by Martin Brisland. You’ve read the book, watched the film, now see the play! The world premiere stage adaptation of Dan Brown’s blockbuster novel The Da Vinci Code is at the Mayflower Theatre until the 30th April. With over 100 million copies of the book sold, this is the story that...
Entertainment Reviews
Review: Beautiful! – The Carole King Musical at Mayflower Theatre, Southampton
by Martin Brisland. Hail to King! Beautiful – the Carole King Musical, is an absolute must-see. It won Tony awards in New York in 2014 and Olivier awards in London in 2015. It also wins this reviewers award for the most outstanding musical of its time and for providing pure theatre...
Photos: Southampton plays for Ukraine
by Mike Daish. On Sunday the 3rd April, I attended the final event of Southampton plays for Ukraine, organised by Music in the City’s Martin Perry, at the 1865 in Brunswick Square. What an absolutely brilliant way to spend a few hours on a Sunday afternoon. I think everyone...
Review: Matthew Bourne’s Nutcracker! at Mayflower Theatre, Southampton
by Martin Brisland. Matthew Bourne’s fabulous Nutcracker! returns to the Mayflower Theatre for the first time in nine years and it is not to be missed. It is Bourne at his best: clever, charming, colourful, sexy, full of energy and so much fun! Only Bourne could grab a revered...
Review: The Rise and Fall of Little Voice, MAST Mayflower Studios, Southampton
by Catherine Collins. As the lights rise in the intimate setting of MAST Mayflower Studios, a dimly lit two-up-two-down house down an alleyway is revealed and the bittersweet comedy that is The Rise and Fall of Little Voice begins. Little Voice and Mari Hoff – are the mother and...
Review: Sheila’s Island, MAST Mayflower Studios, Southampton
by Martin Brisland. Want cheering up? Then this comedy drama is for you and had the audience laughing throughout. Think Lord of the Flies meets Dinnerladies meets Miranda and The Office. Described as “a comedy in thick fog”, Sheila’s Island is a reimagining of Tim Firth’s 1992 play Neville’s...
Review: Blood Red Shoes album launch at Vinilo Record Store
by Anita Foxall. Brighton duo, Blood Red Shoes, started this year with the heartbreak of seeing their European tour being cancelled, for the obvious reasons. Musicians are not unfamiliar with cancelled tours and gigs, with album launches being postponed hoping for more social, better times to do so. Blood Red...
REVIEW: Cinderella at Mayflower Theatre, Southampton
by Catherine Collins. Panto is back with a bang at Mayflower Theatre – complete with a flying coach and horses, tap dancing pumpkins, and childhood legends Sooty and Sweep – in a production that entertains the whole family from beginning to end. It’s been a long couple of years...
Review: Night of the Living Dead – SUP Theatre Company, Hangar Farm Arts Centre
by Oli Jacobs. The line between comedy and horror is a fine one. The same scenarios that can cause screams can also cause laughter, and panicked actions can also become absurd slapstick. Therefore, it is not surprising that the SUP Theatre Company production of Night of the Living Dead...
REVIEW: Chicago at Mayflower Theatre, Southampton
by Catherine Collins. Chicago certainly dazzled the audience when it opened at the Mayflower Theatre on Monday (15 November) in a show-stopping production that delivered glamour, glitch and the best vocal performances I think I’ve ever seen on a theatre stage. Set amidst the prohibition era of the 1920s, Chicago tells...