DROITWICH STANDARD OCTOBER 11th 2023 WHILE we may not have actually been at the races, All and Sundry’s delightful, complex and heartwarming production of ‘Ladies Day’ certainly left me gripped until the final furlong. When Pearl (Ruth Cattell) decides to leave her job at a Hull fish factory, she takes her three work colleagues to her ‘dream’ Ladies Day out at Royal Ascot. While the foursome try to enjoy their big day, their long withheld insecurities, regrets and dreams rapidly unfold and they begin to realise their friendship is more valuable than the £500,000 they have a shot at winning on the horses. Cattell delivers a beautifully sensitive portrayal of Pearl as a hopeless romantic who hides her heartbreak through a well developed mask of contentment. Her closest friend Jan (Joy Williamson) acts as a perfect contrast to Pearl as someone who wilfully accepts unhappiness in the name of her values, loyalty and morals. Williamson gives an assured display as the proud and classy character, almost forcing the audience into rooting for her happiness. Kelly Wade is simply spellbinding as Shelley, a woman who, despite showing the biggest bravado, is the most insecure and broken of all the ladies. A scene where Shelley tries to flirt her way to fame quickly turns from hilarious to harrowing and showcases Wade’s full acting range. Beth Morrissey brings an effortless likeability to Linda, who we soon learn has had her kind nature and naivety exploited by those closest to her. Linda also got some of the biggest laughs of the night, although this can largely be attributed to Morrissey’s great knack for line delivery and stage presence- her innocent and care-free facial expressions to huge revelations tickled my funny bone the most. A particularly genius scene where the ladies give a running commentary on the Royal procession at Ascot gives a compelling insight into their differing values and perspectives. This play also isn’t afraid to dedicate entire scenes to letting us get to know the characters through their mundane yet highly entertaining conversations, and this is helped in no small part by the excellent chemistry between the four leads. An early chin wag at the fish factory gave me satisfying flashbacks to Victoria Wood’s classic sitcom ‘Dinnerladies’, from the northern accents and uniform right down to the sharp witted humour and impeccable comedic timing. Hannah Grindy eats up every second of limited stage time as compassionate horse jockey Pat, who plays a crucial role in Linda’s marvellous evolution. And awe induced congratulations are in order for Dan Blizzard and Roger Goddard, who both seamlessly transition between multiple roles throughout the play. Blizzard flexes his acting muscles as kind fish factory worker Joe before switching to a far more awkward and seedy persona in Jim the Ascot announcer. Goddard meanwhile only has a single scene each portraying the downtrodden gambler, the shady ticket tout and Barry, a key figure from Pearl’s past. While he performs admirably in all three roles, his sensitive, heartfelt and measured showing as Barry was so poignant and heart wrenching it left me on the verge of tears. If you want your own memorable ladies or gents day out, this trip to the Norbury Theatre is definitely a safe bet- odds on you’ll love it.

REVIEW - All and Sundry's Aladdin brought real magic to Bromsgrove School's Cobham Theatre IT WAS more than just the lamp that was magical when All and Sundry returned to the panto stage tonight with Aladdin. The classic tale was told, as it should be, with plenty of great acting, singing, dancing, stockingfuls of one-liners, a sprinkling of slapstick, colourful costumes and plenty of audience interaction. Laura Cooney as Won Hung Lo, Emma-Louise Hodgson as Khazi, Ken Messenger as the Emperor and Zena Schtyk as the Empress all put in solid performances. Archie Marks was popular with the audience as Wishee Washee, ensuring those watching got involved by stamping their feet and doing a Mexican-wave style greeting every time he entered the action. PC Ping (Dave Healey) and PC Pong (Graham Forbes) were the perfect ‘henchmen’ as the hapless police officers. They were so in-tune with each other they could finish each other’s sentences and often did. They got plenty of laughs with their antics and their ‘Dedicated Followers of Justice’ duet was among my favourite songs. Pantomime stalwart James Ralley had one of his best performances in these traditional Christmas shows – he was made to play the camp Genie. He had the audience chuckling along and some real laugh out loud moments. He also did his fair share of improvisation in response to the crowd’s reaction. Abanazer – played meticulously by Tony Madden – was all you would want a baddie to be. He relished in the boos and got plenty of them – every one well deserved, each time he emerged from the wings. He was another one who built up a great rapport with the crowd. Daisy Green ensured Princess Jasmine was taken to the audience’s hearts and her duet with the Spirit of the Ring and her solo were among the most memorable musical moments. David Mann returned as the dame – this time Widow Twankey – and, with his/her array of audacious dresses and wigs, was fantastic. His comedic lines were perfectly delivered – with plenty for the adults to titter at. The launderette scene with PCs Ping and Pong was arguably the funniest of the night with the lion’s share of the slapstick. The only criticism was either his mic needs turning up or the backing track lowering on his solos. ‘Let Me Do Your Laundry’ (to the tune of Robbie Williams’ Let Me Entertain you) looked to be the funniest song of the night but a lot of the lines were lost to the music. And Dave Berrisford, after two successful years as Captain Hook, was excellent in the lead role of Aladdin. He had the audience in the palm of his hand – especially the children who jumped at the chance to shout out every time he asked for advice. The UV light show was as wonderful as it always is with a dragon and other characters and the magic carpet scene with Aladdin’s solo just before the interval took the special effects – literally – to another level. Another highlight was the duet between Aladdin and Princess Jasmine to Madness’ ‘It Must Be Love’. Each told their stories while the other sang the song and vice versa – which, as well as being effective, looked like it took a lot of concentration. Thanks to the Stage Door Dance Academy, the routines were well-choreographed and delivered, including tap-dancing, a touch of acrobatics and with feathers during Arabian Night. Likewise, the Ensemble members also played their part and the well-designed set was fitting for the panto which played out before us. Well done to director Alison Berrisford and her backstage team for bringing the magic of pantomime to Bromsgrove again. Tristan Harris