What was most surprising was how witty a speaker Olusoga is, quite a revelation given his austere TV persona. Given the grim journey he was about to take us on, perhaps its purpose was simply a chance to get to know each other before discussing the elephant in the room - or at least the gun on stage - the Maxim gun, known as the Devil's Paintbrush, spewing out 666 bullets a minute.
What have we come to, when someone is threatened with violence for speaking their mind so often that they make light of it?
Cheish Merryweather was keen to emphasise the value of critical thinking, investing her audience with a dignified, sober reflection on the machinery of justice, but she was canny enough to indulge a more scurrilous fascination with the macabre. It left me feeling a little uneasy that horrifying photography and unnerving reconstructions were being presented for our entertainment, not least as I found myself being entertained.
Despite its sensational title, Killer Cults was a relatively sober examination of what makes a cult leader, and how a literally fatal combination of narcissism and psychopathy can lead to disaster.
Is it something we are all aware of but just put at the back of our minds? See the take of our reviewers ...
Get an insight to the Spitting Image co-creator Roger Law
His observations were smile-funny rather than belly-laugh funny, but smiling is better than scowling. If he prefers to keep his routines light and, dare I say, inconsequential, then he has every right to.
A very comfy chair seemed to exactly match a laconic, measured delivery that would surely have brought to mind the late, great Dave Allen even without the name drop. Throughout, he seemed so at ease I'd have assumed the upholstered support was part of his schtick — maybe it should be, given how well it seemed to work for him.
The combination of personal anecdotes and irate bafflement at our current cultural, social and political mess works well
The most I’ve laughed in “yonks”!
Ray O'Leary, is fair to say, has a distinctive way about him. Wild, curly hair. Beer belly out and proud. A face only a mother could love. And that suit. It's a look that says he knows exactly what he’s doing and that he does it very well.
On another night, any one of the line-up could have reasonably headlined a comedy night — Ed Gamble, Rachel Parris, and Paul Sinha on the same bill felt almost like overkill. All Stars indeed.
Another fabulous production from the entire team at Norfolk & Norwich Operatic Society.
‘Tina’ brought the life story and legacy of rock icon Tina Turner to the stage and it was simply, The Best.
Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Broadway blockbuster Hamilton brings the founding fathers to Norwich in a revolutionary performance.
The Sound Ideas Theatre company’s Gypsy was entirely breath taking and incredible to see, for only a theatre half full, they deserved it to be sold out every night.
A powerful production of a classic Broadway musical that will leave you with its message burning into your conscience long after you have left the theatre.
Profound in its harrowing and bitter sweet ending, Les Miserables on stage at the Norwich Theatre Royal was a rebellion of outstanding performances.
Having entered the theatre worried this show might not be for me, I left after one of the most unexpectedly enjoyable evenings at the Theatre Royal for quite some time
This was a noble attempt to breathe fresh life into a play we know too well to enjoy as the author intended. It was a feast for the eyes and, with the text stripped to the bone, offered up an unusually urgent and fast-moving version. Whether that justifies a staging conceit that strained credulity is a moot point.
Those that see this show will leave with a renewed sense of warmth and hope in their souls. It is a visceral tribute and testament to the music, the traditions and the culture of the people of the Kerry coastline
This play about football was not really about football at all. It was a play about male bonding, humanity, mutual respect, facing your demons, and about meeting with triumph and disaster, and treating those two impostors just the same.
This is a ghost story, not a horror story, with an uneasy atmosphere of impending doom. The play is handsomely staged, with subtle but effective use of sound and lighting. Along the way we get red herrings, misdirection and tension-busting humour. Robins even lobs in class-conscious social commentary into the mix.
Spectacular, colourful, funny and polished. What more could you ask?
A Sneak Peak of the Play
In the words of the famous Norwichonian Delia Smith “Let’s be having you come to see my show!" on the 16th June
· What power do you believe theatre holds?---- It is live. Real people perform in front of real people. It is dynamic and present in the moment for both actors and audience. Therefore, every performance in a production is different.
Tomorrow, (30th April) Alasdair will be bringing ‘Nevermore’ to the Norwich Playhouse, promising audiences a night of wacky and witty comedy!