Into The Woods – Script Youth Musical Theatre ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Into the Woods – Script Youth Musical Theatre

Crescent Theatre – Birmingham

Friday 28th November– Dress Rehearsal

By Lee Williams

**Photography – Lee Williams Photography (For WOISC)**

If you love fairy tales but wish they had a bit more bite (and more songs), “Into The Woods” is right up your alley. This musical, created by Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine, takes stories you already know—Cinderella, Jack and the Beanstalk, Little Red Riding Hood, Rapunzel—and mashes them together in a way that’s both hilarious and surprisingly deep. Since hitting Broadway in 1987, it’s become a favourite for theatre fans everywhere. Now it’s here – presented by Script Youth Musical Theatre Company.

At first glance, it’s a strange and wild mix of familiar characters all heading into the woods to chase after their biggest dreams. The Baker and his Wife just want a kid, but a Witch has put a curse on them. Everyone’s paths cross, and things get out of hand fast. Wishes do come true—but not always in the way anyone expects.

The music in “Into The Woods” is awesome. In the original Sondheim really knew how to write songs that stick with you. From the catchy and funny “Agony” to the moving “No One Is Alone,” there’s a great mix of humour and heart. The lyrics are clever, packed with puns and deeper meanings, so there’s always something new to catch each time you listen.

The production and set here is kept simple, letting your imagination fill in the rest. There’s plenty of room for cool lighting and sound effects, and with so many characters sharing the stage, things stay lively and fun.

This show gives actors a lot to work with—no boring roles here! Whether it’s the Baker, the Witch, or even Little Red Riding Hood, everyone gets a moment to shine. Performances by Gracie Reynolds and Masie Holdsworth as the Witch are lively and pop whereas Daniel George and Niamh Scott-Walters/Lexi Roberts play the Baker and Baker’s Wife brilliantly. We must admit, Nancy Reynolds and Isla Rose Thompson play extremely cute cows!

“Into The Woods” is loads of fun, with catchy songs and sharp humour, but it also has something to say. Whether you’re watching for the first time or the fiftieth, you’ll find new bits to enjoy and think about. So, if you’re up for a musical that’s smart, funny, and a little bit dark, don’t miss your chance to get lost in these woods.

⭐️ ⭐️ Christmas Events in Sutton Coldfield Town Centre ⭐️ ⭐️

Christmas Events in Sutton Coldfield Town Centre

Sunday 30th November

Meet The Grinch & Cindy-Lou 12pm-3pm

Free Face painting 10am-3pm

Farmers & Craft Market 10am-3pm

Saturday 13th December

Walk In Snow globe 11am-4pm

Victorian Stilt Walker 12pm-4pm

Meet Father Christmas 12pm-4pm

Victorian Christmas Market 10am-8pm

Sunday 14th December

Walk In Snow globe 11am-4pm

Victorian Stilt Walker 12pm-4pm

Meet Father Christmas 12pm-4pm

Victorian Christmas Market 10am-5pm

Saturday 20th December

See The Gingerbreads 12pm-3pm

Victorian Stilt Walker 12pm-4pm

Meet Father Christmas 12pm-4pm

Victorian Christmas Market 10am-8pm

Sunday 21st December

See The Elves 12pm-4pm

Victorian Stilt Walker 12pm-4pm

Meet Father Christmas 12pm-4pm

Victorian Christmas Market 10am-5pm

Victorian Christmas Market

Week 1)

Thursday 11th – Sunday 14th December

Week 2)

Thursday 18th – Sunday 21st December

Times) Thursday, Friday, Saturday 10am-8pm & Sunday10am-5pm

Events brought to you by Visit Royal Sutton Coldfield BID and Victorian Market trader bookings through LSD Promotions

Sutton Coldfield town centre

Pictures Courtesy Visit Royal Sutton Coldfield BID

Royal Sutton Fun Run Presentation Evening 2025

Last week saw the annual presentation evening for the Royal Sutton Fun Run

Participants in this year’s 42nd Royal Sutton Fun Run have chosen 154 charities and voluntary organisations to benefit from the £285,570 they have raised in 2025. The fourth highest total on record since the event began in 1982.

Event Director, Tracey Spare said: “Fun Run participants have raised another staggering sum of money for their chosen charities & voluntary organisations, which is particularly pleasing when you consider the challenging domestic financial challenges.

The total raised and distributed since the first Royal Sutton Fun Run in 1982 has now reached over £5.68million.

Picture 1:

Dominic Robson, [Headteacher] Claire Bolton [Business Development], Nyla Baig & Jonas Echeta [Charity Captains] – Bishop Vesey’s Grammar School presented to Rachel McNair & Kerrie Henry-Edge, BIRMINGHAM MIND

Picture 2:

Andy Perks [Inktree] & Giles Edmunds & Lakhdeep Kaur [Directors, Specsavers Sutton Coldfield & Mere Green] & Karl Rowntree [MD, RotoSpa] presented to Jackie Price, Centre Manager & Trevor Saadi [Chair] SUTTON COLDFIELD CANCER SUPPORT CENTRE.

Picture 3:

Mark Thomas, Director, Gemini Wealth Management presented to Vicky Burford, CEO PANS PANDAS UK

Cheque 4:

James Pike, Vanessa Hoe & Nicola Davies [RSFR Directors] presented to Elle Huguet, Assistant Fundraising Manager, GOOD HOPE HOSPITAL CHARITY

Picture 5:

Kira McClure, Dave Steggles & Abbi Brown – Charity Leaders, Sertec & Amy Cox, Owner FIT Sutton Coldfield presented to Amanda Devlin, Regional Fundraiser, BIRMINGHAM CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL.

My Fair Lady – Cloc Musical Theatre Company ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

My Fair Lady – Cloc MTC

Sutton Coldfield Town Hall

Wednesday 22nd October 2025 – Opening Night

By Nigel Gambles

Photography – Studio 55 Photography

‘My Fair Lady’ is a wonderful show. The musical is set in London, in that great period at the beginning of the 20th century, when the Empire, King and country were all Great with a capital G, and tells the story of a famous English Language phonetician, Henry Higgins, who makes a bet with friend and fellow linguist, Colonel Pickering, that he can turn a working-class flower seller into a high society lady in six months. The challenge is accepted, since Eliza herself the “guttersnipe” flowergirl wishes to learn to speak properly in order to work in a flower shop.

I have seen the show once before about 25 years ago with a star studded cast including Jonathan Pryce, Martine McCutcheon and Dennis Waterman, very nice you might say, but my point is that this cast from Cloc MTC could easily take their places, so polished and professional are their performances.

First off, this is a long show nearly three hours so get comfortable for a long but rewarding journey in uncomfortable theatre chairs!

The set is predominantly a huge screen showing scenes of London, Covent Garden, Ascot and general street scenes. This worked superbly with only a few props having to be moved on and off stage.

John Biddell plays Henry Higgins. One of the standout aspects of Johns’s portrayal was his ability to capture Higgins’ arrogance and condescension. Higgins is a character who is used to getting his way and sees himself as superior to those around him, particularly Eliza. John was able to convey this sense of superiority through his posture, facial expressions, and vocal inflections, at the same time he also showed Higgins vulnerability and humanity. John managed to show this complexity through his performance and particularly his interactions with Eliza.

Moving on to Eliza Dolittle, Audrey Hepburn who made this role unmatchable that is until Samantha Rogers took on the role, her fabulous voice and wonderful acting gave soul to the character. Her vocal range is incredible and she demonstrates excellent control. She brought Eliza to life in a way that few performers have before. Her performance was subtle and detailed and her singing had wonderful quality that draws the audience in and keeps them engaged. Her incredible voice, combined with her acting skills, made her portrayal of Miss Doolittle truly unforgettable. She left a lasting impression on us.

Matt Beebe made a lively, spritely, and considerate Pickering. A lovely clear voice and diction as well as a great stage presence helped his character along nicely. Hayley Howen as Henry’s mother, Mrs.Higgins was a delight, as was Stacey Muxlow’s Mrs Pearce. Alex Nash gives a wonderful performance as the lovestruck Freddie and his rendition of On The Street Where You Live was beautiful and really endearing.

The principals were supported by a large and enthusiastic chorus of all ages, filling the stage where necessary.

Producer Rosemary Ravenscroft has done an excellent job pulling together this mammoth show whilst installing a level of commitment and enthusiasm from what must be hours and hours of rehearsals, that is off the scale, this can be seen in the dance sections choreographed by Teresa Biddell which are superb and so in sync – perfect.

The orchestra led by Peter Wingate were excellent if not somewhat over powering in a few sections. Lighting by Going Dark was as usual “spot on”.

Beauty & The Beast – Script Youth Musical Theatre ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Beauty & The Beast – Script Youth Musical Theatre Company

Crescent Theatre

Thursday 11th September 2025 – Dress Rehearsal

By : Nigel Gambles

Photography by : Studio 55 Photography

This familiar story, is a magical tale of mystery, sorcery, dreams, sadness, longing, and a just-in-time happy and moving ending.

A young prince, cursed and imprisoned in the form of a beast must find true love before the last rose petal falls to break the spell.

The true love appears in the form of Belle played by Erin Phillips, a wonderful singer with an amazing voice, a village girl who is being pursued by the narcissistic and arrogant hunter Gaston played to perfection by Findlay Laidlaw a strong and powerful vocalist, along with his side-kick LeFou the talented and hilarious Evie Rice, more on Evie later.

Belle refuses Gaston’s advances, yet the other village girls Effie Jobling, Isabelle Round and Darci Rice very amusingly fawn for his attention and affections.

Belle comes face to face with the Beast Samuel McCormac in his castle, whilst looking for her father Maurice, Zachariah Scrivens, who has been captured and selflessly ends up swapping places to gain his freedom. Belle soon befriends a host of wonderful characters in the ‘enchanted’ castle, who hope ‘this is the one to break the spell’. This magnificent group – Lumiere (Kian Haden), Mrs Potts (Chloe Mason), Chip (Oliver Malkin), Cogsworth (Amiee Whillis), Madame De La Grande Bouche (Jess Lewis) and the constantly amusing Babette (Louise Heard) are forever memorable.

Despite a turbulent beginning, a deep friendship develops between Belle and Beast and eventually the curse is broken. The true prince is revealed, Gaston is seen off, and peace, dance and merriment ensue. Therein lies the underlying message of the play: inward characteristics such as kindness should forever be valued over superficial qualities like appearance.

Forgive me for not mentioning by name the many other young actors, but they were all fantastic and the final number including the whole cast was a total delight.

Well done to Louise Farmer for such creative, enthusiastic production and once again ensuring that she got the maximum enthusiasm and effort from the whole cast and Kelly McCormac for the meticulous choreography. A very special mention to Evie Rice who upon finding out the group would be doing Beauty and the Beast jumped at the chance to design and make Belles dresses as part of her finals at BOA, they are superb.

I have always thought that putting one’s trust and faith in children and young people brings out their best. Script Youth Musical Theatre certainly helps in this by promoting positive growth opportunities such as confidence building, creativity, communicating and working with others, as well as enabling the skills of acting, singing and dancing.

Six The Musical – Teen Edition : Lichfield Musical Youth Theatre ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Six The Musical – Teen Edition : Lichfield Musical Youth Theatre

The Hub St Marys

Wednesday 2nd July 2025

By : Nigel Gambles

Photography by : LMYT

What a wonderful, colourful show excellently performed by the young company. I have not seen Six before and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The setting in St Marys Hub was absolutely the perfect place for it and the sound and lighting design by Sam Burkinshaw and Stephen Rainsford complemented it perfectly

The six wives filled the stage with their exuberant singing. The stunning costumes designed and made by Sue Broad were perfect showing the different personalities of the wives beautifully

As with all the shows that I’ve seen from Lichfield Musical Youth Theatre, the standard of performance, choreography, acting and overall sheen is of top priority, and this show has all of the above and an added fistful of sass and attitude.

The six wives of Henry VIII are Catherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn, Jane Seymour, Anne of Cleves, Katherine Howard, and Catherine Parr. “Six” tells each of their stories in a very atypical fashion: the wives have all come together as part of a pop girl group, and they each sing a song about who has suffered the most as Henry’s wife. The winner will be the new leader of the group.

Evelyn Maymand plays Catherine of Aragon : The first wife of Henry VIII, was known for her strength and determination. She sings “No Way” and stands her ground despite her divorce. Evelyn was absolutely solid through out and set a high bar for the other queens to follow.

Anne Boleyn: The second wife of Henry VIII infamous for her beheading and she likes to remind you, was portrayed with great wit by Jess Horne. “Don’t Lose Ur Head” is such a well known number and Jess brought all the sass and energy this deserved.

Jane Seymour: The third wife of Henry VIII, often seen as the love of his life, was so beautifully played by Molly Bastable. She depicted the gentle and kind mother who died in childbirth with such emotion. Singing “Heart of Stone”, you would have needed one to not be moved.

Anne of Cleves: Maiya Ogden was the fourth wife of Henry VIII, known for her short-lived marriage to the king. This a difficult part as you need to be pragmatic and somewhat aloof especially when singing “Get Down”. Maiya was more than up to the task and totally nailed it.

Katherine Howard: The fifth wife of Henry VIII, was Beth Winspear. Beth was excellent as she took the audience on the journey of a young and naive girl who meets a tragic end. As she sang “All You Wanna Do” she showcased the desire for love and the unsavoury attention that can bring.

Catherine Parr: The sixth and final wife of Henry VIII was Molly Darby. Catherine was known for her intelligence and influence and Molly carried the characterisation with skill beyond her years. “I Don’t Need Your Love” was amazing.

All SIX girls performed to the highest standard and it was easy to forget you were watching a youth production. You could see clearly that each one had lived the part and were having fun.

Jessica Bennett is the Director and Choreographer and Oliver Rowe Musical Director of SIX and what a show they gave us. Technically as close to perfect as you could get. With spectacular lighting and great use of space, they got the very best from her undoubtably talented singers and dancers.

I would have to say that overall “Six” was a total triumph and a credit to all those involved

If you don’t want to lose your head hurry and get those tickets the show runs until Saturday 5th July with 2 performances each night 6.30pm and 9.00pm

Chop Chop..

https://thehubstmarys.co.uk/events/lmyt-six-teen-edition/

Legally Blonde -Script Youth Musical Theatre Company ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Legally Blonde -Script Youth Musical Theatre Company

Highbury Theatre

Monday 30th June 2025

By : Nigel Gambles

Photography by : Studio 55 Photography

As they say OMG where do I start. I attended the dress rehearsal for this show Monday night and I can promise that you are in for an absolute treat. I have seen the show a number of times performed by different theatre groups but I can truthfully say this was one of the best!! The energy and enjoyment just came off the stage in waves.

The show is based on the movie of the same name and follows the star of the show Elle Woods who seems to have it all, but then it all starts to go wrong when her rich boyfriend dumps her in favour of going to Harvard Law School. So determined to win him back she charms her way in to the same university. Whilst there she struggles with all manor of things but eventually with the help of new friends and her dog Bruiser she starts to realise her potential and sets out to prove herself. The story is a triumph over adversity and empowering female friendships.

Peyton Lockley who is making her lead debut plays Elle Woods. She is superb, her vocals are strong and clear and her dancing excellent. Peyton totally embraced the role and will blow you away. She has strong support from her fellow cast members Maddie Howard who plays Paulette the owner of the hair salon and forms a strong bond with Elle. Maddy has a strong stage presence and delivers a commanding performance when teamed up with Elle and Kyle the UPS man. Daniel George who plays Emmett a charming and sensitive law student who supports Elle, captures the sensitive nature of the character and delivers a great performance.

Full credit must be given to the supporting cast who worked hard and delivered fantastic performances, all of which can be attributed to the great direction of Louise Sall and Tim Rice. The choreography is very good all thanks to the hard work of Amelia. Do not miss this show as the strap line goes ” This musical is so much fun it should be illegal”

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.