The Curtain Theatre Reviewers

Tuesday 31st March 2026 "A Murder Is Announced" by Agatha Christie" Your Chance Productions. Duchess Theatre, Long Eaton ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4 Stars) An Agatha Christie classic, the story of a quiet village which is shook by a peculiar notice in the newspaper ‘A murder is announced  and will take place on Friday, at Little Paddocks at 6.30pm.’ The room is filled with mystery as we anxiously wait to hear the story. Jazz music playing pre show to boost the mood. As we hit the interval we are still none the wiser as to who dunnit!! There are many twists and turns and fingers pointed as to who it could be but no clear answer. We’ll just have to wait and see! On a whole, the cast worked well together to create the family atmosphere but it is also obvious that each person has truly thought about the background of their characters. A couple of the cast seemed to stumble over their words in a few places which did lose the pace a little. Philippa Buchanan has the calming but quirky personality...

 Friday 27th March 2026 "The Band - Take That Musical" Good Companions Musical Theatre - Derby  Repton Hall 400 Theatre  ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5 Stars) From the moment you walk into the auditorium, there is an immediate sense of excitement and anticipation in the air. The stage is set in a way that allows the storytelling and music to take centre stage, creating a welcoming and energetic atmosphere before the performance has even begun. It instantly sets the tone for an evening filled with nostalgia, emotion and the iconic music of Take That. The Band: A New Musical, written by Tim Firth, tells the story of a group of friends whose lives are shaped by their shared love of a boyband. As the narrative moves between past and present, we follow their journey through friendship, loss and growing up. The writing balances humour and emotion beautifully, allowing the audience to both laugh and reflect as the story unfolds. The younger cast delivered strong performances, bringing both energy and...

 Friday 13th March 2026 "Children Of The Night" Southwark Playhouse - Borough ⭐⭐⭐ (3 Stars) The GCSE exams are over, and the summer of ‘97 is about to be epic for Lindsay Jenkins (Danielle Phillips, also the writer of the play) and her best mate Jen (Charlotte Brown) as they embark on a messy journey of self-discovery while exploring the rave scene of Doncaster. In fact, Children Of The Night, a 90-minute self-proclaimed “love letter to the working-class cultural pulse of the North” is lovingly crafted by writer Danielle Phillips and inspired by the testimony of 30 people who truly lived and breathed the chaotic 90s nightlife of Doncaster, right in the aftermath of Margaret Thatcher’s policies and during the UK’s first heterosexual outbreak of HIV. Phillips plays an effervescent yet vulnerable Lindsay, a young woman who grew up without a mother, on the cusp of adulthood, torn between the excitement of finally feeling free to be herself as she steps into the iconic Karisma nig...

Friday 6th March 2026 "Three Little Pigs" Front Door Theatres Derby Theatre ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5 Stars) We were invited to a sneak preview of Front Door Theatre Three Little Pigs. A quick paced, well written short story based on the popular children’s book. With only two performers, Adam Horvath and Ivan Stott, it takes a lot to keep adults as we as kids entertained for any length of time and these two certainly managed that! They bounce off each so well, with quick reactions and comedic timing. Both showed off their skills with various accents supported by Anita Gilbert, the favourite being the Scottish builder lady.  They both truly are showmen. This was accentuated with Daniel Ellis’ flamboyant directing, who also designed the set, which consisted of a miniature theatre with velvet curtains, cabochon lights, and shell foot lights, perfect for creating a stage for the incredibly made, detailed puppets, made by John Barber.  I enjoyed how the brick how was on a revolve to reveal the in...

Thursday 5th March 2026 " Glitch " Derby Theatre ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5 Stars) This piece of theatre is based on true events. It exploits the conflicts, cuts through the noise and gets to the heart of the reality for these sub postmasters during the time where glitches were found in the Horizon system.  The curtains are open, tinsel is spread across the minimalist set. You are taken straight into the joyful vibe of running the post office shop, set in the 90s, before the issues started.  This versatile cast each captured their multiple roles splendidly. Joanne Howarth, who plays Pam Stubbs, is the only person who doesn’t appear as other characters. Pam is at the centre of this story, we first see her as a happy worker who quickly starts to struggle which the new system that has just been installed. Joanne really captures the anger and frustration of Pam as we see the story progress, the longer the issues go on, the more stressed she gets.  Laura Penneycard plays Nora, the naive post of...