Sharon Sully (Rita) and Stuart Lawson (Frank). Photo by Rach Davis.   Educating Rita by Willy Russell. Performed by the Young Performers Institute at The Dorothea Mitchell Hall, Claverdon. Directed by Pete Davis. Runs until 29 March 2026. Review by Charles Essex.   Willy Russell’s play is well-known and the story set in Liverpool could easily have been marred by mediocre clichéd acting.  Fortunately, director Pete Davis was blessed with terrific performances from the two lead

James Hyland. Photo by Bindi Chauli.   The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, Anglican Church in London Road Cemetery. Performed by Don't Go Into The Cellar Productions. Friday 27 March 2026. Review by Amanda Burden.   Human duality: the eternal tug-of-war between good and evil, light and dark, restraint and indulgence - the mask of ourselves we present to the world versus the savage brute lurking just beneath the surface, waiting for its chance to wreak havoc.   Admitted

Claire and Tim Johnson. Photo courtesy of Consensus Opera. A Ring of Untruths, written and adapted by Tim Johnson, performed by Consensus Opera at The Bear Pit Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon from 25 - 27 March 2026. Review by Charles Essex   Following on from Consensus Opera’s 2026 production A Bitter and Twisted Cocktail,  Tim Johnson has written a wonderful thriller using his encyclopaedic knowledge of Gilbert and Sullivan music. The story starts with a lowly detective (Trac

Kenneth Branagh plays Prospero. Photo (C) the artist. The Tempest by William Shakespeare, directed by Richard Eyre, at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon from Wednesday 13 May – Saturday 20 June. Preview  Full casting is today announced for the RSC’s forthcoming production of William Shakespeare’s The Tempest, directed by Richard Eyre marking his first time directing in Stratford-upon-Avon following an esteemed career as a director, writer and former Artistic

Sam Evans of the Shakespeare Distillery. Photo by the company. Gin and rum lovers are in for a treat as the popular Stratford Gin & Rum Festival returns in 2026 with an exciting new riverside home at the Crowne Plaza Stratford-upon-Avon, on 19 July from 12 to 5pm.   Taking place beside the River Avon, the festival will bring together a hand-picked line-up of craft gin and rum distilleries, offering visitors the chance to sample, discover and purchase a wide variety of premium

Alfred Enoch as Henry V. Photo by Johan Persson. Henry V by William Shakespeare at The Royal Shakespeare Theatre until 25 April 2026. Directed by Tamara Harvey. Review by Wynne Lang. Alfred Enoch returns to Stratford in the role of Henry V, after his breakout debut as Pericles in 2024, and provides us with an engaging portrayal of a young king thrust into leadership in the cauldron of war, one refreshingly free of bombast. This Henry strives for the human touch, and it’s quic

The cast of My Fair Lady. Photo courtesy of Helen Ashbourne. My Fair Lady, Leamington and Warwick Musical Society, Royal Spa Centre, Leamington Spa, from 24 - 28 March 2026. Director and Musical Director/Conductor James Suckling. Review by Ann Cee   Lerner and Loewe’s ‘My Fair Lady’ throbbed with warmth, humour and very classy costumes and hats last night as the Leamington and Warwick Musical Society put on their annual show (this week only). Great voices led us through the P

Cast of Fishville. Photo provided by Coventry College. Coventry College - Fishville by Afsaneh Gray at Studio One - City Campus, 50 Swanswell Street, Coventry CV1 5DG, 7pm, Tuesday 24 March 2026. One night only. Review by David Court. There is something inherently melancholic about coastal towns, particularly those caught out of season. Worn down by salt air and time, they often exude a quiet listlessness — a curious tension between openness and confinement, freedom and entra

Sarah Agha in A Grain of Sand. Photo by Alan Blundell. A Grain of Sand written by Elias Matar and performed by Sarah Agha at the Belgrade Theatre on 23 March 2026. Review by Amanda Burden. An eleven-year-old girl full of fun, mischief and fart jokes – nothing unusual here. Except instead of entertaining her family and friends, Renad is homeless, alone and starving, a refugee orphan in the streets of Palestine. A Grain of Sand, written by Elias Matar and performed by the amaz

Gorgeous dogs enjoying the attention. Photos by Rob Tysall Pro Photography. As life gets back to normal for all the canine competitors and their owners and handlers who were involved in Crufts, Elementary WhatsOn looks back on our visit to this world famous dog show held over the four-day period of 5-8 March at the Birmingham NEC. We’ve put together a roundup of dogs and events that caught our eye, including some gorgeous dogs who may not have achieved Best in Show, but were

ORWELL: The Road to 1984. Photo credit Macready Theatre. Orwell: The Road to 1984, at Macready Theatre, Rugby on Tuesday 24 March at 7.30pm. Preview. George Orwell is perhaps the most influential English writer of the twentieth century. His classic tales  Animal Farm  and  Nineteen Eighty-Four  which warn of the dangers of totalitarianism - erosion of free speech, abuse of power, increasing control of all aspects of our lives - resonate now more than ever. But where did his v

Cathryn Bowler (Debbie), Christine Evans (Elsa), Jon Elves (Peter). Photo courtesy of The Criterion. The Unfriend By Steven Moffatt at the Criterion Theatre, Earlsdon, Coventry from 21 – 28 March 2026. Review by Annette Kinsella.    The “stranger at the feast” is a well-worn literary device. From Shallow Grave and Single White Female, to the clinical yet deadly agents of domestic terrorism The Tiger Who Came to Tea and The Cat in the Hat, writers can't get enough of the unexp