant who has trouble conforming to the Abbey life, so she is sent away to be the governess of seven children.

The whole cast worked incredibly as a chorus, with the nuns opening the numbers with what I can only describe as an angelic performance. Although the nuns open the show with saintly songs, we soon meet Maria played by Amy Davies who makes her debut with Sutton Arts. We first meet the character as she sings The Sound of Music entering from the back of the theatre and approaches the stage with projections of hills and mountains on either side giving the effect of walking down the hills. Amy maybe just a wee bit older than the original Maria, but does a splendid job of creating a character that is both gentle and adventurous and has a wonderful singing voice slightly reminiscent of Julie Andrews, but then again how do you describe a character like Maria?

The Von Trapp children are played by  3 teams on the night I went to watch the show. Special mentions to Lois Stokes who plays Brigitta and Ada Hodgson as Gretl, with Liesl being played by Ava Cattell every night of the run. Ava delivers a wonderful performance as the sweet and passionate elder sibling looking for love and becoming a woman.  The children do an incredible job on stage both singing Do-Re-Me and create characters that capture the audiences attention. The father of the Von Trapp family is played by Paul Westwood, who at first is cold and uniformed, but as the play goes on we see him open up and fall in love. Although Paul gives a good performance as Von Trapp I felt that the character was missing some of the standards and precision of a military man. Now although the whole cast sang amazingly, I do have to note a few of the supporting roles. The ability of Liz Berriman who played the Mother Abbess, what a spectacular voice. Patrick Rayson  who plays Herr Zeller and scares you half to death with his excellent portrayal as the new Nazi governor of Austria, Olly Foster as Rolf Liesel’s love interest and budding Nazi, along with Nick Snowdon as Max Detweiler and Laura Hinton as Elsa Schraeder give good solid performances.

If you have ever visited Sutton Arts Theatre you will know the size of the stage and the fact that it has no wings! The set design by Mark Nattrass is nothing short of amazing, the way the sets change is ingenious and all down to the hard work of the backstage crew and cast.

The costumes were just as you could expect from The Sound of Music, nothing looked out of place or wrong.

Special mention to Emily Armstrong the director on the superb job she has done bringing this classic production to life. Sutton Coldfield will certainly be alive with The Sound Of Music

Guys & Dolls – Trinity Players ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This a  hugely fun and energetic production of the Broadway classic which showcases the incredible talent that exists in Trinity Players and is a perfect choice for their 50th anniversary as a society . Just the kind of tonic we all need!

As popular as it may be, it is a challenging piece to stage; multiple scenes, lengthy dance sequences, an abundance of songs, all add to a long list of hills to climb. Trinity Players production confronts these matters head on and delivers a hugely enjoyable, wonderfully performed show which illustrates the enormous pool of talent that exists in the group

Throughout, the standard of singing, dancing and acting is hugely impressive. The dance sequences are carried off successfully through skilful choreography from Celine Kirton. She has pushed the performers, but never beyond their capabilities, resulting in vibrant production numbers which really work. Bearing in mind that there is no huge budget available, the sets work well and the transitions from one to another are generally seamless. There are more than a few costumes required with this cast of thirty plus, and they are perfect adding lots of colour and style

The central four characters grabbed their roles with both hands and immersed themselves into their characters with great effect. Matt Hunt’s Nathan Detroit has a wonderful level of lovable incompetence and bluster – I couldn’t help thinking of Oliver Hardy. He is matched perfectly by Bexs Perry who gives Adelaide a beautifully touching vulnerability, but with a steely determination. Their love for each other is unmistakable. Sasha Barnes is a feisty Sarah Brown with a fabulous voice and her resistance/submission to the charms of Sky are completely believable. As Masterson, Dan Barnes is outstanding – cool, calm, collected and in control until he falls for Sarah. His singing voice is wonderful and he exudes a likeable confidence.

Paul Wescott has huge fun as Nicely-Nicely and his rendition of the iconic ‘Sit Down, You’re Rockin’ the Boat’ doesn’t disappoint and will surely have everybody clapping along. Rick Jones adds a splendidly antagonistic (and frustrated) Lieutenant Brannigan and there is a delightfully performance from Di Mannion as Arvide, whose plays s one of the older missionaries.

Throughout, the Hotbox Girls, Mission Band and the Crap Shooters give great energy to every minute of the show and serve the score and lyrics of Frank Loesser really well.

There is a good sized band, and they bang out the wonderful score with great enthusiasum under the excellent direction of Peter Bushby. With an ensemble of that size you need a good sound engineer who knows exactly how to balance vocals and instruments – it’s brilliant work.

As mentioned, Guys and Dolls is not straightforward or easy to stage, very far from it, but Director Richard McNally-Reilly and Producer Lewis Wescott have pulled it off in this happy, lively and splendidly performed production by a wonderfully talented team. It is a hugely uplifting tonic which is something we could all do with at this time

Sweet & Sour Tribute To Sabrina Carpenter & Olivia Rodrigo

Sweet & Sour Tribute To Sabrina Carpenter & Olivia Rodrigo

Sutton Coldfield Town Hall

Thursday 28th May 2025

By : Lee Williams

Photography by : Lee Williams Photography for WOISC

What an amazing show full of pop anthems and hits from these two rising stars. It featured a powerhouse live band with dynamic dancers. The singers were full of sass and swagger and controlled the stage. Olivia sang her big hits such as Vampire and Drivers Licence and Sabrina sang Nonsense and Please Please Please. The crowd loved every minute of this wonderful show and were out of their seats from the very start. Such great singers, they gave an amazing performance.

All Or Nothing

All or Nothing – The Experience

Sutton Coldfield Town Hall

Thursday 22nd May 2025

By : Lee Williams

Photography by : Lee Williams Photography for WOISC

All Or Nothing – Amazing! You can see why they have enjoyed three sell out tours and a successful West End run within this musical. Writer Carol Harrison and the show’s multi-talented cast, performed the new, All Or Nothing Experience Concert Show, celebrating the music of the iconic mod band Small Faces. Commencing with 1965, it documents the new phenomenon which erupted on the streets of London at the time – it was the essence of all that was cool… It was MOD!

Sharp, funny and streetwise, the show encapsulated all that was Mod. Behind this the storyline was colourful, just as their music, is poignant and bittersweet. The show charted and celebrated the band’s roller coaster journey through their unique and electrifying sound. The hits just kept coming, including What’cha Gonna Do About It, Itchycoo Park, Lazy Sunday, Tin Soldier, All or Nothing and more.

In the second half the band performed a sensational selection of groovy and soulful sixties hits showing off their talents even further. What an amazing night!

Kipps Half A Sixpence – Manor Musical Theatre Co. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Kipps : Half A Sixpence – Manor Musical Theatre Co.

Sutton Coldfield Town Hall

Tuesday 6th May 2025

By : Nigel Gambles

Photography by : Studio 55 Photography

To set the scene I have only ever seen the movie of Half A Sixpence with Tommy Steele and Julia Foster and that was quite a time ago so I had no idea what to expect. What I saw was absolutely brilliant and I loved every minute singing along to the well known numbers all be it to myself as I did not want to clear the building.

“Kipps” is a revised version of the musical Half a Sixpence, with a Book written by Julian Fellowes of Downton Abbey fame. The story follows the misadventures of the hapless Arthur Kipps, a working class lad whose happiness at coming into money is quickly eroded at the hands of a bunch of grasping aristocrats. Will Arthur be true to his new love, the well-to-do Helen, or return to childhood sweetheart Ann who suddenly re-enters his life? The answer to that question probably won’t surprise many, but we certainly had a great time getting there! Roughly one third romance, one third fish out of water tale, and one third social commentary, the show is enlivened by a series of toe-tapping musical numbers that will be familiar to anyone who’s seen the famous Tommy Steele musical.

Arthur Kipps is played by Jamie Wilson. This is his first lead role for Manor but a number of you may remember him from previous productions, The Sound of Music and Anything Goes are just a couple. Jamie brings the down to earth feel of Tommy Steels Kipps to the part along with his excellent dancing and strong singing voice, it is not a role for the faint hearted as Kipps is barely off stage. I dont think it will be long before we see this young man in a major national show.

Ann Pornick, Arthur’s childhood sweetheart is played by Eliza Tall. The chemistry between Jamie and Eliza is perfect and matures really nicely when they meet up again several years later. Eliza’s voice is such a gorgeous instrument, especially highlighted in Ann’s solo, “Long Ago”.

Juliet Fisher plays the other corner of the love triangle, Helen Walsingham. Helen is one of those characters who you do feel a little sorry for because if it were not for her mother, maybe Helen and Arthur might have had a good shot at marriage, because Helen and Arthur really do want just a small house to live and be happy in. Helen is educated, classy and beautiful and glides around a room more than merely walks. Juliet is obviously perfectly cast.

Mrs Walsingham is Helen’s domineering mother, fussy, tiresome, full of self importance and a snob. She is however, played wonderfully by Lynette Coffey.

James Walsingham, Helen’s brother, is a somewhat corrupt financial advisor. He is seemingly the more favoured offspring of Mrs Walsingham and is played by Tom Wells. Tom also doubles as the brilliantly camp photographer in the massively fun scene at Arthur’s wedding where we get to experience “Flash, Bang Wallop”

Well as all the principals sang and danced (and they were all superb), for me the heart and soul of this show was in the performance of the ensemble.  What a delight they were – exuberant, tuneful and extremely well-rehearsed (what must have been hours and hours of effort shone through on stage.) Choreographer Izzie Larkin produced three or four absolute showstoppers, all delivered with real heart and conviction by the entire cast, it was great to see absolutely everyone giving it both barrels, the dancing extending right to the back of the group. I particularly enjoyed the denizens of the pub reprising ‘Money to Burn’ and espousing ‘The Joy of the Theatre’, whilst the ‘Flash Bang Wallop’ finale was a triumph of timing that would not look out of place on a West End stage.

Finally, credit to Musical Director Chris Arnold for expertly marshalling an eleven-piece Orchestra, and to Directors Pam & James Garrington, who kept the action flowing very effectively.

Sutton Arts Theatre – On The Piste ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

On The Piste – Sutton Arts Theatre

Sutton Arts Theatre

Thursday 1st May 2025

By : Nigel Gambles

Photography by : Sutton Arts Theatre

This is a play of brilliantly observed humour, On The Piste is full of laughs.

Telling the story of two holidaying couples – 30s somethings Alison and Chris (Jayne Lunn and Luke Saldana) and 20s somethings Bev and Dave (Harriet Gordon and Dan McCloskey) and the rich and stylish frequenter of the slopes, Melissa (Keyleigh Alison), and you have the formula for two hours comic drama.– On The Piste is set in the French Alpine resort of Chamonix.

Opening with a skier hurtling (well sliding on rollers) down a slope to the very edge of the stage catching everyone unawares. Extracting much humour from the sheer exhaustion of carrying around skiing equipment and balancing on bits of fibreglass, the play doesn’t skimp on keeping the audience engaged and amused.

With an inventive use of set, and some nice physical humour, the couples enjoy a drink together where we learn their histories and secrets, their insecurities, cute quirks and annoying habits, and along the way – too much information about one couple’s bedroom role play. There is also  a memorable cable car ride, and an ultra hot sauna which is very eye opening! as they try to enjoy their trip under the roving eye of fit, perma tanned and passionate instructor Tony (enthusiastically played by Paul Atkins), whose presence oozes potential chaos.

Well acted throughout, the play touches on themes of class, Englishman abroad, and explores the shaky foundations on which the two relationships are based. So well-observed, the audience is effectively laughing at ourselves.

Well acted and designed, On The Piste speeds slalom style from mountain to hotel, via sauna and cable car, towards an increasingly inevitable outcome. I found myself continuously giggling – I don’t laugh out loud often, but I made quite a few exceptions for this play.

On until 10th May tickets available from https://suttonartstheatre.savoysystems.co.uk/SuttonArtsTheatre.dll/

 

Sutton Coldfield Heritage – Royal Variety Show

Sutton Coldfield Heritage – Royal Variety Show
Bishop Vesey Grammar School
Saturday 5th April 2025
By : Sutton Coldfield Heritage Network
Photos : Sutton Coldfield Heritage Network
With grateful thanks from Sutton Coldfield Heritage Network to Sutton Coldfield Charitable Trust for funding, the whole event went extremely well and audience and exhibitor / performer feedback was fantastic. Grea atmosphere, high quality performances, amazing variety, small but interesting creative and literary arts’ exhibition, and ‘a great night out’.
The Town’s Mayor said a couple of times he ‘hadn’t expected it to be as good as this!’ and the Mayoress said ‘fabulous’ quite a few times but particularly about the Queen medley finale played by Central England Concert Band with all performers and exhibitors on the stage happily waving and swaying!
The small but packing-a-punch exhibition showcased the excellent work of local artists including Misccreate Art School, Bold Writers literary arts, Maggie Taylor artist, Sutton Coldfield Local History Research Group, and Sutton Coldfield Heritage Network.
Following this diverse display of local visual and literary arts, King Henry VIII’s own composition ‘Pastime in Good Company’ played by the skilful Central England Concert Band, narrated by The Lady of the Manor, Lauren Jones, and supported by Henry VIII and Bishop Vesey in the flesh (incredible!) opened the concert in medieval style. Henry’s Choir continued the 1500s theme with Arabesque Silver Swans Chitty Chitty Bang Bang ballet moving the audience forward through time bringing Truly Scrumptious to life in Sutton Coldfield. Preserving young people’s opportunities to play great film music, the New Streetly Youth Orchestra started the second half with a variety of John Williams’ epic film themes, and continuing the youth theme, Sing ‘N Tonic Choir took us through almost every Disney film tune you could think of. The very first performance of Lads, Dads & Granddads Pop-Up Male Voice Choir got off the ground with Baba Yetu sung in Swahili (well done, chaps) and the audience fully understood why Premier Dance Company are World Champions given the quality of contemporary dance on display. Central England Concert Band, in its first major Sutton Coldfield concert and under the direction of local resident Martin Sleaford, threw in a James Bond medley along the way and led the Queen finale given both Roger Moore and Roger Taylor’s residential and business ties to the Town.
Along with increasing the numbers of stage hands for next year’s event to minimise delays, a call for 2026 performers and exhibitors will be out during next month.
Photos: 
The dignitaries photo – left to right: Stella Thebridge MBE, Event Director; Lauren Jones, The Lady of the Manor creative narrator; Colin Ingley, King Henry VIII; Councillor John Perks, the Mayor of the Royal Town of Sutton Coldfield; Mrs Sarah Perks, the Mayoress of the Royal Town of Sutton Coldfield; Chris Kettel, Bishop Vesey; Martin Sleaford, Event Artistic Director
The Silver Swans letter from Queen Camilla, herself a Silver Swan ballet dancer, reluctantly declining an invite to watch Arabesque Swans’ performance on Saturday night. Lleft-to-right: Donna, Arabesque School of Dance Silver Swan; Councillor John Perks, the Mayor of the Royal Town of Sutton Coldfield; Mrs Sarah Perks, the Mayoress of the Royal Town of Sutton Coldfield;
The auditorium set out for concert at Bishop Vesey Grammar School

Lichfield Operatic Society – Any Goes ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Anything Goes – Lichfield Operatic Society

Lichfield Garrick

Tuesday 8th April 2025

By : Nigel Gambles

Photography by : Studio 55 Photography

Lichfield Operatic Society have done themselves proud. Anything Goes, this year’s production of choice, is a superb showcase of rich talent and enduring passion. Overseen by the Director Patrick Jervis, the production is confident, powerful and brimming with enthusiasm and joy.

It is also packed classics: I Get a Kick Out of You; You’re the Top; It’s De-Lovely.

Set on an ocean liner the SS American, bound from New York to London, Anything Goes follows the madcap antics of those on board. Central is Billy Crocker, a charming young stowaway who has fallen in love with wealthy heiress Hope Harcourt (played by Ellie Johnstone), who is already engaged to an English aristocrat Lord Evelyn Oakleigh (played by Connor Brooks). Billy is played masterfully by Adam Gregory, while Charlotte Jervis effortlessly embodies Reno Sweeney, a nightclub singer who assists Billy in his bid to win Hope’s heart.

Ellie Johnstone provides an outstanding portrayal of Hope. Her acting is sensitive, congenial and expressive, providing her scenes with sophistication and warmth. Adam Gregorys’s rendition of Billy is rich with boyish charm and a strong sense of fun. His chemistry when on stage with Ellie or Charlotte is nothing short of magical. I will say now that all three of them could have been on a stage in the West End their performances so polished and realistic.

Ben Green is public enemy number 13 – Moonface Martin. He  shows off his comic side and gives an easygoing, shoulder-rolling, soft-shoe-shuffling performance as low-league criminal Moonface Martin that reminds you what a pro he is. His duet with Charlotte Jervis on the song Friendship is a playful delight

Shannon Robinson is the sultry gangsters moll Erma Latour, who is having a ball playing the ships sailors off against one another for her hand in marriage, while also warning them that she is not easily pleased. Shannon is superb, her accent and sassy brashness just hitting the mark perfectly.

Also strong is Chris Stanley, playing the Ship’s Captain his performance is very assured. Theo Fryer, plays the Ship’s Purser, offering a comedic and charismatic performance. Don’t miss them at the start of the show before the curtains raised

The best songs and the biggest moments belong to Charlotte Jervis as Reno and she knocks them out the park her voice is amazing.

While the acting quality is compelling across the whole cast, this is a musical, and the musical facet of this production is exquisite thanks to musical director David Easto. The orchestra lays on melodious accompaniment throughout, which makes the actors’ and actresses’ performances shine all the more. Sound and lighting move in tandem with the onrushing of the plot, guiding the production from each set-piece scene to the next. The setting of an ocean liner is great in its design, owing to the diligent work of stage manager Martin Garfield and his back stage team

Perhaps most striking in this production is the use of dance, choreographed skilfully by Zoe Heathcote and Jody Edmunds. The hours of practice that have gone into some of the routines must have been huge and the quality, professionalism and passion shines through to the point where you will be exhausted just watching. The enthusiasm and enjoyment each cast member demonstrates is truly stirring, and you have to admire the whole company’s dedication. Each radiant scene glides into the next, moving with water’s easy tread and supple fluidity. The dancing scenes are elegant and subtle, yet profound – they are in their execution quite simply excellent.

Evita – Lichfield Musical Theatre ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Evita – Lichfield Musical Youth Theatre

Lichfield Garrick

Tuesday 1st April 2025

By : Nigel Gambles

Photography by : Lichfield Musical Youth Theatre

This was two hours of breathtaking pleasure that once again reminds you of the number of incredibly talented young people we have in the area who dedicate their time and energy to create spectacles like this

This ambitious new production of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice’s Evita which charts the rise to power of Eva Duarte from the dusty streets of Argentina to first lady of Prime Minister Juan Perón in the mid 1900’s. This is one of my favourite Lloyd Webber/Rice shows with some iconic numbers.

The casting of all the main characters was superb and each and every member of the sizeable chorus provided the perfect backdrop to what is a triumphant but ultimately sad story about the very short life of a woman who is still held to almost sainted regard in Argentina.

The audience is told the end of the story before the action is taken back to the streets of Argentina and a younger Eva Duarte who is from an impoverished background but has very lofty ambitions that this will not be her lot in life as she has eyes on stardom and ultimately power.  Her journey begins with a dalliance with tango cabaret singer Augustin Magaldi (James Williams) his rendition of “On This Night Of a Thousand Stars” is energetic and enthusiastic. This short affair leads her to the bright lights of Buenos Aires where she goes through several men before marrying Juan Perón (Zach Andrews) and becoming the most powerful lady in the land. All the while, and ostensibly as an onlooker, uber left wing political activist and general trouble maker to the powers that be Che Guevara (Zephan Rowe) is looking on critically as the aspirational social climber is using all her wiles to get to where she wants to be. His duet “High Flying Adored” with Eva is beautiful

The role of Evita is played with sublime elegance by Hannah Roche she makes it all look so effortless. She embodies Eva Perón completely – the passion, the emotion, the determination to reach the top, and the ever-growing anxiety about the impending end. When she sang “Don’t Cry For Me Argentina” the anthemic centrepiece of the show left us delighted and simultaneously heartbroken.

The principal cast are supported ably and with such professionalism by an ensemble who help paint the picture and set the scene. The choreography by Jessica Bennett is exquisite, especially in the blending of the movement of dance and marching during ‘And The Money Kept Rolling In’. The company are placed so stylishly upon the stage in each moment with the effect that every scene is a feast for the eyes and ears. It is almost exhausting to watch them.

As for the costumes. I tried to count the number of costume changes but gave up. Top marks to the team behind the planning of those outfits and managing the fast changes off-stage.

And so to my star of the show and it is a difficult one with so many stellar performances this evening, but it goes to a young lady who is found on stage in a scene where she is unceremoniously chucked out by the ever advancing Eva. In the programme she is called ‘The Mistress’ which I think is a little harsh as she was there first. But my star of the show goes to Charlotte Grubb who sang ‘Another Suitcase in Another Hall’ with effortless emotion and very nearly had me crying.

If you like musicals then get yourselves along to this show at The Garrick Theatre Lichfield from Tuesday 1st April – Saturday 5th April with a matinee on the Saturday

https://www.lichfieldgarrick.com/events/evita-lmyt#dates-and-times

Drag Me To The 80’s

Royal Sutton Coldfield Town Hall
Saturday 22nd March 2025
By Lee Williams
Photography By Lee Williams Photos

What an amazing show from the first song through to the last one!  The 80’s Divas provided an amazing production full of dazzling outfits, songs and attitude.  The crowd were up and dancing from the first song and were singing along.  This was a performance full of the greatest 80’s hits brought back to life.  The night included the a live band and played Kylie, Madonna, Whitney, Bananarama , Queen, Abba, Rick Astley, Pet Shop Boys , Erasure, Duran Duran, Wham, Tina Turner all in one show!  The crowd left so happy and tired from dancing and smiling!

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