Beauty and the Beast Pantomime at Worthing Pavilion Theatre

We received press tickets for this event

It's so good to see pantomimes back in the theatres this year! Going to the pantomime has been a part of our festive celebrations for a few years now, and so we were delighted to be invited along to watch the Worthing Theatres pantomime for Christmas 2021 - Beauty and the Beast. Having not having been to the theatre since before the pandemic, it was so good to be back in the audience.

Beauty and the Beast is a classic fairy tale, and this production features actress and singer Sapphire Elia as Belle, Britain's Got Talent winner singer Jai McDowall as The Beast and Strictly Come Dancing star Robin Windsor as Gaston, alongside a fantastic supporting cast and dancers. 

Beauty and the Beast is a familiar story - when a handsome prince is cursed by a magical enchantress and turned into a terrifying beast only true love can break the spell. It's about looking beyond what we see on the surface as Belle discovers that true beauty lies beneath. 

The show has everything that you expect from a pantomime - the pantomime dame with her spectacular outfits, comedy sidekicks and slapstick humour and plenty of chance for audience participation. There was some excellent aerial gymnastics and I was really impressed with the singing and the dancing - all of the performers are incredibly talented. 

We very much enjoyed our night at the pantomime and I would definitely recommend Beauty and the Beast in Worthing this Christmas.

Beauty and the Beast is playing at the Pavilion Theatre until January 2nd 2022.

Jane Eyre with Blackeyed Theatre at the Connaught Theatre Worthing

I received press tickets for this performance.

Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre is a classic novels in English literature. The story begins by taking the reader through Jane's miserable and neglected childhood, then follows her into adulthood where as the governess in a wealthy household she falls passionately in love with her employer Mr Rochester, before discovering his terrible secret.

I've read the book many times over the years and I'm very familiar with the story, so I was very interested to see how it would be brought to life for the stage. This production by Blackeyed Theatre is currently touring internationally. The play features a cast of five actor musicians, with live music performed on stage throughout written especially for the production.

On the night that I saw the show one of the actors was unfortunately ill and unable to perform. Instead of cancelling the show, the company had found a replacement actor with only the afternoon to rehearse the show, and she did an amazing job!

Because of the small cast it is necessary for the majority of the actors to take on several roles. Most of the time the actors wore the same costumes throughout. With the clever use of accessories, and most of all incredible acting talent, the actors were entirely believable performing as a wide variety of characters. The show was cleverly staged, and although the set and scenery were simple it was easy to imagine the different settings. Jane's narrative asides to the audience made the timeline of the story easy to follow, her monologues were intense, and the story was gripping.

I really enjoyed the production and would definitely recommend it!

You can find details of the upcoming performances here - Blackeyed Theatre - Jane Eyre.

Ad - Proteus presents Macbeth at the Connaught Theatre, Worthing

The Tragedy of Macbeth by Shakespeare is thought to have been first performed in 1606. It tells the tale of the Scottish General Macbeth, told by three witches that he will become King of Scotland. Encouraged by his wife, Macbeth kills the the king, in order to become the new king, and then driven by guilt and paranoia goes on to commit more and more murders to protect himself, until the play reaches a tragic end.

In this production, Proteus Theatre Company set the action of the play in October 1987, against the backdrop of the Great Storm and the stock market crash. The play has an ethnically diverse cast, and is a highly physical interpretation interwoven with a soundtrack of 80s hits alongside contemporary music, performed using a minimal and multi-purpose set.

Before watching the production, I made sure to familiarise myself with the events of play, as although the setting is modern, the play is performed in the original Shakespearean text which isn't always easy to understand. This was definitely a good move, as I found the action a little tricky to follow at times, especially as the small cast meant that most actors were required to portray several characters.

Despite the tragedy unfolding on stage, there were some lighter moments which brought a smile. I also enjoyed the ingenuity of the set, mainly composed of just three pieces that were moved and rotated by the cast between scenes to be used as, among other things, tables, windows and phone boxes.

I was glad to have the opportunity to see this production, and I enjoyed watching a different and unusual take on the play.

You can find a study guide to this production here - Macbeth Education Pack

Review - Aladdin at the Pavilion Theatre, Worthing 2018

This Christmas we were delighted to be invited back to the Pavilion Theatre, Worthing to see this year's Pantomime - Aladdin.

The original story of Aladdin and the Magic Lamp is a middle Eastern folk tale, one of the stories from One Thousand and One Nights which dates back to the 18th century. There's an interesting connection with Worthing - it was originally translated by Edward William Lane at Union Place in Worthing, and so the story returns to the town after 180 years.

The story of Aladdin and his magical lamp needs little introduction, and most people are familiar with the story thanks to various film and stage adaptations. We follow Aladdin, tricked by an evil sorcerer and trapped in a cave, where he discovers the magical Genie and is able to turn his fortunes around and marry the beautiful princess.

Aladdin is played by Lee Latchford-Evans, famous from Steps, and the princess by CBeebies presenter Rebecca Keatley. Brian Blessed provides the distinctive voice of the Genie, with comedian Vikki Stone as Abanazer, Mark Jones as Wishee Washee and Dave Lynn as Widow Twankey.

Once again, the children and I enjoyed a magical pantomime. There were plenty of catchy songs (with of course some Steps classics), great sets and all the traditional pantomime elements. My children are often a bit hesitant when it comes to audience participation, but with a bit of encouragement they were soon joining in with gusto. The performances were brilliant, and Vikki Stone in particular as the baddie Abenazar was a genius casting, you could really tell how much she was enjoying the role! There were plenty of jokes, lots of slapstick comedy, and we all loved joining in with the singalong sequence.

We had a great night out and I'd definitely recommend getting tickets!

We received complimentary tickets to the pantomime in exchange for sharing on my blog and social media.

Theatre review - Gangsta Granny Live on Stage

At the weekend the four of us went along to the Pavilion Theatre in Worthing to watch Gangsta Granny Live on Stage, the award-winning stage adaptation of the book by David Walliams which is currently touring the country.  

"It’s Friday night and Ben knows that means only one thing - staying with Granny! There will be cabbage soup, cabbage pie and cabbage cake and Ben knows one thing for sure - it’s going to be sooooooooo boring! But what Ben doesn’t know is that Granny has a secret - and Friday nights are about to get more exciting than he could possibly imagine, as he embarks on the adventure of a lifetime with his very own Gangsta Granny!"

Review - Snow White pantomime at the Pavilion Theatre, Worthing

Last night we were invited to the Pavilion Theatre in Worthing to see this year's pantomime - Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. The pantomime stars Chesney Hawkes, with CBeebies Swashbuckle double act Joseph Elliot and Richard David-Caine, and joined by Cassie Compton as Snow White and Niki Evans as the Wicked Queen.

Photo credit - Simon: Vervate Photography

We had a great night, and once again, Worthing Theatres put on a fabulous show. The singing was brilliant with some fab music choices, the dancing was perfect and the casting was spot on.

The children found the entire show hilarious, in fact at one point I thought that Harry was going to fall of his seat as he was laughing so much! He loved both the jokes and at the slapstick comedy. Mia's favourite part was the classic messy baking scene with plenty of water pistol action that sent Harry hiding under his seat! Mia also loved the fairy, and they both got really involved with the audience participation, booing and hissing along. There was plenty of humour for the adults too, which of course goes straight over the heads of the children watching. We all had a great night and I'd definitely recommend it!

Photo credit - Simon: Vervate Photography

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs runs from Friday 1 December 2017 until Monday 1 January 2018 with two showings per day and three on Christmas Eve. To book tickets you can call the Box Office on 01903 206 206 or visit Worthing Theatres.

We received complimentary tickets to the pantomime in exchange for a review. Photo credit - Simon: Vervate Photography

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

At the weekend  Ram and I took Harry up to London for the day, and we took him to see Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. It was a bit of a mission to get the tickets, so we were very lucky that my brother-in-law was able to buy some extra tickets quite a while ago, and we could tag along!

This post doesn't really contain any spoilers, but please don't keep reading if you don't want to know anything about the show!

We didn't realise when we booked the tickets that the performance we saw was the last one by the original cast. I don't know if the audience is normally so enthusiastic, but there was a brilliant atmosphere in the building! The play is performed in two parts so it's a long show, although we had a break between the two with enough time to grab some dinner.

As you leave the theatre after the first part you are encouraged to take a badge with the hashtag #keepthesecrets, and promise not to spoil the show for other people. Although I had read the script, back when I didn't know that I'd be able to get tickets, there were still plenty of surprises, and I think that people really have made an effort not to give away too many details.

So I don't want to say anything about the play that might be a spoiler, but I can say that it was amazing and we absolutely loved it!  It's a very intense show, loud and fast paced, and as you'd expect from a Harry Potter story it deals with some dark themes. There are some fantastic magical effects and I'm sure that it would benefit from another watch - I'm sure that I missed things!

The play is billed as suitable for children aged 10 and up, so I was a bit unsure as to what Harry would make of it. Originally just Ram and I were going to go, but since booking the tickets Harry had seen all the films and read all the books, including the script for the play, and he really wanted to come along. When another ticket in our group became available we decided that all three of us would go, and Harry's cousin, who is also 8, was watching too. I was surprised however not to see any other children in the audience, perhaps because it was quite a late finish for a school night.

Fortunately Harry really enjoyed it, and although he did find some parts of the show a little bit scary (it's a bit different to reading about something sinister happening and then it actually taking place in front of you!) he was really glad that he had come along.

Now I'm just desperate to watch it again!

Horrible Histories - The Best of Barmy Britain at the Pavilion Theatre, Worthing

At the weekend Harry and I were guests at the Pavilion Theatre in Worthing to see Horrible Histories - The Best of Barmy Britain. Performed by two energetic and hard working actors, some of the more gruesome parts of British History are brought to life using a variety of different costumes, props, along with catchy song and dance routines.

Here's what the theatre has to say:

Could you beat battling Boudicca? Will King John be a martyr for the Magna Carta? Will you lose your heart or your head to Henry VIII? Can Parliament survive gunpowder Guy? Light up your life with the great fire of London! Stand and deliver to dastardly Dick Turpin? Escape the clutches of Burke and Hare and move to the groove with party Queen Victoria! It’s the history of Britain with the nasty bits left in!

The show is made up of lots of different sections that each focus on either a historical figure - like Henry VIII or Guy Fawkes - or an event - like the plague. The actors take on the characters using a variety of costumes, props and accents, and share fun and gory facts. There is plenty of humour, including jokes for the grown ups, along with spoofs, and lots of audience participation.

Harry said - "I really liked the section with Boudicca in because it had a funny song and we all had to clap along. I learned a lot about history like the Tudors and Queen Victoria."

It was a very enjoyable show, and we both learned a lot!

Harry and I received complimentary tickets to the show in exchange for a review.

Review - Babe The Sheep Pig at the Connaught Theatre, Worthing

Last week, we were invited to the Connaught Theatre in Worthing to watch Babe - The Sheep Pig, the latest stop on a UK tour which continues until October 2017. The show follows the rise of Babe the piglet as he becomes a world famous sheep-pig, and is based on the beloved best selling book by Dick King-Smith.

Babe is a piglet won at a fair and brought back to the farm by Farmer Hogget. He is destined for the dinner table, until one night he saves the sheep on the farm from sheep rustlers. As a reward his life is spared and he becomes a part of the family. He is raised by Fly the sheep dog, who tells him that sheep are just stupid animals.  However after befriending a motherly ewe called Maa he learns that sheep aren't as stupid as he had thought, and he finds out that by being polite to the sheep and asking them nicely he can get them to do what he wants. When Farmer Hogget sees what he can do he trains him, and enters him into the Sheepdog Trials.

The tale is told on stage with a range of costumes, puppets, dancing and original live music. The set is simple, but used cleverly to represent all the different locations in the story, and the costumes are well designed so that the actors can portray a range of different characters. It was a little intense at times with flashing lights and dramatic sound effects, and there are some sad and scary parts in the story, but it didn't cause any problems with the children.

We all really enjoyed the show. The children found the sheep in particular hilarious, especially when they were moving around on the stage before the show started and responding to the 'baas' that were coming back at them from the audience! They were captivated by the action on stage as it unfolded, and were really drawn into the story.

We received press tickets to the show in exchange for a review.

Peter Pan at the Pavilion Theatre, Worthing

This week we were invited to the Pavilion Theatre in Worthing to watch this year's pantomime - The Pantomime Adventures of Peter Pan. The pantomime stars Richard McCourt (Dick from duo Dick and Dom) as hilarious pirate Smee, Patrick Monahan as evil Captain Hook, Amelia Lily as Tiger Lily and Lloyd Daniels as Peter Pan, and it's the classic tale of the boy who refused to grow up and his adventures in Neverland.

We all loved it! There are some great special effects in the show, I really enjoyed the flying sequence when Peter Pan and the children left London and flew through the clouds. Harry's favourite character was Dame Able Mable (yes, of course they managed to fit in a pantomime Dame!), especially the comedy baking scene, and Mia loved looking for Tinkerbell sparkling her way around the stage.

Harry was in stitches all the way through, and even though I'm sure some of the jokes must have gone over his head, he found the whole thing completely hilarious. Mia was dazzled by the singing and the dancing, and was stood reaching up trying to catch bubbles during the mermaid scene. All the classic pantomime elements were there, and it was a great family show.

Peter Pan is the best-selling pantomime that has ever been staged by Worthing Theatres, with a record breaking opening week. This year the pantomime has partnered with Chestnut Tree House to raise funds for the local children's hospice.

In the run up to Christmas I'm taking part in Vlogmas and publishing a daily video to my YouTube channel showing what we've been up to. You can see my short video about our trip to the pantomime here:

We received complimentary tickets to the press night of the pantomime. 

The Hogwallops at the Pavillion Theatre, Worthing

Last Friday, Worthing Theatres launched their Summer of Circus, beginning with performances of The Hogwallops from Lost in Translation Circus at the Pavillion Theatre, and Harry and I were invited along to see the show.

The show introduces us to the Hogwallops family, with a glimpse into the life of a quirky family carrying out everyday activities like laundry and baking but with their own funny twists. Showcasing a variety of high energy circus skills, laundry is sorted while swinging from the trapeze and baking is done while suspended in the air. There's acrobatics, juggling and plenty of slapstick comedy as they play and bicker their way through the day.

Harry was enthralled by the performance, he found the whole thing hilarious (although he clung tightly when the performers approached the audience!) and he was completely caught up in it all. We were lucky enough to be able to attend a question and answer session after the performance where we were able to get a glimpse into the behind the scenes preparations for the show, and he was able to ask his question about the inspiration for the name 'The Hogwallops' (online searching and trying out different word combinations!)

Worthing Theatres are hosting their Summer of Circus from 8th July to 17th September 2016 and there are plenty of shows on for the whole family. The festival is aimed at long term circus fanatics, families and first time theatre goers, and unites a variety of non-traditional circus productions.

Harry and I received complimentary tickets to the show in exchange for a review.

Review - Shadowlands at the Connaught Theatre, Worthing

This week I went along with a couple of friends to the Connaught Theatre in Worthing to see William Nicholson's Shadowlands, visiting Worthing as part of the 2016 tour. Shadowlands tells the love story of the author C.S. Lewis and American poet Joy Gresham (nee Davidman).

Apart from being familiar with the stories in the Chronicles of Narnia series, I knew very little about the life of C.S. Lewis and nothing at all about the story in the play. Jack, as he was known to his friends, and Joy met after corresponding by letter for several years, and what began as a formal meeting over afternoon tea developed into a friendship which slowly turned into love. Then just as his experience of love was beginning, Lewis found his Christian faith and convictions about God tested when Joy was diagnosed with cancer.

The production was beautifully staged, with a simple yet detailed set that quickly transported you through the changing locations. In particular I thought the lighting was wonderful and really conveyed the changing of the seasons as well as providing a focus for the scene. There are also a couple of beautiful moments where the audience catches a glimpse of some Narnian inspired magic.

The acting was flawless, with some long monologues that were beautifully delivered and expressed really thought provoking concepts, with the premise that "real life hasn't happened yet, this is just the Shadowlands". It raises some of the big questions about why God allows us to experience pain and suffering, and it's definitely a play that will stay in the mind long after the curtain falls. 

I received complimentary tickets for the show in exchange for a review. 

Review - Toast at the Worthing Connaught Theatre

Last night I was invited to the press launch of Toast at the Connaught Theatre, Worthing and so I took my parents along for a night out. Written by Richard Bean and starring Matthew Kelly, Toast follows a group of men on a Sunday night shift in 1975 at the bread factory as they pop in and out of the break room for their lunch and smoking breaks.

The characters in the play are based upon Bean's own experiences of working in a bakery in Hull. The large clock on the back wall tracks the real-time progress through the shift, and there is a constant hum in the background as the bread making machinery rumbles away off stage.

The first half of the play was a bit slow, and with very strong language from the outset. We were introduced to the characters along with the relationships between them and their roles within the factory, along with plenty of banter. The second half moved along a lot more quickly, as a crisis hit the factory, leading to a few tense moments as the men face danger in order to keep the bread production going and to make sure that they can keep their jobs, for the time being at least.

We enjoyed the play. It wasn't hilarious, but there were some funny moments and after a slow start the pace picked up as the play progressed. Matthew Kelly was brilliant in the role, he may not have had many lines but he conveyed so much of his character through his mannerisms, and all the other roles were characterised wonderfully.

I received press tickets for the performance in exchange for a review.