All stories by Not Exactly Billington on BroadwayStars

Sunday, July 24, 2022

‘Foster & co have injected the musical with new vitality’: BILLY ELLIOT – Leicester by Not Exactly Billington

Nikolai Foster’s vision beautifully evokes a sense of community against a delicately balanced backdrop of political and emotional turmoil in Lee Hall and Elton John’s Billy Elliot The Mu…

SOURCE: mytheatremates.com at 07:00AM
Sunday, July 17, 2022

‘Entertaining comedy with pathos’: JACK ABSOLUTE FLIES AGAIN – National Theatre by Not Exactly Billington

“What will happen in England after we have won this war? Bunting! Bunting everywhere!” Richard Bean and Oliver Chris’ new play Jack Absolute Flies Again at the National Theatre takes R…

SOURCE: mytheatremates.com at 07:00AM
Sunday, June 26, 2022

‘I’d be surprised if I see a more impressive piece of theatre this year’: ROCK/PAPER/SCISSORS – Sheffield by Not Exactly Billington

All three plays in Chris Bush’s Rock/Paper/Scissors triptych run in Sheffield Theatres’ three spaces simultaneously with one cast. The overall piece is a logistical coup-de-théâtre. It…

SOURCE: mytheatremates.com at 07:00AM
Wednesday, June 15, 2022

‘The cast don’t have much to play with’: CLUEDO – Touring by Not Exactly Billington

Mark Bell’s production of Cluedo, adapted from Sandy Rustin’s US play which itself is based on Jonathan Lynn’s screenplay of the 1985 film Clue, has been transposed to 1940s England.

SOURCE: mytheatremates.com at 11:00AM
Friday, June 10, 2022

‘Rollicking, gleeful night of fun’: SCHOOL OF ROCK – Touring by Not Exactly Billington

School of Rock presents the recipe for a perfect 21st century family musical. A simple story with likeable characters and a heart-warming message, played out to a soundtrack of bombastic, fo…

SOURCE: mytheatremates.com at 11:00AM
Saturday, May 14, 2022

‘Remains an unstoppable sensation’: THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG – Touring by Not Exactly Billington

Now a global hit and having spawned a BBC series and other Goes Wrong spin offs, this latest tour of The Play that Goes Wrong maintains its breathless energy.

SOURCE: mytheatremates.com at 11:00AM
Tuesday, May 3, 2022

‘Returns with all the vitality & urgency it had first time round’: JERUSALEM – Apollo Theatre by Not Exactly Billington

Ian Rickson’s production of Jez Butterworth’s Jerusalem now returns to the Apollo Theatre with all the vitality and urgency it had first time round.

SOURCE: mytheatremates.com at 07:00AM
Friday, April 29, 2022

‘A frothy concoction of corny jokes & power ballads’: THE CHER SHOW – Touring by Not Exactly Billington

The premise sees Cher (Debbie Kurup) about to go onstage for her farewell tour. Facing a crisis of confidence the singer addresses her younger selves (Danielle Steers and Millie O’Connell)…

SOURCE: mytheatremates.com at 11:00AM
Wednesday, March 23, 2022

‘Full of character, heart & great songs’: BEAUTIFUL – THE CAROLE KING MUSICAL – Touring by Not Exactly Billington

In Beautiful, we see singer-songwriter Carole King’s journey, from turning out hits at 1650 Broadway for the biggest household names to how she broke the mould of what a star can be.

SOURCE: mytheatremates.com at 12:00PM
Tuesday, February 1, 2022

‘A hugely enjoyable & warm-hearted show’: WAITRESS – Touring by Not Exactly Billington

Waitress offers a sweet slice of Americana, well-balanced with fleshed-out, morally-compromised characters and topped with a belter of a ballad in ‘She Used To Be Mine’.

SOURCE: mytheatremates.com at 07:00AM
Wednesday, January 19, 2022

‘Is it too early to herald the theatrical event of the year?’: CABARET – West End by Not Exactly Billington

I doubt I will see another show in 2022 that matches the allure and sense of occasion as Rebecca Frecknall’s much-anticipated production of Cabaret.

SOURCE: mytheatremates.com at 11:00AM
Tuesday, January 18, 2022

‘A bonkers funfest of innuendo, audience interaction & toe-tapping tunes’: ROCKY HORROR SHOW – Touring by Not Exactly Billington

Having seen the show a few times beforem I knew exactly what to expect from the affectionate pastiche of old B-Movies, but my husband (and co-blogger) was a newcomer, having never even seen …

SOURCE: mytheatremates.com at 07:00AM
Friday, December 17, 2021

‘A great example of triple-threat theatre’: A CHORUS LINE – Leicester by Not Exactly Billington

In recent years, Curve have really hit their stride producing guaranteed Christmas hits. Their latest offering, A Chorus Line, is a solid and technically dazzling addition to the oeuvre.

SOURCE: mytheatremates.com at 09:00AM
Thursday, October 28, 2021

‘Fresh, stylish & beautifully carried by a star turn from Jodie Prenger’: TELL ME ON A SUNDAY – Touring by Not Exactly Billington

The Watermill Theatre’s 2016 production of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Don Black’s one-woman, one-act musical has been revived for a UK tour.

SOURCE: mytheatremates.com at 07:00AM
Saturday, October 16, 2021

‘Matthew Bourne has lost none of his choreographic innovation, verve & heart’: THE MIDNIGHT BELL by Not Exactly Billington

A new piece from Matthew Bourne is always a talking point and a treat to get dance fans excited. I’ve been a fan for around a decade now.

SOURCE: mytheatremates.com at 10:00AM
Tuesday, September 21, 2021

‘A tear-jerking and heart-warming ode’: EVERYBODY’S TALKING ABOUT JAMIE — Leicester Curve & Tour by Not Exactly Billington

This past weekend saw the return of the much-loved West End Live in Trafalgar Square. A free festival for theatre lovers, the event has increased in popularity each year (I still remember th…

SOURCE: mytheatremates.com at 07:17AM
Monday, September 20, 2021

‘Provocative & rousing, nostalgic & contemporary’: EAST IS EAST – Birmingham Repertory Theatre by Not Exactly Billington

Twenty-five years after its first performance at the Rep, Ayub Khan Din’s comedy about a British-Pakistani family in 1970s Salford returns home to Birmingham. In Iqbal Khan’s production …

SOURCE: mytheatremates.com at 11:00AM
Friday, September 10, 2021

‘Evokes the heat & intensity of the setting’: CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF – Curve Leicester & Touring by Not Exactly Billington

Anthony Almeida has created not only a highly entertaining piece of theatre in Cat On a Hot Tin Roof at Curve Leicester, but a tableau of family life that can still resonate with modern audi…

SOURCE: mytheatremates.com at 05:00AM
Saturday, June 12, 2021

‘Every song is a certified banger’: THE MUSIC OF ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER – Curve Leicester by Not Exactly Billington

The songs featured in The Music Of Andrew Lloyd Webber have become standards for a reason and it is a pleasure to hear them performed by an excellent cast.

SOURCE: mytheatremates.com at 09:00AM
Friday, February 19, 2021

‘The emotion flooding from the stage is overwhelming’: THE COLOR PURPLE – Curve Leicester (Online review) by Not Exactly Billington

Following on from the immensely successful Sunset Boulevard in Concert, Curve has reunited the company of 2019’s The Color Purple (a co-production with Birmingham Hippodrome) to once again…

SOURCE: mytheatremates.com at 06:00AM
Thursday, March 12, 2020

‘Shows no signs of slowing down’: THE MOUSETRAP – Touring by Not Exactly Billington

Now in its 68th year in the West End, The Mousetrap is also touring and shows no signs of slowing down. And whilst the play is more than a bit of a warhorse, it has become a staple of Britis…

SOURCE: mytheatremates.com at 02:00PM
Friday, March 6, 2020

‘Spectacular in the truest sense’: THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA – Touring by Not Exactly Billington

This production of The Phantom of the Opera is spectacular in the truest sense and even the most curmudgeonly of spectators will find something to enthuse over.

SOURCE: mytheatremates.com at 11:00AM
Tuesday, December 24, 2019

From Come From Away to The Antipodes: Top 10 Shows of 2019 by Not Exactly Billington

Here’s our Top 10 list for 2019 with three musicals – Come From Away, Curve’s West Side Story and the touring production of Amelie dominating the top spots.

SOURCE: mytheatremates.com at 01:00PM
Tuesday, December 3, 2019

‘The performances are uniformly excellent’: WEST SIDE STORY – Leicester by Not Exactly Billington

Nikolai Foster and co. have wrung West Side Story for every last drop of emotion, intellect and topicality. It has been given the full blooded revival it merits and I would love to see this …

SOURCE: mytheatremates.com at 01:00PM
Friday, November 1, 2019

‘Feels fresh & is performed with conviction’: ONE UNDER – Touring by Not Exactly Billington

Winsome Pinnock’s 2005 play One Under has been revived in a co-production by Graeae and Theatre Royal, Plymouth, now touring the UK.

SOURCE: mytheatremates.com at 12:00PM
Wednesday, October 30, 2019

‘It is with a heavy heart that you have to leave the characters behind’: A TASTE OF HONEY – Touring by Not Exactly Billington

Bijan Sheibani’s production of A Taste Of Honey is entertaining without being flashy, showcasing Shelagh Delaney’s text in all its humour, honesty and melancholia.

SOURCE: mytheatremates.com at 02:00PM
Saturday, September 28, 2019

‘Engaging, warm & thought-provoking’: MY BEAUTIFUL LAUNDRETTE – Touring by Not Exactly Billington

In a co-production with Belgrade Theatre Coventry, Everyman Theatre Cheltenham and Leeds Playhouse, Nikolai Foster and the Curve company’s adaptation of My Beautiful Laundrette has shone a…

SOURCE: mytheatremates.com at 09:00AM
Friday, September 20, 2019

‘A masterpiece in theatrical storytelling’: WAR HORSE – Touring by Not Exactly Billington

The National Theatre production of Michael Morpurgo’s novel War Horse is both the most visceral depiction of war I’ve seen on stage and a masterpiece in theatrical storytelling.

SOURCE: mytheatremates.com at 11:00AM
Friday, September 6, 2019

‘Brings a freshness to the piece’: GREASE – Touring by Not Exactly Billington

Nikolai Foster’s 2016 production of Grease returns to Curve as part of a major tour, and, while it doesn’t quite have the pizzazz of three years ago, the show remains a solid, thoughtful…

SOURCE: mytheatremates.com at 11:00AM
Monday, September 2, 2019

‘Prescient time for a revival’: THE ENTERTAINER – Touring by Not Exactly Billington

The Entertainer is an interesting state-of-the-nation play, and although a period piece, it’s undeniably a prescient time to revive it.

SOURCE: mytheatremates.com at 01:00PM
Friday, August 9, 2019

‘A community production that balances balanced whimsy & grit’: BOLLYWOOD JANE – Leicester by Not Exactly Billington

Making use of the intimate studio space, director Siobhán Cannon-Brownlie recreates the indie movie theatre setting of the play, while a cast of locals dive head-first into the dazzling wor…

SOURCE: mytheatremates.com at 11:00AM

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