All stories by Robin Duke on BroadwayStars

Monday, December 15, 2014

Aladdin , The Lowther Pavilion, Lytham by Robin Duke

The Lowther Pavilion, Lytham: For its winter debut here, Polka Dot Pantomimes is clearly out to make an impression with a slick production thankfully trimmed of several stock-in trade cliche…

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 05:45AM

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs , Charter Theatre, Preston by Robin Duke

Charter Theatre, Preston: At this time last year the future of professional pantomime in Preston looked bleak with a question mark over the city's municipal Guild Hall complex. Read the…

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 05:21AM
Monday, December 1, 2014

Cinderella , The Dukes, Lancaster by Robin Duke

The Dukes, Lancaster: Oldham-born and Glossop-based writer Ian Kershaw has an ear for the vernacular and an eye for the slightly ridiculous - which is just as well in this irreverent upendin…

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 06:35AM
Monday, October 20, 2014

A Farewell To Arms , The Dukes, Lancaster by Robin Duke

The Dukes, Lancaster: Some 84 years since Ernest Hemingway's powerful story of love against all odds and the brutality of warfare made its Broadway debut, his iconic novel has finally b…

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 07:27AM
Tuesday, July 15, 2014

Hot Ice - Passion , The Arena, Pleasure Beach, Blackpool by Robin Duke

The Arena, Pleasure Beach, Blackpool: In its 77 year-history (give or take the occasional hiatus) the annual ice extravaganza at Blackpool Pleasure Beach has seen some seismic changes. Read …

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 09:27AM
Wednesday, July 9, 2014

Hansel and Gretel And More Tales from the Forest , Williamson Park, Lancaster by Robin Duke

Williamson Park, Lancaster: The annual productions in this superb park attract up to 500 people nightly from across the country. Read the full review

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 06:56AM
Monday, July 7, 2014

Sinatra - The Main Event , The Globe, Blackpool Pleasure Beach by Robin Duke

The Globe, Blackpool Pleasure Beach: If imitation truly is the sincerest form of flattery, Frank Sinatra would more than likely have been very flattered indeed by this near-as-dammit 40th an…

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 06:03AM
Wednesday, April 23, 2014

The Life and Times of Mitchell and Kenyon, The Dukes, Lancaster by Robin Duke

The Dukes, Lancaster: In these days of selfies and social networking it's difficult to imagine just how astonishing the achievements of pioneering film makers Sagar Mitchell and James K…

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 01:37PM
Wednesday, March 5, 2014

An August Bank Holiday Lark, The Dukes, Lancaster by Robin Duke

The Dukes, Lancaster: Writer Deborah McAndrew skilfully captures the language and logic of the period with this play which takes its title from a line in Philip Larkin's poem MCMXIV - a…

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 12:20PM
Monday, December 2, 2013

A Christmas Carol, The Dukes, Lancaster by Robin Duke

The Dukes, Lancaster: Little would Charles Dickens have realised when he created his seasonal morality tale what a Pandora's box of interpretations he had opened up. Read the full review

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 06:42AM
Monday, September 30, 2013

No Fat Juliets, The Dukes, Lancaster by Robin Duke

The Dukes, Lancaster: Fat, as Susie Orbach has been telling us since 1978, is a feminist issue - and with size zero actresses and models still attracting more attention (and work) than their…

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 07:35AM
Wednesday, July 10, 2013

Robin Hood, Williamson Park, Lancaster by Robin Duke

Williamson Park, Lancaster: They say absence makes the heart grow fonder - which could explain why, after a year's break when finances weighed heavy and The Dukes had to suspend its ann…

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 07:10AM
Thursday, July 4, 2013

Hot Ice: Allure, Pleasure Beach Ice Arena, Blackpool by Robin Duke

Pleasure Beach Ice Arena, Blackpool: From its fast-moving and shocking pink opening to its similarly speedy and, yes, very pink finale, the latest edition of what claims to be the world'…

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 10:03AM
Friday, January 18, 2013

News: Blackpool Grand manager Neil Thomson to leave by Robin Duke

Blackpool Grand Theatre general manager and chief executive Neil Thomson is leaving after almost 40 years association with the venue. Thomson shocked staff by revealing he would be standing …

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 03:00AM
Wednesday, December 12, 2012

Cinderella, Grand, Blackpool by Robin Duke

Grand, Blackpool: Television soap operas are still a vital breeding ground for pantomime casts and Danny Miller, fresh from Emmerdale, makes a decent debut as a handsome Prince Charming, sho…

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 11:58AM
Monday, December 3, 2012

Alice's Adventures in Mooky's Circus Wonderland, Blackpool Tower Circus by Robin Duke

Blackpool Tower Circus: This Christmas combination of pantomime and circus seems to come round quicker every year but, since the summer show ended and the winter one began, the orchestra has…

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 06:15AM
Monday, November 26, 2012

Treasure Island, The Dukes, Lancaster by Robin Duke

The Dukes, Lancaster: Never afraid to break new ground, this theatre long ago turned its back on traditional festive fare in favour of more adventurous productions. This season it has handed…

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 06:27AM
Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Gerry Cottle's WOW! Show, Pleasure Beach Globe, Blackpool by Robin Duke

Pleasure Beach Globe, Blackpool: These are not the best of times for circuses - and not just because of the vagaries of the British climate. Read the full review

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 06:54AM
Friday, July 6, 2012

Hot Ice: Entice, The Pleasure Beach Arena, Blackpool by Robin Duke

The Pleasure Beach Arena, Blackpool: Unlike television's Dancing On Ice, this production does not rely on celebrities. Unlike the touring Disney shows its cast does not have to dress up…

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 07:07AM
Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Sabbat, The Dukes, Lancaster by Robin Duke

The Dukes, Lancaster: Although instigated by financial cutbacks, the mothballing of this theatre's annual outdoor promenade production probably couldn't have chosen a better (wette…

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 05:13AM

All that Chat

2023-2024 BROADWAY SEASON
May 30, 2023: Grey House - Lyceum Theatre
Jun 26, 2023: Just For Us - Hudson Theatre
Jul 24, 2023: The Cottage - Hayes Theater
Nov 16, 2023: Spamalot - St. James Theatre
Dec 18, 2023: Appropriate - Hayes Theater
Mar 07, 2024: Doubt - Todd Haimes Theatre
Apr 14, 2024: Lempicka - Longacre Theatre
Apr 17, 2024: The Wiz - Marquis Theatre
Apr 18, 2024: Suffs - Music Box Theatre
Apr 25, 2024: Mother Play - Hayes Theater
Jun 10, 2024: The Drama Desk Awards