Reviews

Those familiar with The Blue Room Theatre will know that audience members (usually) need to walk completely across the stage to reach the seating area. As you enter for Inside We Hide, you need to be careful not only not to trip over potatoes on the floor, but to avoid treading on actors as well.

Ann-Marie Biagioni has created an intriguing thriller, where three people are being held prisoner in an unknown place, while someone of importance to them is being tortured on the outside. To add to the confusion, their captor appears to be a little girl.

Oscar Wilde’s novel, an examination of youth, beauty and narcissism, has arguably found even greater relevance today. In the age of cinema – and indeed Facebook, instagram and Tindr – the potential for modern adaptation is clear.

The Little Mermaid is a sumptuous production, beautifully directed and amazingly costumed that deserves its sell-out houses.

It is a little unusual to mention the costumes first in a review, but the costumes and wigs in The Little Mermaid are among the best I have ever seen in a community theatre show. Designed by Brad Tudor and brought to life by a team of thirteen, they were simply breathtaking; Cleverly designed, beautifully constructed and expertly coordinated.

Adapting Jane Eyre for the stage and broadcasting the performance in cinemas worldwide makes for an unusual turn of events given the numerous screen adaptations of the novel. However, Sally Cookson’s theatrical interpretation focuses on the persona in ways that allow Jane (Madeline Worrall) to stand out and set herself apart from the imposing presence of Rochester (Felix Hayes) or any of the other larger than life characters created for this profoundly romantic story. In this stage version Jane is without doubt the star of the show.