A long time ago in a village far, far away (from Edinburgh Festival Fringe), I remember sitting and watching Gifford’s Circus and loving the show and one cast member in particular. When the programme for Edinburgh Festival Fringe fell onto my doorstep I was excited to see Tweedy’s Massive Solo Show listed. Showing in Udderbelly – a circus tent shaped as a giant purple cow, the excitement was palpable before the show even began, with plenty of young children filling seats wit

Spraywatch: A Beautiful Rescue is a musical from Low Fat Productions. The protagonist is based on a character from Baywatch, but this is not a retelling of any episode of that series. The show’s Instagram account made it obvious Spraywatch was going to be light hearted and not take itself too seriously. I was keen to review it during my visit to Edinburgh Festival Fringe. A relentlessly upbeat Santa Monica lifeguard (Izabella Webb) has a disastrous day at work when her col

I reviewed Trans People are Awful at Bunker One at Pleasance Courtyard, and have to wonder if there would be a more fitting place for this particular show at Edinburgh Festival Fringe. As the story is set in a garage and the visible props as we entered the room gave an instant air of menace, it was the perfect venue. Boy (Ros Watt) bursts into the room, and he is fired up. There’s no other way to describe it but the energy is instant, constant and relentless. The character

Renwick McAslan’s Woman Seeking Cuddles, is currently showing at Edinburgh Festival Fringe so I went along to review it on my first night in the city. This is a one woman show featuring Harper (played brilliantly by Hannah Strauss), who at first seems like any other young person about to leave their hometown, as she goes out to celebrate this pivotal moment in her life. When she tells us about an accidental sexual encounter with her sperm donor father (not a spoiler, this i

Graham Greene's black comedy Our Man in Havana, has been adapted for the stage by Clive Francis and is currently touring the UK. I was pleased to be able to review the show at Oxford Playhouse. On walking into the auditorium we instantly noticed the set (Julie Godfrey), which was a lovely design, along with music that evoked the setting of Cuba. It must also be said that throughout the performance, the lighting design by Nick Richings and the sound design by Andy Graham sto

The Night Ali Died is a solo play written and performed by Chris Sainton-Clark, and brought to the stage by Raising Cain Productions. I reviewed this show on my last night at Ventnor Fringe. Recounting in detail the activities of three other characters – including a mob boss and a detective - as well as the titular Ali, this was a show I was excited to see. Ali is working in a chemistry lab alongside his friend, and he realises, unlike his own life that he perceives as bori

Amy Ambrose’s musical rom-com Dogmum made its debut at Ventnor Fringe and I was pleased to be able to review it. Billed as 'a musical rom-com for anyone whose Prince Charming turned out to be a cockapoo', Amy not only wrote the show but also starred in it herself. As the show was introduced, Amy let us know that she was filming the show to pitch it to a film director, and that most of her band members (who also doubled as actors) “missed their ferry” so she was stuck with s

Brainfools Circus visited Ventnor Fringe and I had the pleasure of reviewing Balance in the Bosco Theatre, which was the perfect venue for this show. Using a combination of acrobatics and theatre, Balance is set in 1940s London, with implied threat from air raid sirens overhead and a radio broadcast to place us firmly in this timezone. There is a story to it, however you can take what you want to from it while you’re watching which is clever – because for some of the younge

Melanie Branton is a former English lecturer and self-confessed linguistics nerd and she has created the show The Full English to share her love of the English language with audiences. It was a pleasure go along and review the show at Pier Street Playhouse, one of the venues at Ventnor Fringe. At the start of her performance, Melanie told us, alongside words, she also loves audience participation. This is a phrase that always makes this introvert’s heart sink and yet for th

Marriage Material is a work in progress, which was also the first show at Ventnor Fringe 2026, and a strong opener at that. The venue for this performance was Pier Street Playhouse which happens to usually be a church – fitting for the subject matter. Opening with a poem was a good move by Charlie Rosse, who is on the hunt for a husband and hoping to find help – or even a husband – from within the audience. The first line instantly engaged the audience and also proved to

Sherlock Holmes and the Napoleon of Crime is a MCS Drama (Magdalen College School) production and I was keen to review it at Oxford Playhouse. On entering the auditorium, my eye was instantly drawn to the stage. The set (Christianna Mason) had a Steampunk theme to it, fitting for the time period of this show. As the play went on, this versatile set, alongside fabulous lighting (Will Hayman) and sound (Dan Parry) transported us to a newspaper office, the banks of the River T

Shakespeare’s little known poem Venus and Adonis, is about Venus the goddess of love, falling for handsome mortal Adonis, who is only interested in hunting. Unlike Shakespeare’s plays, this poem is a straightforward tale, which was been brought to life originally in 2004 by the Royal Shakespeare Company in collaboration with Little Angel Theatre. A revival of this production, directed by Greg Doran, is on a limited UK tour which is currently at Oxford Playhouse. On walking

When I received an invite from Cross Keys Productions to review a new musical, I was thrilled. It’s no secret that I love musicals but seeing one that is still in development is a treat in itself. Going along to Michael Pilch Studio for the first time was an added bonus. On Some Far Shore has been written by Louis Benneyworth, currently a final year student. The fact I got to see it while the city was full of other students celebrating the end of their exams, is something I

I was invited to see The Karate Kid – The Musical at New Theatre Oxford. Directed by Amon Miyamoto, this was of interest to me due to the fact that it raised the question, why has this been reimagined as a musical. I went along to find out. Now is probably the time to admit, in the past, musicals based on earlier films have often not tended to be my favourites to watch. However, what this show does differently to many I have seen in the past, is keep enough of the original

Frankie Goes to Bollywood is a production by Rifco Theatre Company, which platforms British South Asian stories. Currently on tour, I went along to review the show at Oxford Playhouse. Frankie works with her friend Goldy in a theatre in Huddersfield, and is obsessed with Bollywood films. Goldy has always dreamt of being an actress, so when she goes to an audition, Frankie goes along for moral support and somehow Frankie lands the role. From there we are transported to Mu

Redcliffe is a new musical by Jordan Luke Gage who is responsible for writing the book, music and lyrics and playing the lead role in the show. Directed by Paul Foster, the narrative was inspired by two men who lived in Redcliffe in the 1700s. This is a story of community, family, fear, and forbidden love. The theatre space was set with seats on 3 sides, a wooden stage with a water along the end of it and a striking wooden fitting above the perimeter of the stage (Andrew Ex

Our House is a musical, written by Tim Firth, with music and lyrics by Madness. This production is by Cross Keys Productions, a University of Oxford theatre company. I was interested to see it at Oxford Playhouse, and went along to review on opening night. The show opens with a medley of Madness music. This was a good chance to hear the band playing without distraction, and the musicians were superb. It was also good to see the musicians onstage when the curtain rose. I per

I was invited to review William Street at the Burton Taylor Studio by The Fifth Act Company, a student founded theatre company. The performance I saw of William Street was the first of the run. It was interesting to walk into the studio space and see a different layout to those for recent shows I’ve seen in this venue, one that worked particularly well for this show. The set consisted of a family’s living space which instantly transported us to the 1970s with furniture and

When I saw the information about Perfect Show for Rachel on a poster at the theatre, it was apparent that this was a show that would be unique. A collaboration between Zoo Co and Improbable, I was keen to review it, and who better to go with me than my friend Rachel. At the beginning, Flo O’Mahony, Artistic Director and Co-Founder of Zoo Co, but more importantly, Rachel’s little sister, takes to the stage for her allotted 5 minutes to introduce the concept. She is going rel

The Beekeeper of Aleppo was inspired by Christy Lefteri’s bestselling novel of the same name. Adapted for the stage by Nesrin Alrefaai and Matthew Spangler, I was excited to see the show at Oxford Playhouse. I should note that despite having a copy of the novel, I have yet to read it so I can’t compare the two. What follows is based entirely on the stage show. Nuri and his wife Afra have been forced to flee from Syria after war takes hold. With Nuri a beekeeper in their hom