835 stories by "Paul Vale"
The Crazy Coqs, London: Janie Dee is billed as "one of the most versatile performers on the British stage", so it is perhaps understandable that her new cabaret show Satin Doll is …
Cafe de Paris, London: A two-tier circus ring decorated with plush reproduction fittings and deeply forgiving low-level lighting, the nightclub Cafe de Paris has problematic sightlines due t…
Brixton Club House, London: Set in the early 1980s, Taboo uses the colourful, hedonistic world of London's underground club scene to tell the story of Billy, a young photographer ready …
Tabard, London: There once was an ugly duckling with feathers all stubby and brown until George Stiles and Anthony Drewe fashioned this endearing musical around his birth, upbringing and tra…
Theatre Royal, Windsor: The Theatre Royal's annual pantomime is always a hugely popular affair and while the formula is eminently traditional, the local references and idiosyncratic asi…
Riverside Studios, London: Back at the Riverside Studios after two years, Tete a Tete's production of Salad Days remains as light and refreshing as one might expect from the brief but c…
Crucible Lyceum Studio, Sheffield: As a Christmas production, Lerner and Loewe's My Fair Lady might be considered something of a risk.
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Orchard, Dartford: When it comes to sheer spectacle at Christmas, Qdos are difficult to beat. Aladdin might easily be the most opulent of the traditional pantomime cannon but even so, the le…
Broadway, Catford: It is always encouraging to see a distinctly traditional pantomime and this year's Cinderella at the Broadway evidently prides itself on a simple recipe of old and ne…
Theatre Royal Stratford East, London: As you might expect of the Theatre Royal Stratford East, their highly individual interpretation of Jack and the Beanstalk is full of contemporary twists…
Landor, London: Within three years Above The Stag's pantomime established itself as one of the modest successes of the London fringe. With their home in Victoria demolished earlier this…
Fairfield Halls, Croydon: As the smoke clears and Laila Morse enters stage-right as Fairy Sugarsnap, it's comforting to know that certain pantomime traditions are in safe hands. Morse h…
Thameside, Grays: While Polka Dot sticks to the popular version of the centuries-old story, including a fairy godmother, glass slippers and ugly sisters, a fresh element of popular culture i…
Canal Cafe Theatre, London: Perhaps best known as the home of regular political satire through its long running News Revue, this Christmas the team at the Canal Cafe bring us something a lit…
Arts, London: While many will not be as familiar with the stories of the USA's Dr Seuss as they are for homegrown children's literature one cannot have escaped the influence his wr…
Leicester Square, London: For some, the Christmas season would not be the same without a hearty helping of filthy humour delivered in the guise of the adult pantomime. This particular dish, …
Soho Theatre Downstairs, London: With its heady dose of good cheer, religion and family values, the festive season is a ready made target for avant-garde performance artist David Hoyle. For …
The Last Refuge, London: Beyond Beauty takes the story of Sleeping Beauty one step further, looking beyond the imagined happy ending so often featured in fairytales to a reality of deceit an…
Jermyn Street Theatre, London: Written in 1975, Boy Meets Boy is a sparkling musical comedy set against the backdrop of the abdication crisis in pre-war Britain. The big difference is that t…
Broadway Studio, London: Set in provincial Germany in the late 19th century, Frank Wedekind's original play exposes the sexual oppression of the era. Often subject to censorship through…
Paul Vale asks make-up artist Amber Sibley what it was like to work with the team behind the opening ceremonies of the Olympic and Paralympics
Union, London: The original Broadway production of this musical, based on a story by David Thompson, ran for only 76 performances and subsequently never transferred to the West End in the sa…
Ashcroft Theatre, Fairfield Halls, Croydon: For their 50th anniversary production the Fairfield Halls' Ashcroft Theatre has mounted this short run of the classic comedy drama Billy Liar…
Blue Elephant, London: This musical, here making its European premiere, examines the arrest and trial of Australian baby farmers Charles and Agatha Maykin in 1879. Their downfall is brought …
New Wimbledon, London: Now over 30 years old, the 20th Century Fox comedy movie 9 to 5 captured the zeitgeist of the 1980's and catapulted singer Dolly Parton into popular culture as an…
