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Handbagged

Handbagged at the Theatre Royal, Norwich Review published in the Eastern Daily Press, 12 November 2015 Handbagged? Well, The Audience featuring the imaginary conversations between The Queen and her 12 Prime Ministers in their weekly meetings has already been a stage hit. Now it’s just Her Majesty and Mrs Thatcher. Liz versus Maggie, two powerful women born in the same year is a comedy that speculates what these two women, these icons of power in different ways actually talked about in private. Or they might have done. Critically acclaimed as witty, confident, mischievous and clever it’s ‘tea at four, handbags at dawn’ subtly moving from slapstick to the real stuffing of life as the women look back on their younger selves in what could have become a history lesson but is priceless theatre. Moira Buffini’s West … Read entire article »

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Into the Woods

Into the Woods Norfolk Youth Music Theatre at the Maddermarket Theatre, Norwich Review published in the Eastern Daily Press, 6 November 2015 Into the Woods, the 2014 film with its stellar cast list helped popularise this musical, which remains one of the darkest, musically challenging and fascinating from the Sondheim repertoire. NYMT are to be congratulated for boldly engaging with this dramatic musical theatre at every level – singing, choreography, stage business and some superb characters to interpret a selection of ‘fairy tales’ which are not for young children. Each character’s quest has an effect on others; every action has a reaction. Cleverly, it appears all done with a happy ending as the first act closes. Into the second half, it gets darker as life and death choices are made. The band is strong and … Read entire article »

Filed under: Reviews