review

Chitty, Chitty, Bang, Bang – Performed By The Trinity Music & Drama Society

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Hi everyone and welcome back to another review! 

This time we are actually at a new theatre! I got kindly invited to The Chelmsford Theatre in Chelmsford, Essex! First then, about the show! I went to go see ‘Chitty Chitty Bang Bang’ performed by a local drama society ‘The Trinity Music and Drama’ society located in Chelmsford.

The show is based on the well-known classic film of the same name and starts with Caractacus Potts an inventor trying to make a better life for his two children Jeremy and Jemima with their grandpa lending a helping hand where he can. But then one day the Potts family come across Truly Scrumptious the daughter of a well-off sweet factory owner and they instantly have a strong connection as a family. But then things start to go wrong for them and they end up travelling to this strange country with an evil king and queen.

From start to finish you could instantly tell that all the members of the cast were all having immense fun, especially the two children playing the Potts children! Could you tell it was an amateur production, yes. But didn’t it matter not at all! I have always believed that it’s so important to support local groups and societies like this for two reasons. One because this is. where the love for theatre comes from, and it will inspire the next generation of actors/actresses. But also secondly it allows actors who maybe couldn’t have turned professional for whatever reason, or professional actors to take more of a back seat to still continue the one thing they enjoy the most and that’s entertaining audiences. 

On to the accessibility of the show, The show constantly has bright colours and lights, so if you have some useful vision then you will able to see everything that is going on. If you have limited vision or you struggle with bright lights or light bouncing off of objects then you might struggle a little but then the show makes up for it in the fun and laughter it provides the audience. There a two loud pyrotechnics during one scene of the show but that’s all there is. There are slight sounds of cannon fire and one quite gunshot, but the sound effects were not very loud. But something you might to prepare yourself for if you struggle with loud noises. Sadly there is no Audio Description or Touch Tour available, but this was to be expected the show being performed by a local drama group. However, maybe this is something they could possibly look into for future productions? I am of course happy to assist in this, so please do get in touch if this is something you wish to pursue.

A outside shot of the Chelmsford theatre with a red coloured top half with the lego in white. with pink lights going down the walls.

As this is a new venue I have been to, I wanted to touch briefly on the accessibility of the theatre itself. Before arriving at the venue, I notified the venue that I would be bringing my Guide Dog with me, and could they accommodate her whilst I was watching the show with my dog in the box office with staff. They then sent back some questions they wanted me to answer which of course I was more than happy to answer. To which they said they would look after her. On the night, the staff were really welcoming and friendly and loved looking after my dog. I did notice however that the box office was smaller than some other venues I have previously been to so if you are going with a group of more than one Guide Dog, do contact the theatre in advance, and they still might be able to assist, but bare this in mind. Also, there are very little to no patches of grass for your dog to ‘spend’ so if like me you have a dog that prefers grass, then make sure they go before your trip, but the staff are more than happy to take them out for you if you ask. 

In terms of the building itself, as you go into the building, there is a very wide open space, with very few walls to help guide you along. I found the staff to be very helpful and will happily help if they can. There are also unisex toilets available, I wasn’t told of any disabled toilets available so something to ask the staff if you require that. All of the building is well lit by lights and I was able to easily get around before the show, but after the show had finished getting out of the theatre was a little tricky because of the mass exit from the audience so maybe hang back a little until the crowd clears. 

A picture of the stage before the show, with a bright blue background with an old fashioned red car cover in a old green sheet.

Overall I found the venue to be easy to navigate but if you are someone with little to no vision then you will struggle due to the amount of wide space so I would strongly suggest going with a friend or family member on your first visit to then be able to understand your bearings better. 

Overall, I definitely recommend this show and this theatre! ‘Chitty Chitty Bang Bang’ is running at The Chelmsford Theatre from Wednesday 24th until Saturday, the 27th of May 2023, if you are looking for a relaxing, enjoyable and fun night out I cannot recommend this enough, and I can’t wait to see what this theatre has in store in the future! Tickets for the show can be found on The Chelmsford Theatre’s website by clicking here.

Until Next Time,

The VI Critic

Charles Dickens – ‘Great Expectations’ Adapted By Gale Childs-Daly

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Hi everyone, I’m back with another review!

After the fun and laughter of ‘They Don’t Pay, We Won’t Pay’ comes another classic story by Charles Dickens. The Mercury Theatre in Colchester kindly invited me to their press night of ‘Great Expectations’. I haven’t very read or watched this in films so I had no idea what it was about, but `I had heard of the story of course. 

‘Great Expectations’ tells the story of Pipe a country boy orphan who was adopted by his sister and her husband Joe. Joe is a blacksmith so he and Pipe have a close relationship. One day Pipe is called to go and see Miss Havisham and to play with Miss Havisham’s adopted daughter Estella. Years later Pipe comes into a wealth of money and becomes a gentlemen of London. Once there Pipe’s life starts to unravel and things don’t seem to end right for him.

I thoroughly enjoyed the show! I went into this show knowing nothing about the story so I really enjoyed it! There was so much drama and scandal that you could help but be focused on the story. The cast was amazing and they all told the story brilliantly. Some had more than one character to play others only had one. In some scenes you would feel the tension, fear or worry that that particular character was feeling, everyone did a fantastic job! I feel like however I need to mention both Stanton Wright (Pip) and Emily Pollet (Miss Havisham). When had scenes together you could feel a sense of bond and friendly affection between them particularly when had scenes which just the two of them. Brilliantly played by the cast! 

Photo shows Pip and Estella dancing in front of a crowd in a very pink lighting
Photo By: Pamela Raith

I found various points of the show to be quite dark. Even when I walked into the auditorium I found it to be darker than usual so was a struggle to find the right seat. Luckily my mum had come along to this show so she was able to help me out. But I would have either struggled but found the seat eventually, asked a member of the public or asked a staff member to get around this situation otherwise. I can defiantly understand why the theatre might have wanted it a little darker to keep with the atmosphere on stage. But I found this to be a little difficult. On the subject of lighting, Quite a fair few number of the scenes within the show, are in quite a dark/gloomy setting. I guess this is to be keep in with the setting of a smoggy London, But there were times when I struggled to see some of the scenes or the characters. But there were also times when the characters were lit up by light, either by a spotlight or an orange light coming from the floor of the stage to imitate fire, which I thought was a lovely idea and a great touch. But keep in mind that ninety per cent of the show is in very low lighting, and most of the characters’ costumes are in very dull colours to keep in with the period. So have this in mind if you would like to come and see this show. 

Each character was very distinguishable either through their change in costume or mostly through their change in voice. I was very impressed with the way nearly all of the cast could their voices to sound like they were in different parts of the country. 

I would also recommend you get a decent seat, as there is very little set design with some costumes being similar colours to the background, if you had low vision you will want to be able to see as much as you can. There are a few physical scenes but only one very dramatic scene, but this is helped by a light and crowd of people but still quite a dark scene, so if you want to see the show comfortably I would suggest getting a seat in Row E or near if possible.

Photo dhows Pip & Joe searching in the darkness with a lantern.
Photo By: Pamela Raith

There is an accessible tour touch performance on the last date of the show’s run at 2.30 pm. The Mercury Theatre are excellent. They are very in-depth, they have some of the props and costumes you can feel and touch along with the set. If possible some of the cast will come and talk to you about their character and what is in store without spoiling the show. Would highly recommend going to the touch tour if you can.

Having gone into this show not knowing anything about the plot or story, I can say I thoroughly enjoy the show immensely! I would recommend anyone go and see this show. As I said above, if you have low vision, there might be times when you will struggle in certain scenes, but most of the show is dialogue, so you miss very little of the show. If you can blind or have little to no useful vision, then I would say of course try and get the touch tour and Audio Described performance on the last day of the show if you can. But if for some reason you can’t, then I honestly feel you will miss out on very little and will still enjoy the show anyway because of the amazing cast!

‘Great Expectations’ is running at The Mercury Theatre in Colchester from 18th – 27th May 2023! If you wish to get tickets for this show, you can find the link to the show’s information page on the theatre’s website by clicking here.

Until Next Time,

The VI Critic  

Imitating The Dog’s ‘Macbeth’

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Hi everyone, back once again with another review! It’s another Shakespeare play. But this one is well known, I got invited by The Mercury Theatre to go and see a slight adaption of ‘Macbeth’ by Imitating The Dog (ITD).

Some of you might have read my ‘Comedy Of Errors’ review. This is one of William Shakespeare’s earlier plays, so you will know that I do sometimes struggle to understand what is going on. But I did Macbeth in English so I knew the rough outline of the story. The basic outline is Macbeth an Army general is promoted by the king, as this happens three witches appear to Macbeth and say to him that he will become king. Macbeth along with Lady Macbeth plots to murder the king and then take the thrown. Macbeth does, then goes mad with power killing more people until he is eventually killed himself.

This adaption follows that basic outline, but there are some slight changes. For example, instead of the king of Scotland, he’s a mob boss, instead of the three witches, there are three clowns. Instead of it being set in Scotland it’s set in a fictional city. These are all welcome change, as it brings the story up to date with the modern day, and are more than likely to appeal to younger audiences.

I like the fact that not all of the show was in Shakespearean language. Of course, the main characters like Macbeth and Lady Macbeth would talk in this way, but the three clowns did not so the story was much easier to follow than the traditional play, which was a very welcome change. On just the show alone I enjoyed the whole performance. If you are taking someone to see their first Shakespeare play, then this one would be great for anybody going to see Shakespeare for the first time.

Photo shows all five of the cast posing with colourful screens behind them with two cameras either side.

In terms of accessibility, I was impressed with what was available. The main thing that stood out was the fact that all the sets and scenes were projected on a giant screen behind the actors, and depending on where the characters were going or where they were supposed to be, they what be in that part of the stage in front of the part of the screen that showed the setting, so for most of the show all the cast were actually on stage. Another big plus I want to give is the fact that there were two smaller screens one on the right and one on the left, with two cameras on stage. Throughout the show, members of the cast mainly the clowns would move the cameras around, this way you were able to see the actors’ facial expressions and emotions. Which was very much a welcomed edition, and one which I would advocate for other shows to do. As this helps visually, and allows you to get more engrossed in a story, as you were able to see the actors’ emotions, and as an audience member, you felt them too. As someone with Sight Loss, this has a huge benefit, as depending on your level of vision you would be able to sit anywhere and still comfortably enjoy the show.

This show is a brilliant example of how using technology can benefit everyone including disabled people, and this is something I can nothing but endorse. If you are new to Shakespeare but know this story, then this is worth a go! Whether you are young or old everyone can get something from this show, including if you have sight loss. It is worth pointing out, that there is a lot of lighting, shadow and darkness throughout the show, which people may struggle with, but again where the screens help with this. So use the screens as much as you can. If you have little to no vision, the three clowns/witches describe most of if not all of the action scenes which is a nice addition. There is a list of trigger warnings for this show which is listed as follows: flashing imagery and lighting effects loud noises, including recorded gunshots, strong language throughout, scenes featuring moments, descriptions and images of violence and use of firearms, simulated smoking, simulated sex scene, some drug use, reference to child abuse.

Various colours on all the screens with two of the clowns talking to each other, while lady macbeth is signing into a microphone.

All of the acting in this show was absolutely for-nominal! You could really feel the emotion from all the cast, there were a few times throughout the show where I was so engrossed in the show I forgot where I was, and I never thought I would say that about a Shakespeare play! The little added modern touches helped the understanding of the story.

Unfortunately, there was no Audio Description or Touch Tour performances. whilst at The Mercury, but hopefully it will be available at the other theatres as it is currently on tour so hopefully it will be available elsewhere! Macbeth is going on tour at the following venues on the following dates:

The Liverpool Playhouse: 25th – 29th April 2023
Lawrence Batley Theatre, Huddersfield: 3rd – 6th May 2023

I thoroughly recommend you go and see this show! As of writing, there is one more performance at The Mercury Theatre in Colchester as of writing so get your tickets now!

Until Next Time,
The VI Critic

photo is of macbeth and lady macbeth, with macbeth whispering into lady macbeth’s ear.

They Don’t Pay, We Won’t Pay!

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Hi everyone, and welcome to another review!

This show, that I am going to talk about was on my radar even before I got invited by The Mercury Theatre to go and see this. I am also hoping to go and watch this again soon, so that should give you a smaller insight into what I think of the show but please do read the rest of what I think! As hopefully some of it will be helpful if you wanted to see this yourself. I also need to say as always a huge thank you to The Mercury Theatre for their kind invitation and for giving me the opportunity.

‘They Don’t Pay, We Don’t Pay’ is Produced by Tracey Childs, and directed by Ryan McBryde. Both have bought us amazing shows in the past so I am always hopeful when I see these names in the programme! The show tells to story of local people who have had enough of the ‘Cost Of Living Crisis’ currently happening in the UK and tells the story of local people just paying what they can for the food they take, or not paying at all. The storyline follows the couple Anthea played by Laura Doddington and Jack played by Joseph Alessi as they try to figure out what they doing to do about all the food and energy bills going up, but when Anthea comes home with all this shipping, and she starts telling these web of stories to try and get them out of the current situation that she has landed them in. That night turns into the most action-packed they have ever had!

Photo shows Jack, Lewis and the police sergeant running towards the police tape like its the end of the race.

The show was very current to the time and conveyed well what it can be like for people living below the breadline and just about making ends meet. But at the same time, there are heaps and heaps of comedy throughout the whole show. Sometimes I could tell whether or not something was meant to happen or not, or if something went wrong! All of the sets were bright and colourful, along with the characters’ costumes. This was a massive help, as Anthea wore a pick hoodie/jumper, Jack wore overalls for his work, and Maggie played by Tesni Kujore Anthea’s close friend wore a flowery dress. It was really easy to tell who was who at the right time. Even though all the cast did such an amazing job, I have to shout out Marc Pickering who played several supporting characters, all very similar and this was an amazing use of comedy as the other characters would reference this at times which only added to the hilarious comedy.

This show has to be the most accessible show I have seen so far this year! I mentioned the use of colour and costumes above, but all the comedy was verbal with little sprinkles of physical comedy but they were described by the actors! When going to shows, I have sometimes felt a little left out because of a certain scene, but this is rare. But I have to say, this is the first show in quite some time that not once did I ever feel this! Everything was clear and easy to follow, even though there was one darkness scene it was described to the audience from start to finish! I have to say a big thank you to the writing and production teams! As it was you that make this show accessible, and it is clear to see that you thought about your audiences, including those with Sight Loss!

Photo shows Jack and Lewis holding sacks of rice. with lewis talking to Jack with Jack having a worried look on his face.

I cannot think of higher praise than this. I plan on coming back to watch this show again. I just need to find a date that works! 

Talking of Accessible performances, there are available: A Audio Description performance is available with a Touch Tour before the show on Thursday 30th March at 2.30 pm. Prices range from £15 – £30, but also accessible and carer tickets are available. 

‘They Don’t Pay, We Don’t Pay’ is at The Mercury Theatre from 17th – 31st March 2023! Tickets can be found on The Mercury Theatre website! Get your tickets whilst you can! You don’t want to miss out on this!

Until Next Time,

The VI Critic

Manjeet Mann’s ‘Run Rebel’

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Yesterday I was kindly invited by The Mercury Theatre in Colchester to see Run Rebel.

I opted to go to the matinee performance which I felt turned out to be a good decision as the atmosphere seemed more relaxed and informal. There were two schools in the auditorium which was a little distracting for me but in some scenes really added to the emotion of the performance with all of their reactions. This was highly welcomed and I felt was a nice change.

Run Rebel is produced by the same company that also put on the show Noughts & Crosses, which has seen numerous awards since. I was somewhat excited to see this after enjoying their previous show, and I wasn’t disappointed.

shows a picture of the stage before the show, and the view from my seat.

The show tells the story of Amber, a teenager who feels trapped on one side by her family and the expectations of her father and on the other by her love for running and her dream of one day representing her country. There is tension as her father feels she should give up on her dream and follow the traditions of the household but the love of running and the will to follow her dreams is too strong a siren’s call for Amber to resist. Within this show is a strong use of Amber’s mental health and also of her family life, with everyone scared of her father due to domestic violence.

But once Amber learns about the French Revolution in her history lesson, she encourages her family to revolt against her drunken father.

This is very much a welcome change for me, as these are subjects aren’t spoken about enough in todays modern world, especially by teenagers. It was great to see school children at this show, and I really hope they took something from it.

The cast were brilliant, I could really feel the emotions from all of them incredibly well. Jessica Kaur did a fantastic job playing the character of Amber, along with narrating the story to the audience. The chemistry behind all the cast was palpable, especially between Pushpinder Chani who played Amber’s father and Jessica Kaur as Amber. During their scenes together, I truly felt like they were indeed father and daughter. This really made me feel I was watching professionals at work!

On to the accessibility; the main issue was a strong use of harsh or minimal lighting. Most of the performance it was either one or the other, which on occasion made it very difficult to fully see what was happening. At times when Amber was talking to the audience she was lit by a spot light so she was easy to see but there were other scenes where the characters were washed out by the lights, so it was a little difficult to see. Also in a number of scenes especially when Amber was at home with her family, the stage would be very dark so I found it difficult to see what was happening.

As I was in row E this time, if I were to go and see the show again I would pick either row D or ideally C, as they are much closer so I would be able to see much more.

photo shows Amber and other class mates all wearing colourful clothing all standing in a line preparing for a race.

On the plus side however, the use of action scenes was low. Most were just some of the actors running up and down the stage or running on the spot, but with the spoken dialogue filling in the exposition. This is a great addition as then you really aren’t missing out on anything for about ninety percent of the show. The only scene you do miss out on is the more physical/fight scene towards the end as that isn’t really described in detail, but I feel like I can forgive them for that.

 As a result, the story flowed really nicely and I was able to understand what was going on really well, and missed very little. My own tiny gripe is that I don’t think microphones were used during this performance? This would have been helpful in certain places, as I found that in some of the scenes I struggled to fully understand what some of the cast were saying. So maybe in future shows this is something that could be added?

There are no access shows unfortunately according the Mercury’s website. I would assume this is due to Run Rebel having a short run at The Mercury. However as this show is going on tour around the UK, hopefully if they have longer runs at other theatres this is something that can be added in the future.

photo shows amber and her dancing laughing, dancing, and bumping hips to some music.

Finally then overall, I feel it really doesn’t matter if you are a blind or visually impaired theatre-goer as I think you are going to get something out of this show, whether you are young or old. As I said, Run Rebel is touring so go grab yourselves a ticket!

I think this is an important production as there is so much merit in the huge amounts of discussion on mental health, as well as the scenes of domestic abuse and violence.

A ‘Content To Consider’ document has been created should you feel that the show may possibly be triggering for you so if you are interested and would like to know more, I will link it for you below.

Visit The Mercury Theatre’s website to find information on tickets and more!

Run Rebel is running at The Mercury Theatre from Thursday 2nd March until Saturday 4th March 2023, but is on tour at the follow dates and venues:

York Theatre Royal: 7th – 11th March

Derby Theatre: 14th – 18th March

Belgrade Theatre Coventry: 21st – 25th March 

Alnwick Playhouse: 28th – 31st March

Until Next Time, 

The VI Critic

‘Charlie & Stan’ At The Mercury Theatre!

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So here we are with the first theatre review of the year! As always I was kindly invited to this performance of ‘Charlie & Stan’ by The Mercury Theatre in Colchester! 

So I will be honest and say that when i got the invite for this performance, I was a little worried when the email said that the story was told using physical comedy and no words, but since seeing the show, I’m not as worried now writing this as certain things have been put in place to help blind and visually impaired people which I will go into a little later on, but first the show itself.

The show tells the story of Charlie Chaplin and Stanley Laurel and their trip towards America. Charlie Chaplin rose to fame in 1888 in which the medium of ‘silent film’ was a the height of is popularity, to which there would be little sound only music, with the odd title card here and there that would appear on screen, describing a scene or telling the audience what the characters were saying. During these films Charlie Chaplin would make audiences laugh with his large array of physical comedy.

Stanley Laurel or Jefferson when he was called by his real name was well known to generations he was part of the ‘Laurel & Hardy’ double act. Even I watched them a little when I was a kid. 

The show tells the story of how they both become known and started to get a name for themselves and how they almost worked together. The show was very much entertaining and good and fun night out! With a few elements of audience participation. As I was sat on row D I was able to see the show quite well, due to the amount lights on stage, with one darker scene but it didn’t last very long. The show itself was really fun and enjoyable to watch, the over expression of all the actors especially Nick Haverson and Jerone Marsh-Reid really made the whole performance and the format of silent film come to life! 

Coming out of the show, I was a little concerned about writing this review, as at the time, I felt like I would be unable to recommend to show to anyone with a visual disability. However that has since changed! I have since discovered that on the shows webpage of the Mercury website, there is an audio recording that is nine minutes long, and describes the show in great detail! This is something that I can but only applaud! It would be great if all future shows had this feature as it will only add the accessibility of all Mercury Theatre future shows! The audio recording goes into deep detail about the show: how many actors there are, describing each actors costumes, what the characters look like, how tall they are etcetera. This is a very much welcome change to the website. I wish I only had access to it before the performance! 

Photo shows a photo of the set before the show. A makeshift boat made of wood planks, with two stories, with the stairs on on the left hand side.

There is also a Audio Description performance for this show, as well as a touch tour, which the audio recording tells you about and the details, I will link it here: if you are using a screen reader is under the heading ‘accessibility’ which is roughly half way down the webpage. 

In terms of accessibility this is the best I have seen to date, and I really hope this format continues in the future. In light of all this, I can do nothing but thoroughly recommend this whole heartedly. It’s a really good and fun night out, that will have you in balls of laughter from beginning to end!

‘Stan & Charlie’ is running at The Mercury Theatre in Colchester from 8th – 11th February 2023! Full details you can find by clicking the link here!

Until Next Time!

The VI Critic 

Photo shows the adverting poser for Charlie & Stan, with both characters in the sea sitting on a water barrel, with charlie holding a umbrella above thier heads.

Mischief Production’s ‘Good Luck Studio’

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Hi Everyone,

I recently got the chance to see ‘Good Luck Studio’ by Mischief Productions, behind the comedy shows ‘The Show Goes Wrong’ and ‘Peter Pan Goes Wrong’ on the BBC. I wanted to see one of their shows live, and last night I got the chance so was excited! 

Ticket & Venue

I was kindly invited to The Mercury Theatre in Colchester for their press night of this show, and so was gifted the tickets for this show! Tickets range from £15 to £25, it is completely worth the money. A disabled ticket can also include a companion ticket should one be required. 

Seating

For this performance, I was offered seats in row D which are always an excellent view for anyone who is visually impaired as you are very close to the stage and was able to see everything going on from start to finish comfortably, with no eye strain whatsoever. So if you can get this row when booking your seats will have no problem here at all. 

Photo shows seating view of a cartoon setting with a castle, tree, and wall. with a backdrop of clouds and oranges. Surrounded by a tv like studio.

The Show

As I had seen this company’s production of other shows on tv, I went in with hopes being very high and they did not disappoint! The show had a dark theme, but also lots of laughter and comedy and I had a really good balance of both. You felt like you had a connection with each character and the audience felt for each of them as they were going through their struggles. The show had a real professional feel throughout which is something that I had expected coming from the company’s previous reputation. 

I can’t fault any of the cast at all, they really did put everything they had into their own performances and the passion bled from them during the whole show. A truly great performance done by all!  

shows princess pineapple in a yellow and orange pineapple dress. talking to a puppeteer holding a frog puppet.
Photo by Pamela Raith

Accessibility 

I need to start by saying that there is a content warning for this show including gunshots, a bomb threat and mock acts of terrorism. So that is something you need to bear in mind when considering booking tickets. There were multiple gunshots throughout the show, a few of them were in scenes and some were slightly muffled but it is there. For me personally, I think there were maybe too many gunshots, but at the same time some added to the plot, so I would say use your own judgement on this.

There was a great use of colour and lighting in certain scenes which were really helpful. There weren’t any dark moments which was a nice addition. The only dark moment came at the end of the first act, but that is expected. There were a lot of really bright colours as the mock tv show was a show for children so was easy to see who was who. There is a point where two different characters are wearing the same costume so I had to rely on the actors’ voices but that was only a handful of times.

shows 'Andy' (Adam Byron) wearing a bright green with purple dots dragon body custom, holding a yellow script.
Photo by Pamela Raith

There is an Audio Description performance available, if you have limited to no vision I would strongly encourage you to have the AD headset as there are a few visual jokes and tags throughout the show inducing one whole scene that is entirely visual. So take the option if you can. There is also a ‘touch tour’ available should you want that access too. The Audio Description and Touch Tour performance are on the 15th of October at 2.30 pm. 

Overall

In conclusion, I thoroughly recommend this show to adults and older teenagers. A really enjoyable night out, a great laugh with all emotions in one show! I highly recommend it for sure! ‘Good Luck Studio’ is running at The Mercury Theatre from 6th – 16th October 2022. Then running to other theatres in the UK. You can find tickets at The Mercury Theatre by clicking here, or the Good Luck Studio website here! 

Until Next Time,

The VI Critic!

a full shot of the whole set with the dragon dancing and jumping also with princess pineapple with bright lights all around them.
Photo by Pamela Raith

Colchester Operatic Society’s ‘Fame!’

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Hi Everyone,

Back again with another review. This time the show was put on by a local drama society in Colchester! If you would like to know more, and maybe even get involved then you can find their website here. Go and check it out! 

Ticketing & Venue

So I was kindly given the tickets by The Mercury Theatre in Colchester! They were incredibly helpful! There is a wide range of ticket options available. You can choose either: a disabled person ticket, or a visually impaired ticket, or if you have an assistance dog, there is also an assistance dog ticket. There is a companion ticket option at £1.50 that can be added with any of those tickets. 

They are very geared up to helping people with all disabilities, not just blind or visually impaired people! All staff are able to offer sighted guided assistance should you require it! If you also have a Guide Dog then the front-of-house staff, are very accommodating and will happily look after your Guide Dog during the performance. If however, you would like your to be with you during the performance then that is something you can also do easily! 

Seating 

So in terms of seating, you are able to book any seat within the auditorium that you require. At this particular performance, I was given seats H 21 and H22. For me, this proved to be a little tricky when it came to certain darker scenes as I was unable to fully make out who was who. I was somehow able to do this due to do this as these scenes being in the second half of the show I knew which character was speaking as I had worked out which character was who due to their voice! If I had to recommend a certain row I would recommend row D if you have Low Vision, as this is close enough where you are still able at least I am able to see the performers’ facial expressions. Which is something I like to do, but you might be different. But if you have No Vision then anywhere in the auditorium you will have the same experience. 

The Show

Overall, the show was very good, You have to consider that all the actors in the show are not professional. But considering this, some of the cast had amazing singing voices! Sadly I am unable to mention certain cast members by name as on my particular evening the programmes were sadly not delivered in time, and at the time of writing this review, there is no cast list on the Mercury website. But you all really were amazing and you all should be really proud of yourselves! 

Throughout the show, there were some technical difficulties with microphones and such so was a little difficult to hear what some of the cast were saying at times, but this was opening night so I think we can forgive them for the odd teething problems! 

Accessibility 

In terms of accessibility for blind and visually impaired people sadly, it is very limited. Unfortunately, there is no Audio Description which I feel these days is a must and should be at least one per show that comes in. But looking at the website there doesn’t seem to be an Audio Described performance, hopefully, this is something that the Colchester Operatic Society can look to change for future performances, as this is disappointing to see. However, there are two captioned performances available. So check out The Mercury Theatre’s website for more details, click here to find out more!

Overall

This was a really fun show to watch, you called tell that all the company thoroughly enjoyed their time on stage and you could really feel the passion they all had for performing, I think some could really go far if they kept at it! The show is running from 10th – 18th September multiple shows a day so this is definitely a watch if you would like to see some up-and-coming talented and you could say you saw them first! 

Until Next Time!

The VI Critic

Mercury Theatre’s ‘Alice In Wonderland’

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Hi all and welcome to another review! This time it’s ‘Alice in Wonderland’ at The Mercury Theatre in Colchester!

Adapted by Mike Kenny from the classic book by Lewis Carroll comes the classic children’s take, but with a slight twist! Alice is a modern school girl about to her final exams, but something goes wrong and she ends up in Wonderland, with all the characters that you come to expect!

There was a mixture of live music, comedy, dancing and laughter! The show had a nice modern spin on the tale which is brilliant for today’s audiences, but it also catered for older audiences too who are very familiar with the classic story. There was a great use of both costume and props throughout. Alice was in the same outfit throughout the show, so was easy to distinguish her from the other characters. There was also a great contrast between what was going on stage compared with the background, so was very clear and easy to follow. I loved the interactions with the audience, and the characters going through the auidence are various points and talking and talking to them. It gave an up close and personal look at the individual costumes of almost all the cast, which is something I always love and enjoy! 

All the characters had bright and colourful costumes so was easy to pick out who was who from a crowd scene. All of the cast were amazing and you could tell they thoroughly enjoyed their roles and acting with the rest of the cast! Sadly the original Alice came out with Covid before the show was due to open. So Beth Mabin stepped into the role with as little as three days’ notice, and what an amazing job she did! Even though the audience was told this before the show started, you would not think that this was the case at all. Beth did an outstanding job, as well as did the rest of the cast. 

Having been to a number of shows at The Mercury now where the cast has also played live music to the songs of the show, and once again this did not disappoint! This made the show more fun and enjoyable to watch! The use of set design was as usual at The Mercury on point. I have Low Vision and everything was clear and recognisable with great use of colour and contrast. The songs were easy to sing along to, proof of this came when at the interval, a number of the audience were still singing the song of the final number for act one. 

I felt like the final act was a little short, and would have been nice if they added on an extra ten or twenty minutes, but I also understand that this is also aimed at children as well as adults too. So for that reason was the right amount of length. 

Overall, I would highly recommend this show for all the family this summer! There is an Audio Description performance on Thursday 11th August at 2.30 pm with a Touch Tour available also at 1 pm on the same day. Although tickets are selling very quickly for all performances of the whole run, so get in quick! 

‘Alice In Wonderland’s running at The Mercury Theatre in Colchester from Thursday 4th August until Thursday 14th August 2022. You can find the Mercury’s website. there to find tickets and all about their accessibility options and performances by clicking here.

People With Low Vision: I think you will have a great time here, there’s not a lot you won’t miss! There is the odd visual jag here and there that you may miss, but you are not at all missing out on the story or the plot.

People With No Vision: Story-wise you will not miss out, as there are little to no visual story elements. However, there is the odd visual representation of the story and plot you will miss if you do not have Audio Description or a sighted companion going with you. So either one of these things is a must. But if you know the story well beforehand then you should be fine. but this being an adoption there is the odd change to the story, that you might be familiar with. 

Until Next Time,

The VI Critic

photo shows a green garden with a hedge, with two legs in blue and white stripped socking in converse shoes with a pocket watch, and a bottle which asa label that says 'drink me' on it. With big words in red that say; Alice In Wonderland'
Photo By: Pamela Raith

William Shakespeare’s ‘A Comedy Of Errors’

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Hi Everyone, and welcome back to another review!

I went to this show pretty sure in the knowledge that I knew what the show was going to be about. But boy! I was wrong, let me explain why:

So it has to be said that my knowledge of Shakespeare is very little. I did get the chance to go and see ‘Anthony & Cleopatra’ several years ago performed by the Royal Shakespeare Company. But honestly, apart from the plays I did in GCSE English; I have had very little experience of his work. So I didn’t even know that ‘A comedy Of Errors’ was one of his. So I was pleasantly surprised when the show started. 

A short synopsis of the play is as follows: A couple has two sets of twins, they are both quite well off in the world. Meanwhile, a lesser well of the couple has their own set of twin boys. They agree to sell their twin boys to the better couple as slaves. Whilst travelling both parents get separated from each other taking one of each twin with them. Unknown to each other they both end up in the same country not knowing they are related to each other. The whole show is set around the confusion of a Diamond necklace, that one of the twins had bought for his wife.

I thoroughly enjoyed the show, and some really good and funny comedy situations were added into the show to make it more enticing to a younger audience. must admit that I did struggle to follow along with the story of the show, this is because I can never understand Shakespearean language. However, I do not want to that anything away from the show at all I did have a very enjoyable night. 

Following along with the show access-wise: If you can understand the language that is used you will be fine, there are very few physical and visual gags, but if like me you don’t understand the language. Then you will have to heavily rely on the physical and visual elements of the show. 

In between each scene of the show, there were modern songs sung and played, by the band above the main stage which made the show a lot more enjoyable, because though I struggled I was still able to enjoy the amazing songs sung which I thoroughly enjoyed!

You could tell that all of the cast had so much fun performing this show from start to finish. It was easy the see the amount of strong passion they all had for each other their characters as well as the show as a whole. If you are strongly into your Shakespeare, this is for sure a must-see this year! 

There is both Audio Description and captioned performances available at The Mercury Theatre in Colchester! The show is running from Thursday 19th May 2022 until Saturday 28th May 2022! 

The only thing left for me to say is a Happy Birthday to The Mercury Theatre which is celebrating their 50th Anniversary this year!! Here’s to 50 more marvellous and exciting years!

Until Next Time!

The VI Critic!

A hotel lobby, with an upper balcony. Underneath, is a reception desk with sets of keys behind it. On both sides of the desk are two big sets of doors. Near the front of the stage are two small staircases, going on and off stage, all of the set. is coloured in gold and blue.