Candide's Crazy Life!
Leonard Bernstein's Candide. Leonard Bernstein’s Candide based on Voltaire’s satirical novel performed by the Student Society Opera Warwick at Warwick Arts Centre from 12 to 13 February 2026. Directed by Millie Jeffries and conducted by Michał Matusz. Review by Ann Cee Open Opera did a terrific job last night of bringing the chaos and confusion of Candide's crazy life to the Warwickshire stage. With precious few props but plenty of creativity and panache, a huge cast took
Ann Cee
60 minutes ago2 min read
Playbox celebrates the start of its 40th Anniversary Season with Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet
Romeo (Sam Almond) and Juliet (Sophie Rhodes). Photo by Lucy Barriball. Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare marks the start of Playbox Theatre’s 40 th Anniversary Season at The Dream Factory, Warwick from 12 to 14 February 2026. Directed by Mary King. Review by Ann Evans. Playbox Theatre’s production of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet is the first in their 40th Anniversary Season. This ever popular Shakespearean tragedy bringing us a love story that goes terribly wrong, h
ann-evans
3 hours ago3 min read
Nipplegate sets stage for quirky and irreverent show
Paula Varjack. Photo by Christa Holka. Nine Sixteenths at Warwick Arts Centre, on Thursday 12 February. Review by Amanda Burden Pale, male stale meets loud, proud, unbowed: Nipplegate sets stage for quirky and irreverent show. Everyone loves an unexpected guest star. Who can forget Brad Pitt popping into Friends ? Or Sir Ian McKellen propping up the bar at the Rovers Return? Or - and here I’m showing my vintage - 90s beat combo The Farm on Brookside? (Incidentally, I miss th
Amanda Burden
16 hours ago3 min read
Placebo and the RSC join forces for The Resistable Rise of Arturo Ui
Photographer Gillian Hyland. Art Director Louise Richardson. Premiering in the Swan Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon from Saturday 11 April – Saturday 30 May 2026. Preview Placebo are to compose new music for landmark stage play satirising Hitler’s ascent to power in their first major theatre collaboration to date. Starring double Olivier award-winning actor Mark Gatiss in The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui; based on the 1941 ‘gangster spectacle’ by Bertolt Brecht in a new version
ann-evans
1 day ago3 min read
The Man Who Would Be King – Bold new take on Macbeth has lessons for Sky Blues
Kehinde bankole and Deyemi Okanwalo. Credit Diva Creative Crown of Blood, Belgrade Theatre, 11 Feb Review By Amanda Burden Hubristic horoscopes, ambition thwarted, good intentions gone astray… no! It’s not the story of Coventry City Football Club’s current promotion campaign, silly. This is Crown of Blood, Mojisola Kareem’s striking new take on Macbeth at the Belgrade Theatre. That said, there are parallels between the Sky Blues’ spiky trajectory of late and the fortunes of S
Amanda Burden
2 days ago3 min read
Warwick Folk Festival 2025 brought in £1million!
The beer tent, Warwick Festival 2025. Photo John Wright Photography. The 2025 Warwick Folk Festival brought in just under £1million to the town in terms of additional economic benefit which has been revealed in an ‘Economic Impact Analysis’ report. It has also been revealed that the festival days in 2023, 2024 and 2025 averaged a footfall uplift of +46% in the town centre, compared to the average footfall on the same non-festival days. Data also showed that 2025 had the large
Tanya Aspinwall
4 days ago3 min read
The Unfriend a sell out at The Talisman
Mark Plastow as Peter and Esther Riggs as Debbie. Photo by Robert Warner. The Unfriend by Steven Moffat, at the Talisman Theatre and Arts Centre, from Monday 9 February - Saturday 14 February 2026. Directed by Vanessa Comer, Assistant to Director Connor Bailey. Review by Ashley Hayward. This play has been accurately described as a cross between a farce and a sitcom and it was certainly given a massive thumbs up by the first night audience as they collectively rose to give
Ashley Hayward
4 days ago3 min read
Crown of Blood at The Belgrade
Kehinde bankole and Deyemi Okanwalo. Photo credit Diva Creative. Crown of Blood, a new Yoruba adaptation of Macbeth. At the Belgrade Theatre from Wednesday 11 to Saturday 14 February. Written by: Oladipo Agboluaje. Directed by: Mojisola Kareem. Crown of Blood was developed with the support of the National Theatre’s Generate programme. Preview ‘Of what use is a good man without ambition?’ Following on from the success of Death and The King’s Horseman (February 2025), Utopia
ann-evans
5 days ago1 min read
Nostalgic evening of a bygone era
Oliver on piano and Samuel standing. Photo courtesy of Oliver Hancock. An evening of Flanders and Swann performed at St Mary’s Church Warwick, on Saturday 7 February 2026. Review by Charles Essex Brothers Samuel and Oliver Hancock treated a very knowledgeable audience to a wonderfully nostalgic evening of the songs of Flanders and Swann at St Mary’s Church in Warwick. Although the demographic of the audience reflected that this appealed to a particular generation who recal
Charles Essex
6 days ago2 min read
York Ice Trail this weekend
Follow the York Ice Trail. Photo courtesy of Make It York. York Ice Trail returned this morning with the Enchanted City theme bringing 36 mystical and magical ice sculptures, interactive experiences and photo opportunities leading you across the city. The York Ice Trail is a free event open to all from 10.30am to 4pm over the weekend on 7 and 8 February. Pick up the official trail map from the Visit York Visitor Information Centre to tick off all the sculptures and, upon
ann-evans
Feb 71 min read
Full casting announced for the RSC's Henry V
Full casting has been announced for the RSC’s forthcoming production of Henry V, Shakespeare’s great history play, directed by RSC Co-Artistic Director, Tamara Harvey. The production runs in the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon between Saturday 14 March and Saturday 25 April 2026. Preview Henry V will be the first play Tamara has directed in the Royal Shakespeare Theatre since becoming Co-Artistic Director and follows her critically acclaimed productions of Pe
ann-evans
Feb 62 min read
