Theatre Royal, Norwich Review published in the Eastern Daily Press, 12 July 2005 The Improvisers Most actors act. Some improvise. Some tell jokes. A few are stand-up comics. Some comics perform a good yarn. But to do and be all at once takes a special performer – one of The Improvisers, in fact. Stephen Frost brought his crack team of improvisers to town, his theatre without a safety net, and almost the only time we stopped laughing was to draw breath. It’s one thing to go on stage with barely a notion of the way a sketch could go, but to be at the mercy of what the audience calls out – that’s another league. Some audience suggestions teetered on the obscene, but were skilfully paried. Others strayed into the obscure (yetis in the shed), the bizarre … Read entire article »

Theatre Royal, Norwich Review published in the Eastern Daily Press, 15 August 2006 Strangers on a Train There’s something about trains. Something about a good murder. Something about surprises. This play has the lot. That old master of suspense Alfted Hitchcock always recognised a good yarn with complex twists and turns and that’s why he made it into a film. Patricia Highsmith’s 1950’s psychological tale of murder translates well to the stage and has stood the test of time. A cast including familiar faces – 60’s singer Anita Harris, former Dr Who Colin Baker, Emmerdale’s Leah Bracknell and Alex Fearns, formerly of EastEnders – all gel well and keep the audience on the edge of their seats. Two strangers meet on a train. One dreams of the perfect murder in which each kills the other’s obstacle to … Read entire article »