Comedy: Viv Hardwick discovers how David Baddiel found renewed stage success
TWO of the more unlikely subjects destined for comedy success are dementia and the fact that your mother was sex-mad and having an affair with a golf memorabilia salesman.
Theatre: Viv Hardwick discovers that life begins at 40 when it comes to York pantos and ever-youthful principal boy Suzy Cooper
AS one of the famous four of York Theatre Royal’s 39 years of panto with Sunderland-born Berwick Kaler, Suzy Cooper laughs about having nothing new to say concerning this legendary production.
Review: Bear & Butterfly, Theatre Hullabaloo, The Hullabaloo, Darlington
FROM caterpillar to butterfly via chrysalis transformation with a hint of Christmas rebirth, could hardly be a better choice for that rare thing of a theatre opening on the eve of the festive season.
Theatre: Viv Hardwick discovers why Newcastle’s Northern Stage has once again sold every seat for its long-running early years Christmas show
FOR at least two decades the small-scale Christmas show for children aged up to four (and their adults) at Northern Stage, Newcastle, has always sold every seat... no pressure there then for London’s Little Angels Theatre who fill the gap this year with the penguin adventures of Me.
Theatre: John Middleton tells Viv Hardwick about his dementia death on Emmerdale and his role in the stage adaptation of Strangers On A Train coming to York
AFTER 20 years as soap’s best-known vicar, Emmerdale’s John Middleton opted to move on from the screen death of the Rev Ashley Thomas and become a US cop in the stage adaptation of Strangers On A Train.
Review: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs - Darlington Hippodrome
A NEW £13m Edwardian-looking era for the venue put an opening weekend wrecked by electrical trouble behind it and cautiously got on with the business of rebuilding a panto reputation.
Theatre: Viv Hardwick finds that The Hullabaloo is set to put Darlington on the world’s children’s theatre map
THE situation couldn’t be more different for Darlington’s Theatre Hullabaloo which has gone from being homeless five years ago to the eve of opening a children’s venue that will be one of Britain’s best.
Theatre: Viv Hardwick finds that Geordie Alice, Alex Tahnee, appropriately falls through a stage trapdoor to reach Wonderland at Northern Stage this Christmas
NOT only is Alice In Wonderland forever linked to this region, thanks to Charles Lutwidge Dodgson (better known as author Lewis Carroll) spending time at Croft-on-Tees, but it has become the perfect star vehicle for Geordie Alex Tahnee as the title role character.
WIN! Tickets to Jack and Beanstalk panto at the Sunderland Empire
BILL WARD bursts out laughing when he’s described as having the unusual claim to fame of being “dead” in two top TV soaps, Coronation Street and Emmerdale.
Theatre: Comic Patrick Monahan tells Viv Hardwick he’s ready for panto comedy badness at Darlington Hippodrome
TEESSIDE’S Patrick Monahan admits he’s excited about becoming the first comedian to look for laughs in pantomime as Darlington’s mainstream theatre enters the Hippodrome era.
