THE BODYGUARD - THE MUSICAL

 

It's always hard not to compare a musical to the original movie but if you get the chance to see The Bodyguard - The Musical take it, I promise you, you won't be disappointed! From the onset you get to hear Rachel Marron's spectacular voice (played by Alternate Samantha Mbolekwa), she opens with 'Queen of the Night' and if you're a fan of the movie you'll get to hear all the songs on the soundtrack including some bonus Whitney songs:- 'How will I know’, ‘One Moment In Time’ and of course the showstopper ‘I Will Always Love You'

Frank Farmer (Ayden Callaghan) is hired to protect superstar Rachel from a stalker, he is charismatic and has great chemistry. They unexpectedly fall in love with lots of twists and turns along the way. Sister Nicki Marron is played by Emily-Mae who was equally as fantastic. Kaylenn Aires Fonseca played Rachel's son Fletcher, a great little actor who is going to be one to watch in the future. 

The ensemble was a talented bunch of dancers and the set and costumes all added to the fantastic show. At the end you get the chance to jump out of your seats and sing and dance with the cast for their encore. Amazing atmosphere and a really good night out. 

The Bodyguard is on until 4th March, click on the link to book your tickets 

https://www.atgtickets.com/shows/the-bodyguard/regent-theatre/

ALADDIN -CREWE LYCEUM

 

 

It's always a joy to visit Crewe Lyceum theatre, especially when its Panto season, and so good to see it buzzing with excitement and full again after the pandemic. This year is Aladdin and welcomes the usual characters that we know and love. There were many local references which amused the audience but the general setting was China Town in Crewe. 

Widow Twanky played by regular dame Malcolm Lord was amusing and I was in absolute awe of the many costume changes. Wishy played by Ste Johnson had great camaradarie with Lord and added many a comedy innuendo. He saved a child from nearly falling off the stage during the songtime, his interaction with the audience was fantastic and had to ad lib a few times which was hilarious. Coronation Street's Jamie Kenna played the evil Abanazar, he encouraged the boos and jeers and I was impressed with this singing. The star of the show for me was Louie Spence  who was the Spirit of the ring, he had a great partnership with Kenna and some of the humour was definitely for the adults. It was fantastic to see him tap dancing and spinning onto the stage, not many people could pull off pink tights.

A very smiley Thomas Chan played Aladdin, this was his professional debut, his singing and dance skills were superb. His beau, Princess Jasmine was played by Kiera-Nicole from Milkshake TV.  Amelia Atherton was the Genie of the lamp, her voice was outstanding and very charasmatic on stage. 

Being from a dance background, I love to see children from local dance schools in the Junior Ensemble, they were a talented bunch.

There were a few teething problems with the sound but as its the opening weekend, I'm sure these will be sorted out asap.

There are still seats available before 8th January, if you're looking for a fun family outing click on the link for Crewe Lyceum to book your tickets.

THE PANTOMINE ADVENTURES OF PETER PAN

How is it Panto season already? I am in denial we are in December but being at The Regent Theatre Stoke last night got me feeling all festive. There was a real buzz in the theatre and it was good to see all the staff with pirate hats on and all the little Tinkerbells dressed up.

This year, resident Stokie, Jonathan Wilkes played Smee, but was without his usual sidekick Christian Patterson. Kai Owen, a regular with the duo played a mean but nice Captain Hook and has an amazing singing voice. The banter between them was hilarious, the Mermaid scene had us in stitches, comedy timing was perfection and as always a good mix of slapstick and double entendres for both adults and children.

Amanda Coutts played Tinkerbell, she had a sparkly personality with a strong voice and a talented and confident rollerskater too. Rory Sutherland was Peter Pan and Hannah Everest played Wendy Darling, it was opening night so I'm sure their confidence will grow as they do more performances. The Dancers were energetic and acrobatic and all from Jonathan Wilkes Academy, a very talented bunch.

There was a lot of audience participation, we were up dancing from the start but even a reluctant hubby couldn't not join in. Unfortunately Luke, now 15 did not want to join us at the theatre but you're never too old for panto!

The Pantomine Adventures of Peter Pan is on until 31st December, its a great family outing and a must to get you into the Christmas Spirit. There is also a relaxed performance on 30th December. Click the link to book your tickets Regent Theatre 

                                                    Photo credit is Claralou Photography

THE OSMONDS - THE MUSICAL

 

Before last night, I had only heard of Donny and Jimmy Osmond but after watching the new Musical of the Osmonds at The Regent Theatre Stoke, I now know the other 5 family members, Alan, Merril, Jay, Wayne and Marie.

It tells the story of the world's biggest boyband through Jay's eyes, how they sold 100 million records and their struggles with their ex military father and sibling rivalry. Their best loved songs all feature in the show, Love me for a reason, Crazy Horses , Let me in and many many more. It's an absolute must for all die hard fans. I noticed a whole row in front of us wearing 'The Osmonds Lifetime Membership' T-shirts, all swaying and singing along to their faves. There was definitely many Donny fan's screaming and swooning when he sang 'Puppy Love'.

The young Osmonds stole the show :- Jack Jones as Alan, Alfie Jones as Wayne, Alfie Murray as Merrill, Tom Walsh as Jay, Osian Salter as Donny, their voices and harmonies were fantastic. Fraser Fowkes as Jimmy singing 'Long Haired Lover from Liverpool' was charasmatic and cheeky. So much talent in this group of children. 

It's heartwarming, energetic, lively and includes all their best loved songs. Choreography was accurate to the real Osmonds, I know because I 'Youtubed' all the performances from the 70's when I got home! The scenery and costumes were colourful and vibrant and we were invited to join in with the party at the end.

If you love them for a reason get to the Regent by Saturday and watch this captivating show

https://www.atgtickets.com/shows/the-osmonds-a-new-musical/regent-theatre/

 

WE WILL ROCK YOU - They certainly did!

Remember way back in 2019 when we hadn't even heard of Covid-19? Well we had a press release telling us the Queen and Ben Elton’s smash hit musical' We Will Rock You' was touring in May 2020 with a new cast and new state-of -the-art production. Very exciting news and I immediately made a note in my diary but due to reasons beyond anyone's control it didn't happen and was postponed to 2022.

However, last night we were very excited to be at The Regent Theatre for opening night. The Musical is based on songs of Queen set 300 years in the future in a globally corporate world, Globalsoft run by Killer Queen has banned all non computer generated music. A group of Bohemians have been searching for lost instruments and must evade the Killer Queen to bring back the music. The storyline was easy to follow and some lyrics were changed in the well known songs to make them relevant to the story. They even managed a line about Covid to bring it right up to the modern day.

There were so many exceptional performances but Killer Queen (Jenny O'Leary) was magnificent, her sidekick Khashoggi (Adam Strong) added comedy to the duo too. 

The 2 main characters Scaramouche and Galileo were played by Understudies Anna Davey and Damien Walsh but were both phenomenal with a great connection. 

The Bohemians, Cliff (Michael McKell) Brit (David Michael Johnson) and Meat (Martina Ciabatti Mennell) added power to the already strong cast and lots of hilarity too. The whole ensemble added entertainment with their cheesy smiley faces as the Ga Ga's and fantastic dancing.

The musicians were outstanding and we caught glimpses of them when the graphics allowed us, they got big cheers from the packed-out audience. 

It was lovely to forget about what is going on the world and immerse yourself into the music, the laughter and emotion. There was lots of clapping and toe-tapping, but no singing along until the end. A pre-recorded message from Ben Elton was played at the beginning telling us not to sing along, very hard when we are all Queen fans, but we did get to join in with Bohemian Rhapsody at the end though!

For any Queen fans, this show is a must, you will get to hear all of your favourite songs. It is on at the beautiful Regent Theatre until Saturday 12th March. 

https://www.atgtickets.com/shows/we-will-rock-you/regent-theatre/

                                                        Credit to Johan Perrson Photography

OH, WHAT A NIGHT! JERSEY BOYS

Such a fabulous midweek treat to see Jersey Boys at Regent Theatre, Stoke last night. After the strangest 2 years it was so lovely to be back again to a packed auditorium with my friend Yasmin.

If you love the music of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, this show is a must! It goes way back to the 60's and how it all started, how they met, their individual characters and of course how the music was made. There's drama, conflict, laughter and tears all mixed in with their well choreographed dance moves to hits such as Sherry, Big Girls Don't Cry, Oh, What a Night and Can't Take My Eyes Off You and Walk Like a Man.

Michael Pickering who plays Frankie Valli had the most remarkable voice hitting all those high falsetto notes, his blending with the other members of the band was remarkably like the originals. Tommy DeVito, (Dalton Wood) was the mastermind of the group and although gambled their fortune away you couldn't help but take a shine to the loveable rogue. We all fell in love with Nick Massi (Lewis Griffiths) and his baritone. Bob Gaudio (Blair Gibson) was the songwriter for the group and I will never be able to hear 'Oh, What a night' the same way again now!

It was an uplifting performance which will have you singing (only at the end though) and toe-tapping along, it would have been nice to have had a final curtain call of the songs for a little boogie in the aisles but we certainly gave them a standing ovation. One note I would say is there is quite a lot of swearing in the first half so appropriate for older teenagers, in my opinion.

Go to https://www.atgtickets.com/shows/jersey-boys/regent-theatre/ to book your tickets before 19th February.

BURN THE FLOOR - KEVIN CLIFTON

On Sunday I treated my mum to see 'Burn the Floor' with Kevin Clifton at the Regent Theatre Stoke. As a Strictly Come Dancing fan and an avid listener of Kevin's Podcast  'The Kevin Clifton Show' I was very excited to watch Kevin dance live for the 1st time. I even joined Kevin, Jo and Lauren Oakley in December 2020 for a Zoom Podcast!

I literally didn't want to blink during the first half in case I missed anything, it was so exhilirating, the dancing was breathtaking and singing was phenomenal. It was a mixture of all genres of ballroom and very edgy and dramatic. It was so good to hear live music again, the singers (Chase Kamata and Tyler Azzopardi) doubled up as musicians, the guitarist Eugeni Moreno was super talented. Kevin showed off his remarkable voice singing 2 of my favourite songs, Bohemian Rhapsody and Let me Entertain you.

The choreography was magnificent and the costumes and story telling was extraordinary. There were many references to how difficult the last 2 years have been due to covid19 and you could see and feel the energy from all of the performers.

The finale got everyone up on their feet, it was so good to see the theatre full and even though we were wearing our masks it didn't deter us from cheering and singing along. 

Its a brilliant show and I hope to see it when it tours again!

                                             Proof I was in the Zoom meeting with Kevin 😁

Sleeping Beauty Crewe Lyceum

I had the pleasure of being invited to see the performance of Sleeping Beauty tonight at our beautiful Crewe Lyceum Theatre.

It was so good to see covid had not dampened the atmosphere at the theatre and it was lovely to see it so busy again.

TV Personality and Comedian Bobby Davro was the extremely funny Muddles, there was so much interaction with the audience and he dealt with a heckler like a pro. The tongue twister sketch was hilarious and slightly risqué.  X Factor star Amelia Lily was Princess Beauty, her opening song got the audience clapping their hands and tapping their feet. 

Malcolm Lord was a fantastic Dame and had a great bond with Bobby.

Carabosse, The Wicked Fairy (Bethany Alice Black) gave a convincing performance as a baddie, her costume was stunning. Isabella Mason played her 1st role in panto as The Good Fairy, her rendition of When you believe was breathtaking and she lit up the stage.

Chris Durtnal was the handsome Prince Harry of Haslington and had great chemistry with Sleeping Beauty.

My only one criticism was the sound, I felt the music was slightly over powering the vocals. but it was definitely good to be back at the theatre again.

Go to https://crewelyceum.co.uk/Online/default.asp to book your tickets until 2nd January 

                                  Credit Wes Webster Photography below

WELCOME BACK TO PANTOLAND

Last night we were welcomed back to The Regent Theatre Stoke to watch this year's production of Panto, Cinderella. After the weirdest 20 months it was so good to be back to the excitement of live Panto, the theatre was buzzing and alive again.

I have never laughed so much till I cried and cried till I laughed, we were definitely uplifted with the gags, slapstick humour and one-liners. 

Jonathan Wilkes resident Stokie played the cheeky Buttons and Christian Patterson played Baroness Heifer Hardup, Kai Owen was Prince Charming's sidekick Dandini. The special bond between them was evident especially when they hugged after an emotional speech by Johnny at the end.

Cinderella (Naomi Slights) and Prince Charming (Ryan Jupp) were a beautiful match and the ugly sisters were hilarious (Vivien Parry & Annie Wensak) and the Fairy Godmother (Olympia Curry) all had superb voices.

It was so magical when Cinderella went to the ball on her white horse and carriage at the end of the first half, I always look at Mark and Luke's reactions to see if they're as in awe as me, it was harder to read this year as we were wearing masks but I know they were impressed, I have to admit I had a little tear too. 

It was a great couple hours forgetting about Covid-19, there were so many scenes to give us a proper belly laugh, the innuendos were one after another and I have to admit that my now 14 year old gets all the 'adult' jokes now too. 

 For a magical experience don't miss out on this years Panto at the Regent Theatre. 

Images courtesy of Clara Lou Photography

 

COVID19 - CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC

What the actual heck is going on? It's so surreal and I just keep thinking I'm going to wake up from this bad dream.

My sister lives in Hong Kong so I was hearing about how it was all unfolding over there but I never ever expected it to escalate like it has over here. The worst part of it was seeing all the empty shelves in the supermarkets and watching the panic unfold, thankfully I think it's calmed down a bit now but I'm still unable to buy flour to use Luke's Christmas present and make bread. Never will I take it for granted again! It's scary times and worrying for everyone.

I was devastated when I first had to temporarily close down my business but after getting my head round it I'm much more positive. I know when all this is over, classes will be full and all the cancelled parties will be rebooked.

Everyone has been affected one way or another, Luke had a school trip to France cancelled, he was due to go last Friday so we planned a 'French' day and had croissants, pain au chocolat and hot chocolate! We have also had a couple of theatre shows cancelled too, it's so sad for everyone involved. Luke will turn 13 at end of April, we had a party planned at the Virtual Gaming place in Stoke but this has been postponed now too.

I am now actually quite enjoying lockdown, I've been busy clearing out cupboards and drawers and have taken up crafts again. I love sewing and after 2 weeks have still not got that set up but did get my wool and knitting needles out of the loft to start a project for Leighton hospital.

I have also jumped on the 'ZOOM' bandwagon and have been running online Zumba classes for 2 weeks. I also did my first Baby Sign/Toddler Dance session this week. It was so lovely to see all the children and hear them shouting my name. It made me a bit emotional and hope they don't forget me!

Can't wait to see everyone again!

Take care of you and your little ones and stay safe!

Love Sharon

020 DANCE FESTIVAL : The Roaring 20's

Last night I was invited to the annual 'O' Dance Festival at the Regent Theatre, Stoke. The theme was the Roaring 20's and dance companies from all over Cheshire, Staffordshire and the Mid-West took to the stage with their themed dances to celebrate the 1920's era. They celebrated Charlie Chaplin, Suffragettes and even Winnie the Pooh as well and dance styles included Jazz, Charleston and Jive.

The audience was buzzing with excited family members and for some would have been their first time on a big stage. It was a fantastic evening seeing all the brave and talented children of all ages, the choreography and costumes were stunning and you there was so much hard work put in by all.

The show is on until Saturday 1st February, its fantastic to see so many local dance schools showcasing their talents.

https://www.atgtickets.com/shows/020-dance-the-roaring-20s/regent-theatre/

SLEEPING BEAUTY - THE PANTOMIME OF YOUR DREAMS

It only starts to feel like Christmas when I see the panto at The Regent Theatre, Stoke, the atmosphere is always buzzing for opening night and you can feel the excitement from both children and adults.

This year's performance is Sleeping Beauty, Luke and I had to google the storyline before we came, and although the original isn't set at Stokey Palace in Stoke-On-Trent, there are still elements of the authentic fairytale.

Local Stokey, Jonathan Wilkes plays Muddles, who is in love with Princess Beauty, his mother, the Royal Nanny is played by Christian Patterson and another regular Kai Owen is King Cyril of Stokey. The comedy timing between the three of them is hilarious. I have never laughed so much during the first half of a panto before, so many clever jokes for all generations and lots of innuendos. Naomi Slights is Princess Beauty and entertained us with her beautiful singing, the Wicked Fairy, Carobosse was played by Vivien Parry, she was a believable baddy who also belted out some well-known songs. Delme Thomas was The Spirit of Stoke who was the king of the one-liners and dazzled us with his sparkly costumes.

As Luke is now getting older, he is beginning to understand the more 'adult' jokes but also finds the slapstick humour hilarious. We love our family outing to the Panto and even hubby got up and partook in the audience singalong!

If you are able to treat your family to the panto this year make sure you see this, you won't be disappointed!

https://www.atgtickets.com/times/sleeping-beauty/regent-theatre/2019-12-14

MADAGASCAR THE MUSICAL

 

If you and your children are fans of the Madagascar Movies you need to get to the Regent Theatre in Stoke this week to see Madagascar The Musical.

Our favourite characters, Alex the Lion (Matt Terry), Marty the Zebra (Posi Morakinyo), Melman the Giraffe (Connor Dyer), Gloria the Hippo (Hannah Victoria) escape Central Park zoo and find themselves in the Wild where they meet King Julien (Kieran Mortell). The production stayed true to the movie and the bond between the friends was endearing.

For us, King Julien stole the show in the second half singing the iconic 'I Like to Move It, Move It', the whole audience was in stitches laughing and it resonated round the theatre. 

The costumes and puppetry was fantastic, especially the famous Penguins of Madagascar. The songs and dancing was entertaining, Matt Terry's voice was amazing! Depending where you sit in the audience the scenery could cause a bit of obstruction so if you haven't bought tickets already choose central seats.

To book tickets for a great family show go to https://www.atgtickets.com/venues/regent-theatre/

IN THE NIGHT GARDEN LIVE!

As Luke is getting older (he turned 12 this year) I am getting more nostalgic about his early years. One of his favourite programmes as a toddler was 'In the Night Garden' so when I saw the Live Show was coming to Stoke on its first ever theatre tour I couldn't resist in taking my 3 year old Godson.

The theatre was buzzing with families with babies up to pre-schoolers, there was lots of excitement waiting for Igglepiggle, Makka Pakka and Upsy Daisy and friends. It stayed true to the original tv programme format with the well-known songs and life-size characters and puppets. It was magical to see everyone waving and singing along (me included!)

It was fantastic to see it all all come to life and there were a few little surprises for anyone who is still to go and see it! I'm sure Zak enjoyed it, I know I certainly did!

If you have toddlers who love the show, I highly recommend going. It's on tomorrow at 10am and 1pm Regent Theatre

MOTOWN THE MUSICAL

From the moment we sat down we were dancing in our seats from beginning to end, I didn't even want it to stop for the interval.

I have always loved Motown music and have been lucky enough to have seen the Temptations, The Four Tops and The Drifters so I just knew this West End musical was going to hit all the right buttons.

It tells the story of Berry Gordy, the founder of Motown Records. We learn how he broke barriers, his personal relationships and how he launched the careers of legendary artists such as Diana Ross, Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Smokey Robinsons and the Miracles and many more. There are of course also the lows as well as the highs. It features over 50 hits including My Girl, What's Going on, Dancing in the Street and Reet Petite.

The colourful and fast moving scenery took us back to the 60's and 70's. The very talented and energetic cast were incredible especially Cordell Mosteller who played Berry Gordy and Karis Anderson as Diana Ross. Carlo Brathwaite stole the show for me though as the young Michael Jackson, his stage presence, singing and dancing were all amazing. There were gasps from the audience when he came on.

It's so fantastic to have shows touring to our beautiful Regent Theatre in Stoke so book your tickets to see Motown The Musical before the end of the week!
https://www.atgtickets.com/shows/motown-the-musical/regent-theatre/

FAME

Growing up in the 80's and attending regular dance classes, I was a big fan of the TV show 'Fame' which followed the lives of students at a Performing Arts School in New York. The Musical version was all-singing, all-dancing but with the highs and lows of the issues young people suffer today:- prejudice, identity, pride, sexuality, substance abuse and pride.

It wasn't a great start to opening night due to an electrical fault but it was soon resolved and we were back in the 80's donning our leg warmers.

It was colourful and enthralling when the big dance scenes kicked in, there was so much energy on the stage. Jorgie Porter (Hollyoaks & Dancing On Ice) showed off her impressive dancing, her connection with Jamal Crawford was sensual. Mica Paris played Principal, Miss Sherman, her voice was strong and powerful and gave me goosebumps.

There were many side stories and we got to know all the characters and their issues. The final song 'FAME' performed by Stephanie Rojas was amazing, the whole audience was up on their feet.

It's on until Saturday 20th April go to the link to book your tickets!
https://www.atgtickets.com/venues/regent-theatre/

WAR HORSE LIVE

As a family we read the book War Horse by Michael Morpugo and watched the film in preparation for the stage production. I had heard nothing but good reviews of all 3, to see it come alive with puppets was spectacular and captivating. You don't need to have seen the film or have read the book to appreciate the show though as the story is slightly adapted which gave us another topic to discuss on the way home.

The story is set in 1914 and is about the friendship between Albert and his horse Joey who he reared from a foal, they share a special bond which is heart-warming. Albert's father sells his horse to the British Army to support the troops in France, Albert joins the army to go in search of his equine friend.

We were provided with tissues and told to expect tears, for me, there were so many poignant moments in the story and I did need the tissue! The horses were realistic and with their life-like sound effects I soon forgot they were puppets and controlled by people.

There were many 'jumpy' moments so do bear in mind if taking younger children, it is set in the war so I should've expected them really. The scenery was simple but effective, the interactive screen was spectacular.

Yesterday was National Theatre Day, I was asked which was my favourite theatre performance, it's a real tricky question but after seeing War Horse I think it is definitely up there as one of the best.

It's on until the end of the week at The Regent Theatre, book early to avoid disappointment
https://www.atgtickets.com/shows/war-horse/regent-theatre/

TOM GATES LIVE ON STAGE!

When my now 11 year old, Luke was 7 or 8 he was never a keen reader, so when a friend recommended the Tom Gates books he was enthusiastic and turned into a little bookworm. He also enjoyed replicating the doodles and also introduced him to Caramel wafers!

I was intrigued to see how the books would be transformed onto the stage, I did have a quick read of  a few chapters of one of the books and got the gist of the main characters but you don't need to have read the books as it is a brand new story from the producers of Horrible Histories and Gangsta Granny.

The interactive set was fantastic, so engaging and cleverly done, the doodles were a big part of  the scenery. The car journey was impressive!

Tom is played by Matthew Chase who brings humour to the main character and shows off his talent as lead singer of the Zombie Dogs. Matthew Gordon is best friend, Derek as well as the very comical Grandad, classmates were played by Amy Hargreaves and Ashley Cousins who also doubled up as moody sister, Delia and Granny.

The show is suitable for all ages, there was a great buzz when we left the Crewe Lyceum theatre.

There are still tickets available until Saturday 2nd March, book now to avoid disappointment

https://crewelyceum.co.uk/Online/tickets-tom-gates-crewe-2018

ROBIN HOOD AT THE REGENT THEATRE

As a parent I love making memories for Luke and his friend's and last night I think I was successful. We went to the wonderful Regent Theatre in Stoke to see Robin Hood with Jonathan Wilkes and Christian Patterson. It is Wilkes' 13th Year and this year he donned 'tight' green tights as he played the cheeky Robin Hood. It is Patterson's 10th performance in Stoke and Luke was surprised to see him dressed as a man this year, Friar Tuck...well at least for the beginning. They have great banter and the delivery of one liners is hilarious and so many well timed innuendos. The 3D show was fantastic but slightly frightening for young children.

Kai Owen was cast as this year's baddie, the Sheriff of Stokingham, his rendition of 'Bat of Hell was superb. The other members of the cast Little John (Pete Bonner), Will Scarlet (Delme Thomas), The Spirit of Sherwood (Rebecca Lisewski) and Maid Marion (Finley Guy) added a perfect balance of song, dance and humour.

The verdict of our favourite part was the '12 days of Christmas', and even hubby joined in with singing 'S-T-O-K-E'.

We will never tire of our family time at the Panto and we are already looking forward to 2019. If you get chance to see Robin Hood, it's on until 6th January, it is definitely worth a visit.

https://www.atgtickets.com/shows/robin-hood/regent-theatre/

NATIVITY THE MUSICAL

If I wasn't feeling Christmassy before tonight then I certainly am now after seeing 'Nativity The Musical'. I can honestly say it has got to be one of the best shows I've seen and Luke agreed. We saw the first and second movies together on Christmas Eve a few years ago so it was only right that he came with me to see the theatre show. 

The creator, Debbie Isitt made this feel-good movie into an adapted stage version. It was hilariously funny and entertaining with lots of singing and dancing. 

It's based at St Bernadette's School who are attempting to put on a Christmas show, their teacher Mr Maddens (Scott Garnham) promises that a Hollywood producer (played by Adam Thomas) will come to see the show. The new teaching Assistant, the crazy and very funny Mr Poppy (Simon Lipkin) brings the 'Sparkle and Shine' and puts on a phenomenal show. Luke and I laughed so much during the first half especially at the auditions, some parts were true to the movie and all the children were fantastic.

The scenery and costume changes were quick and impressive and it was like being transported from place to place. So many catchy tunes including some original hits Sparkle and Shine, Nazareth, One Night One Moment and She's the Brightest Star. 

It's a great show and I would highly recommend to see it with the whole family, every child wants a teacher like Mr Poppy!

To book tickets go to https://www.atgtickets.com/shows/nativity-the-musical/regent-theatre/