Keswick-based company Theatre by the Lake are making a new home for themselves in York Theatre Royal this autumn. The rep season opens with Jessica Swale’s adaptation of the beloved Austen classic, Sense & Sensibility, directed by Juliet Forster. Continue reading
A lonely child who thinks she isn’t capable of making friends, an audacious first-time hot air balloon pilot and a demanding mermaid desperate to get back home, yet scared of what she’ll find… Continue reading
“Don’t worry, it’ll have a happy ending!” was the whispered assurance of a front row parent to their child mid-way through tutti frutti’s latest production, The Snow Queen. And it does. But not in the way you might expect. Continue reading
York Theatre Royal’s proscenium arch becomes a cross-section of TV chef Caroline’s (the West End’s Janie Dee) show-home kitchen: a faux-Swedish minimalist Pinterest fantasy of muted teal glossy tiles and pine with a modest botanic garnish and a family dinner table modest enough to tell an on-screen story that will resonate with the wider audience. But it doesn’t take long to make a mess on these counters. Continue reading
Jonathan Lewis’s new modern domestic drama poses the question, “Where would you draw the line?”, putting patriarch Mark (Lewis himself) in temptation’s path when it comes to a critical moment in his son Tom’s (Matt Whitchurch) education. This middle-class show-home family of established and prospective politicians debates and philosophises like lawyers sparring before court; the smug elite flexing their wits for pleasure as well as for business – indeed, there is little distinction between the two and it is clear which is their priority. Continue reading
Moving house is said to be the most stressful event a person goes through, above divorce and even loss. And after a hard day lugging heavy boxes and saying your goodbyes, the last thing you need is a monster in your cupboard. Continue reading
Benji Davies’ charming picture book is a firm favourite at bedtime in our house, so when I saw there was to be a theatrical adaptation I was both excited and intrigued. Continue reading