⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ Outrageous, absurd… and completely fabulous!
The Rocky Horror Show returns to Birmingham’s Alexandra Theatre this week, celebrating its 50th anniversary – the longest continuous run of a contemporary musical anywhere in the world.
The Rocky Horror Show tells the story of Brad and his fiancé Janet, two clean-cut college kids who find themselves stranded after their car breaks down while on their way to visit a former college professor. Seeking help at a creepy mansion nearby, they are introduced to Dr Frank’n’Furter and embark on an adventure that they’ll never forget.
Written by Robert Harling (based on his own personal experiences), and directed by Anthony Banks, Steel Magnolias tells the story of the trials, tribulations and friendships of a group of women based in the fictional parish of Chinquapin, Louisiana.
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ Unapologetically and deliciously camp with riotous laughs and razor-sharp wit!
Following three sold-out West End runs and a smash hit UK tour, Death Drop is back in an all new mystery!
The Sound of Music meets Scary Movie in this jam-packed, riotous comedy. Death Drop is the hilarious thriller which pays homage to all your favourite horror films – from IT to Scream and everything in-between.
Directed by Bartlett Sher and billed as starring Helen George in the role of Anna, the critically acclaimed Lincoln Center Theatre production of the Rogers and Hammerstein musical arrived on stage at The Alexandra Theatre as part of its major 2023 UK tour.
Set in 1860’s Bangkok, The King and I tells the story of the rather unconventional and tempestuous relationship between King Mongkut of Siam (now known as Thailand) and Anna, a strong-willed British widowed schoolteacher who is employed by the King to tutor his many children, highlighting the battle between male and female, Western ideals and Eastern traditions. The show features an instantly recognisable score with songs including Getting to Know You, Shall We Dance and Whistle a Happy Tune.
With an all-star cast including Hayley Mills (yes, THE Hayley Mills), Paul Nicholas, Rula Lenska (I was genuinely star-struck), The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel tells the story of an eclectic group of British retirees who travel to India in an attempt to embark on a new life. Their hotel, owned by the formidable Mrs Kapoor (Reka John-Cheriyan) and her son, Sonny (Nishad More) is far from the opulence that was promised, falling into an ever-increasing state of disrepair as the retirees try to adjust to the cultural differences around them.
Written and directed by Conor McPherson, with music and lyrics by Bob Dylan, Girl From The North Country is set in the 1930s in Duluth, Minnesota, opening in an American boarding house run by Nick Laine (Colin Connor). Right from the start there is a sense that all is not right, and as we are introduced to the characters it becomes apparent that everyone has a story of hardship and loss to tell.
The character portrayals are absolutely believable and many provoke an instant connection. Frances McNamee as Nick’s mentally ill wife Elizabeth Laine is multifaceted and raw to the bone as she flits from delusional outbursts to seemingly crystal-clear understandings of her place in life. Colin Connor as Nick Laine is a man who has a dark past and is haunted by it daily, but despite his big heart and desire to succeed he never seems to quite make it in anything he does, be it business or relationships. Both are standout performances and mesmerising to watch.
At the beginning of 2022 I set up a double page spread in my bullet journal titled ‘Memories and Highlights.’ This created a space where I could record all of the individual exciting things I experienced throughout the year and served as a reminder that this year hasn’t been as bad as I thought.
Because let’s face it, in terms of the year from a national perspective, it’s been a dumpster fire with a dose of accelerant thrown on top. Three prime ministers in a year, the worse economic position in decades, food, gas and electric prices skyrocketing to the point where people are having to choose between heating their house during the winter or feeding their children while utility companies boast about record profits, workers from our postal service, trains, nurses, paramedics have been forced to strike… and to top it all off our Queen died. So many of us are tired, worried and angry.
I was lucky enough to experience a press preview of some of the main cast a little while ago and expectations were high, but nothing quite prepared me for the glitz and glamour that unfolded on stage.
Sephy and Callum sit together on a beach. They are in love. It is forbidden. Sephy is a Cross and Callum is a Nought. Between Noughts and Crosses there are racial and social divides. A segregated society teeters on a volatile knife edge. As violence breaks out, Sephy and Callum draw closer, but this is a romance that will lead them into terrible danger…
Based on the first book in Malorie Blackman’s Noughts & Crosses series, directed by Esther Richardson and adapted by Sabrina Mahfouz, Noughts & Crosses offers a love story (very loosely based on Romeo & Juliet) set in an reimagined society. The Crosses – all people of colour – hold the power, while the Noughts – the white population – are at the mercy of the discriminatory rules and restrictions placed upon them. Sephy (Effie Ansah), a Cross, is the daughter of the Home Secretary Kamal Hadley (Chris Jack) and lives a life of privilege. Her childhood friend Callum, a Nought, has won a place at her prestigious school for Crosses, causing a violent series of protests and backlash. Their developing romance is strictly forbidden, and both sides face huge barriers and prejudice while trying to simultaneously be together while finding their own paths.
Based on Stephen King’s 1982 novella Rita Hayworth and The Shawshank Redemption (which was also the inspiration for the smash-hit 1994 movie starring Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman), The Shawshank Redemption has been adapted for a theatre audience in a 2022 UK tour.
Presented by Bill Kenwright, directed by David Esbjornson and adapted from the novella by Owen O’Neill and Dave Johns, The Shawshank Redemption tells the story of Andy Dufresne (Joe Absolom), who is wrongfully convicted of the murder of his wife and her lover and is sent to the notorious Shawshank facility to start his double life sentence. As he deals with the harsh brutality and cruelty of prison life, he strikes up an unlikely friendship with the prison fixer Ellis ‘Red’ Redding (Ben Onwukwe). However, when his talents for accountancy are discovered by Warden Stammas (Mark Heenahan), he realises a desperate plan to escape is needed…
Suzie Speaks 
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