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AMATEUR REVIEWS A-Z Index of affiliate reviews Reviews listed by affiliates Funny Money, Grange Players, Bloxwich Library Theatre Neighbourhood Watch, The Nonentities, The Rose Theatre, Kidderminster Not Now Darling, Sutton Arts Theatre Kiss Me Kate, Manor Musical Theatre Company, Sutton Coldfield Town Hall Vita and Virginia, Swan Theatre Amateur Company, Worcester Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Stars, Stage2, Crescent Theatre Suddenly at Home, Highbury Theatre Centre Far from the madding crowd, Hall Green Little Theatre The Women in the Moon, King Edward VI School, Stratford-upon-Avon The Full Monty, Sutton Coldfield Musical Theatre Comant, Sutton Coldfield Town Hall. The Dresser, Mint Theatre Society Birdsong, Sutton Arts Theatre Lovesong, Highbury Theatre Centre Chime Hours, Hall Green Little Theatre Dangerous Obsession, The Nonentities, The Rose Theatre, Kidderminster. Neighbourhood Watch, Swan Theatre Amateur Company, Worcester No Sex Please, We're British, The Nonentities, The Rose Theatre, Nonentities. Hay Fever, Hall Green Little Theatre The Perfect Murder, Sutton Arts Theatre Boeing, Boeing, Highbury Theatre Centre Arsehammers-Adult child/Dead child Stage2, The Crescent Theatre Cinderella, Hall Green Little Theatre Cinderella, Sutton Arts Theatre The Lion in Winter, The Nonentities, Rose Theatre, Kidderminster A Christmas Carol, Mint Theatre Society, Stonnall Village Hall The Ballad of Lady Bessy, The Loft, Leamington Spa Call Me Dusty, Hall Green Little Theatre Aladdin, Birmingham Youth Theatre, The Old Rep Look Back in Anger, The Nonentities, The Rose Theatre, Kidderminster Dangerous Obsession, Sutton Arts Theatre. Summer's Last Will and Testament, King Edward VI School, Straford-upon-Avon The Trouble With Old Lovers, Highbury Theatre Centre Directory of leading amateur companies. If you want details about becoming an affiliate contact Sue Clarke. sue.clarke@behindthearras.com Other reviews Jack and the Beanstalk, Aldridge Youth Theatre The Addams Family, Brownhills Musical Theatre Company Cats. WBOS Youtheatre NEWS Sutton Arts are holding open auditions for Hello Dolly! which opens in June, 2017. Moorpool Players bring the curtain down on 39 years of plays in Harborne ARCHIVE Past reviews The Late John Slim's FINAL THOUGHTS SMALL THOUGHTS			THEATRE REVIEWS Reviews by title Reviews by theatre (If a review is not found try Other reviews) LATEST Dinosaur World Live, Birmingham Town Hall. An Officer and a Gentleman - The Musical, Birmingham Hippodrome This House, Malvern Theatres Love from a stranger, The New Alexandra Theatre Brighton Rock, Derby Theatre Some Mothers Do ‘Av ‘Em, Wolverhampton Grand The String Quartet’s Guide to Sex and Anxiety, Birmingham Rep The Magic Flute, Coventry Belgrade Mountains: The Dreams of Lily Kwok, Derby Theatre Crazy for you, Wolverhampton Grand The Little Mermaid - The Circus Sensation Malvern Theatres Thrill Me – The Leopold & Loeb Story, The Old Joint Stock Great Expectations, Coventry Belgrade Monogamy, Malvern Theatres Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde, Wolverhampton Grand The Band, Birmingham Hippodrome Grand Finale, Birmingham Rep To a simple rock 'n' roll . . . song, Birmingham Rep The Game of Love and Chai, Coventry Belgrade B2 Funny Faces, The Artrix, Bromsgrove Spamalot, Derby Theatre Hansel and Gretal, Malvern Theatres This House, Birmingham Rep Blood Brothers, Wolverhampton Grand The Last Ship, The New Alexandra Theatre What The Ladybird Heard, Coventry Belgrade Hansel and Gretel, Coventry Belgrade B2 20th Century Boy, Malvern Theatres Brighton Rock, Birmingham Rep The Fantastic Follies Of Mrs Rich, Royal Shakespeare Company, The Swan Theatre A Streetcar Named Desire Malvern Theatre Justin's Band TH (04-18) Birmingham Town Hall Dear Zoo, Coventry Belgrade ARCHIVE Coming soon Sting's The Last Ship has its UK Premiere next month and came to The New Alexandra Theatre on 16 April. Watch the video of the launch here. Performing arts Yeoman of the Guard, CBSO, Symphony Hall Performing Arts Archive 1 2 NEWS Iain Mackay dances his farewell in his final performance with Birmingham Royal Ballet at Birmingham Symphony Hall More Grange Players in Walsall are in danger of folding unless they can raise £60,000 after their theatre, the Grange Playhouse was closed over health and safety concerns after a fire inspection. More FEATURES It's a touch of the Vorsprung durch techniks with Welsh National Opera's collaboration with Bonn's Oper der Stadt Bonn to create their Verdi Machine to be seen for the first time in La forza del destino at Birmingham Hippodrome. More. Sam Rabone talks to Gary Longden about his role as Widow Twankey in Aladdin at Lichfield Garrick More Contact roger_clarke@behindthearras.com

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	An Officer and a Gentleman - The Musical, Birmingham Hippodrome: This is really an officer, a gentleman and a jukebox – a combination which produces a classy musical based on the hit 1982 Richard Gere film, all sailing along with some cracking songs of the time. Read on. The Band, Birmingham Hippodrome: For Take That fans this is like manna from heaven, a theatrical pilgrimage; for anyone else it is a clever musical, full of heart, laughs, emotion and nostalgia. Everyone wins with this one. Read on. The Last Ship, The New Alexandra Theatre: Take a magnificent set, quality music, a fine cast and a solid heartfelt story well told and what’s not to like? Read on. The Fantastic Follies Of Mrs Rich Or The Beau Defeated, The Royal Shakespeare Company: The Commonwealth period under Oliver Cromwell brought Puritan values cruelly to the fore. It saw an appalling wastage of church paintings and stained glass, and not least, saw theatres lose the entitlement to present plays. Read On. Evita, Birmingham Hippodrome: It's more than 30 years since I first saw Evita, and I have seen it quite a few times over the years since then, but this is something else, on a different plane, by far and away the best Evita I have ever seen. Read on. Quartet, Birmingham Rep: The only really good thing about growing old is that it is better than the alternative – being guest of honour at the crematorium as retired baritone Wilfred puts it so succinctly in Ronald Harwood’s 1999 play Quartet. Read on. The Winslow Bow, Birmingham Rep: Terence Rattigan was one of the giants among twentieth century dramatists and with this wonderful production it is easy to see why. Read on. Shrek - The Musical, The New Alexandra Theatre: It’s been ten years since Shrek, the jolly green giant, took to the stage for the first time on Broadway and if anything this current touring production is better than ever. Read on. Penguins, Birmingham Rep: This world premiere of the wonderful, stylised tale of two chinstrap penguins at New York’s Central Park Zoo, manages, in less than an hour, to both captivate and challenge our popular perception of theatre for children. Read on. Cinderella, Birmingham Hippodrome: What an absolute Christmas cracker of a pantomime – as close to panto perfection as you are likely to get. Read on. The 101 Dalmatians, Birmingham Rep: The Rep has found itself a wonderful Christmas treat – complete with spots - to delight families over the festive season. Read on
	A CHANCE to help the Arras without it costing a penny More
		Actor Samuel West makes a heartfelt plea to save funding for theatres - More
	News and features
	Welsh National Opera: It's a touch of the Vorsprung durch techniks with WNO's collaboration with Bonn's Oper der Stadt Bonn to create their Verdi Machine to be seen for the first time in La forza del destino at Birmingham Hippodrome. More.
	Iain Mackay dances his farewell in his final performance with Birmingham Royal Ballet at Birmingham Symphony Hall More
	Grange Players in Walsall are in danger of folding unless they can raise £60,000 after their theatre, the Grange Playhouse, was closed over health and safety concerns after a fire inspection. More
	BTA Awards 2017: Our reviewers have been looking back at their best productions of 2017 with Roger Clarke, Roderic Dunnett, Alison Brinkworth and Gary Longden
	Birmingham Hippodrome is running term time sessions with a hint of theatre for pre-school children More
	WNO at Birmingham Hippodrome: John Asquith has had the task of teaching the WNO cast and chorus to sing the Russian season in . . . Russian More
	Hall Green Little Theatre stalwart Jean Wilde opened in The Testament of Mary at the Edinburgh Fringe More
	Stage2's adaptations of Claire Dowie monologues into ensemble pieces has seen Bloomsbury publish four of the plays with the expanded scripts aimed at schools and youth theatres. More
	Birmingham Hippodrome season launch saw producers and directors form forthcoming shows plus Tom Chambers talking about the start of his career and Welsh National Opera’s Natalya Romaniw singing one fine day. More
	For more information, comments or views about the site you can contact us on roger.clarke@behindthearras.com

An Officer and a Gentleman - The Musical, Birmingham Hippodrome: This is really an officer, a gentleman and a jukebox – a combination which produces a classy musical based on the hit 1982 Richard Gere film, all sailing along with some cracking songs of the time. Read on.

The Band, Birmingham Hippodrome: For Take That fans this is like manna from heaven, a theatrical pilgrimage; for anyone else it is a clever musical, full of heart, laughs, emotion and nostalgia. Everyone wins with this one. Read on.

The Last Ship, The New Alexandra Theatre: Take a magnificent set, quality music, a fine cast and a solid heartfelt story well told and what’s not to like? Read on.

Evita, Birmingham Hippodrome: It's more than 30 years since I first saw Evita, and I have seen it quite a few times over the years since then, but this is something else, on a different plane, by far and away the best Evita I have ever seen. Read on.

Quartet, Birmingham Rep: The only really good thing about growing old is that it is better than the alternative – being guest of honour at the crematorium as retired baritone Wilfred puts it so succinctly in Ronald Harwood’s 1999 play Quartet. Read on.

The Winslow Bow, Birmingham Rep: Terence Rattigan was one of the giants among twentieth century dramatists and with this wonderful production it is easy to see why. Read on.

Shrek - The Musical, The New Alexandra Theatre: It’s been ten years since Shrek, the jolly green giant, took to the stage for the first time on Broadway and if anything this current touring production is better than ever. Read on.

Penguins, Birmingham Rep: This world premiere of the wonderful, stylised tale of two chinstrap penguins at New York’s Central Park Zoo, manages, in less than an hour, to both captivate and challenge our popular perception of theatre for children. Read on.

Cinderella, Birmingham Hippodrome: What an absolute Christmas cracker of a pantomime – as close to panto perfection as you are likely to get. Read on.

The 101 Dalmatians, Birmingham Rep: The Rep has found itself a wonderful Christmas treat – complete with spots - to delight families over the festive season. Read on