All stories by Nigel Smith on BroadwayStars

Wednesday, March 11, 2020

Our Lady of Blundellsands review at Everyman Theatre, Liverpool – ‘tears, laughter and acid wit’ by Nigel Smith

Jonathan Harvey has extraordinary skill in writing sensitive, witty dialogue. Our Lady of Blundellsands is an outstanding example of his ability to

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 07:35AM
Wednesday, March 4, 2020

Miss Julie review at Storyhouse, Chester – ‘vital, timely adaptation of Strindberg’s play’ by Nigel Smith

When a classic text is translated into a different time and place, the results can often feel contrived. Sometimes one comes along

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 12:38PM
Monday, February 24, 2020

The Suicide review at Storyhouse, Chester – ‘comic excess and outdated stereotypes’ by Nigel Smith

Comedy is a serious business and Nikolai Erdman’s 1928 farce The Suicide takes it very seriously indeed. In her new version of the

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 12:44PM
Thursday, December 19, 2019

A Christmas Carol review at Theatr Clwyd, Mold – ‘small but perfectly formed’ by Nigel Smith

Theatr Clwyd promised an immersive experience with this adaptation of A Christmas Carol and it certainly delivers, with a clear concise telling of

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 10:39AM
Tuesday, December 17, 2019

Peter Pan review at Storyhouse, Chester – ‘festive family theatre rarely gets better than this’ by Nigel Smith

With this year’s production of Peter Pan, Chester’s Storyhouse has created one of its best seasonal shows to date. Gary Owen’s adaptation

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 09:46AM
Monday, December 16, 2019

Miracle on 34th Street review at Playhouse Theatre, Liverpool – ‘touching and heart-warming’ by Nigel Smith

Originally produced on Broadway as Here’s Love, Meredith Willson’s musical adaptation of the 1947 film Miracle on 34th Street is steeped in

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 09:09AM
Tuesday, December 3, 2019

Jack and the Beanstalk review, Theatr Clwyd, Mold – ‘can’t fail to warm the heart’ by Nigel Smith

With its multi-instrumentalist cast and musical direction from Tayo Akinbode, Theatr Clwyd’s Jack and the Beanstalk is a panto that properly rocks

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 05:30AM
Thursday, November 28, 2019

Sleeping Beauty review at the Everyman, Liverpool – ‘immense fun’ by Nigel Smith

Writers Sarah A Nixon and Mark Chatterton (who also directs) strike the perfect balance of storytelling and seasonal lunacy in their new

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 09:57AM
Friday, October 4, 2019

Pavilion review at Theatr Clwyd, Mold – ‘an assured debut’ by Nigel Smith

Emily White’s assured debut play Pavilion depicts the community of a run-down Victorian spa town somewhere in Wales, where everything is closing

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 12:44PM
Friday, September 6, 2019

Lost Boys review at Unity Theatre, Liverpool – ‘potent, passionate gig theatre’ by Nigel Smith

When Luke Barnes was asked to create a piece for the National Youth Theatre, he wanted to make it in the North

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 10:31AM
Tuesday, March 26, 2019

Us Against Whatever review at Everyman Theatre, Liverpool – ‘angry, compassionate, electric’ by Nigel Smith

Before the show begins the cast chats with the audience – some in English, others in Polish, ensuring that there isn’t a

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 07:05AM
Monday, December 24, 2018

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs review at Epstein Theatre, Liverpool – ‘a riotous panto’ by Nigel Smith

The Epstein Theatre panto doesn’t need celebrities on the poster to sell itself – the familiar faces of Michael Chapman, Lewis Pryor

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 09:44AM
Wednesday, December 19, 2018

Jack and the Beanstalk review at Empire Theatre, Liverpool – ‘superbly danced’ by Nigel Smith

The dancing is one of the strongest elements of this handsomely designed production of Jack and the Beanstalk. No surprise given that

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 10:48AM
Thursday, December 13, 2018

A Christmas Carol review at Liverpool Playhouse – ‘inventive, sharp silliness’ by Nigel Smith

Say Spymonkey and all thoughts of a traditional telling of A Christmas Carol can be forgotten. Their retelling of Charles Dickens’ classic

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 07:50AM
Monday, December 3, 2018

Dick Whittington review at Theatr Clwyd, Mold – ‘heart-warming panto with a rock’n’roll twist’ by Nigel Smith

Theatr Clwyd maintains its consistently high panto standards with this year’s rock’n’roll show, Dick Whittington. Christian Patterson’s script manages to remain incredibly

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 04:10AM
Friday, November 30, 2018

The Snow Queen review at Everyman Theatre, Liverpool – ‘a madcap musical reworking’ by Nigel Smith

Writers Sarah A Nixon and Mark Chatterton very sensibly haven’t tinkered with their tried and trusted Rock’n’Roll Panto formula for the Everyman’s

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 08:52AM
Sunday, October 21, 2018

Maggie May the Musical review at Royal Court, Liverpool – ‘heartfelt take on a Liverpool legend’ by Nigel Smith

This isn’t the first time the 18th century folk song Maggie May has been used as the basis for a musical –

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 04:52PM
Friday, October 5, 2018

By the Waters of Liverpool review at Empire Theatre, Liverpool – ‘affectionate and affecting’ by Nigel Smith

Following the success of Twopence to Cross the Mersey, based on Helen Forrester’s popular Merseyside memoir, Rob Fennah’s new adaptation, By the

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 11:43AM
Monday, August 20, 2018

Closets review at Hope Mill Theatre, Manchester – ’emotional time-travelling musical’ by Nigel Smith

Lloyd Eyre-Morgan and Neil Ely’s new musical Closets opens up an important discussion with great charm and sensitivity. It’s 1988 and 16

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 06:10AM
Thursday, June 21, 2018

The Big I Am review at Liverpool Everyman – ‘an anarchic reimagining of Ibsen’ by Nigel Smith

The Big I Am is not an adaptation of Peer Gynt. Rather, it’s a reimagining of Ibsen’s play in which Robert Farquhar

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 09:10AM
Tuesday, June 19, 2018

The Crucible review at Storyhouse, Chester – ‘atmospheric and intense’ by Nigel Smith

Chiaroscuro lighting and distressed surfaces set the tone in Geraldine Alexander’s production of The Crucible. It’s an atmospheric staging, wit the set

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 06:09PM
Monday, June 11, 2018

Swallows and Amazons review at Storyhouse, Chester – ‘warm and imaginative’ by Nigel Smith

Both writer Bryony Lavery and director Katie Posner have consciously chosen to keep this adaptation of Arthur Ransome’s Swallows and Amazons rooted

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 09:28AM
Thursday, June 7, 2018

The Miracle of Great Homer Street review at Royal Court, Liverpool – ‘cleverly constructed and mysterious’ by Nigel Smith

Gerry Linford’s The Miracle of Great Homer Street was runner-up in last year’s Hope Playwriting Prize and Les Dennis was sitting on

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 05:43AM
Friday, June 1, 2018

Nigel Slater’s Toast review at the Lowry, Salford – ‘warmth, wit and walnut whips’ by Nigel Smith

Nigel Slater’s autobiographical novel Toast is steeped in the aromas of home baking and burnt toast, and his genial writing style is

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 07:53AM
Friday, April 27, 2018

Lennon’s Banjo review at Epstein Theatre, Liverpool – ‘light-hearted Beatles comedy’ by Nigel Smith

Rob Fennah’s new comedy Lennon’s Banjo, like most of its protagonists, gets commercial mileage out of the Beatles bandwagon. Taking the legend

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 09:25AM
Thursday, April 19, 2018

A Clockwork Orange review at Everyman Theatre, Liverpool – ‘focused and fired up’ by Nigel Smith

Nick Bagnall’s new production for the Everyman is astonishingly the first professional outing for Anthony Burgess’ 1980s stage adaptation of A Clockwork

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 11:43AM
Wednesday, January 31, 2018

A Pacifist’s Guide to the War on Cancer review at Playhouse Theatre, Liverpool – ‘an emotional tightrope’ by Nigel Smith

Bryony Kimmings has never been shy of tackling a taboo subject. But in A Pacifist’s Guide to the War on Cancer she

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 08:06AM
Monday, January 15, 2018

Sleeping Beauty at Theatr Clwyd, Mold – ‘eye-wateringly funny’ by Nigel Smith

In the best rock ’n’ roll panto tradition, Peter Rowe’s version of Sleeping Beauty weaves together several convoluted storylines. It manages to

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 10:22AM
Friday, December 22, 2017

Peter Pan review at Floral Pavilion Theatre, New Brighton – ‘lovingly crafted’ by Nigel Smith

This Peter Pan is capable of converting the worst panto-phobe. Scriptwriter Julian Lane and director Andrew Margerison have almost completely separated storytelling

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 11:15AM
Thursday, December 21, 2017

Cinderella review at Empire Theatre, Liverpool – ‘lavish production values’ by Nigel Smith

Qdos has thrown everything at its Liverpool production, including a talented cast, sumptuous sets, dazzling costumes and even a flying horse. The

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 08:38AM
Tuesday, December 19, 2017

Cinderella review at Southport Theatre – ‘slickly staged’ by Nigel Smith

Iain Lauchlan and Sam Kane’s great script for this Cinderella follows the Charles Perrault version of Cinderella pretty faithfully, while squeezing in

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 08:06AM

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