‘Priscilla Queen of the Desert’ rides back into Brighton

Priscilla Queen of the Desert returns to Theatre Royal Brighton next month, starring Blue’s Duncan James as Tick. Producer David Ian commented: “I am absolutely thrilled that audiences have demanded more of Priscilla! The reaction the show gets at theatres everywhere is something I’ve never witnessed before – it is truly a party not to … >

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‘Avenue Q’ musical review: The delinquent stepchild of ‘Sesame Street’

You’ll have heard of Avenue Q before, of course; the delinquent boozy stepchild of Sesame Street from the co-creator of Book of Mormon. Following five years in London’s West End, this supremely confident production (in Brighton all this week) absolutely nails the energetic perkiness and gawsh-darned American-ness that’s required to make Avenue Q work. One … >

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‘Impossible’ review: A great night out at new West End magic show

Londons’s West End has a history of enthralling magic shows which has seen daring performances from the likes of Harry Houdini, Penn & Teller and, erm, Paul Daniels. With CGI making audiences ever more cynical about what’s real, you’d be forgiven for thinking magic shows had become extinct. But this month, magic and illusion have … >

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‘Doctor Who’ and ‘Sherlock’ director to remake ‘Oliver!’ musical

Toby Haynes is set to make his feature film debut directing an Oliver! remake. Haynes directed five consecutive episodes of Doctor Who between 2010 and 2011 (‘The Pandorica Opens’, ‘The Big Bang’, A Christmas Carol’, ‘The Impossible Astronaut’ and ‘Day of the Moon’) as well as Sherlock finale ‘The Reichenbach Fall’ and episodes of The Musketeers. … >

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‘Doctor Who’ star writes songs for new musical

Arthur Darvill has written the music for a new children’s show for the National Theatre. The 33-year-old actor played companion Rory Williams in Doctor Who from 2010-2012 and his previous theatre work includes roles in Our Boys, Once and Treasure Island. Based on Jon Klassen’s 2011 book, I Want My Hat Back plays in the … >

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‘Father Ted’ star joins ‘East is East’ play in Brighton

Pauline McLynn (Father Ted, EastEnders) will play Ella Khan in East is East next month. Ayub Khan Din’s critically acclaimed play opens at Theatre Royal in Brighton on Thursday 11 June before embarking on a 16-week national tour. McLynn commented: “I am very excited to be part of this production. The play by Ayub Khan … >

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‘Spamalot’ musical review

It’s odd, the boxes we put people in. Joe Pasquale is generally thought of as a squeaky-voiced light entertainment performer, Todd Carty is often considered a depressed barrow boy (or an overly cheerful school kid, depending on your age), and Monty Python is regarded as the summit of all sketch shows. It’s this last that’s … >

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Monty Python’s ‘Spamalot’ gallops into Brighton

Based on the classic comedy movie Monty Python and the Holy Grail, hit musical Spamalot arrives in Brighton next week. Following a hugely successful run at The Playhouse in London, the show is playing at Theatre Royal in Brighton from Monday 30 March until  Saturday 4 April with Joe Pasquale as King Arthur and EastEnders … >

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‘My Night With Reg’ play review

Revisiting Kevin Elyot’s 1994 drama, My Night With Reg, after twenty years, it’s striking how the play both epitomises and transcends its period. Telling the story of six friends knit together by a shared history, the shadow of the AIDS epidemic and sexual encounters with the titular Reg, the play sparks with pathos, heart and … >

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