70 stories by "Neil Bonner"
The Ashington Group, a real-life art collective made up of hardened Northumbrian coalminers, achieved a great deal in its relatively short existence.
Now in its 27th year and long established as one of Europe's leading Shakespeare productions, Stafford Gatehouse's annual tribute to the
It's fitting that 150 years after the birth of Stoke-on-Trent's most famous literary son, Arnold Bennett should have his classic novel Anna
Hitchcock's classic 1954 murder mystery, Dial M for Murder began life as a BBC television play, that was also performed on the
Shrewsbury's Theatre Severn has taken the brave step of mounting its first in-house production. It has temporarily converted the intimate Walker studio
Deborah McAndrew's lively reworking of Edmond Rostand's romantic tragi-comedy Cyrano de Bergerac is a largely satisfying affair. The standard of acting is
As producer, writer, director, programme seller and sometime actor, to name but a few of his duties, George Critchley must be one
Staffordshire Potteries star Jonathan Wilkes reprises his panto partnership with Christian Patterson to bring us another joyful hometown winner. As co-directors, these
A largely routine first half ends with a truly spectacular flying carpet scene in which a singing Aladdin (Joe McElderry) glides majestically
The all-singing, all live music-playing rock'n'roll panto format is now an established tradition in Stafford. The council-run Gatehouse was among the pioneers
The names Cannon and Ball may mean nothing to young theatre goers, but it's a measure of the comedy duo's enduring talents
Philip Dart has been writing and directing pantomimes for the Opera House for 25 years now " so it's fitting that this
This is a mesmerising mix of murder, mayhem and laugh-out-loud comedy that leaves you exhausted just watching the action unfold. Feargus Woods
If proof were needed that you don't have to have big-name stars and a limitless budget to create a successful pantomime, look
This is a simply stunning show that oozes quality through its every pore. It sparkles brilliantly from the opening line and never
On paper this production looks like a winner all the way. With a couple of former pop stars in the lead roles
Writer and director Theresa Heskins can normally be relied upon to come up with a quality seasonal offering and she doesn't disappoint
Lyceum, Crewe: With her larger-than-life persona, Lisa Riley lights up the Lyceum stage as soon as she sets foot on it and the energy and sheer sense of fun just builds from there.
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Buxton Opera House: Deciding how best to portray the giant in Jack and the Beanstalk has taxed panto planners for generations. Here, the threatening presence of the big guy is achieved so ef…
Garrick Theatre, Lichfield: The Garrick has built up a deserved reputation over the years for creating Christmas shows that stand head and shoulders above many of its competitors, largely th…
Pomegranate Theatre, Chesterfield: All too often the panto fairy has little to do but recite corny rhymes. That's not the case with Camilla Dallerup, however. As Fairy Godmother, the fo…
New Vic, Newcastle-under-Lyme: When this lively home-grown production of the Jules Verne classic first appeared in the round at the New Vic in April last year, it screamed "extended run…
Prince of Wales, Cannock: While the content level of some pantos is woefully thin, this one sweeps in at the other end of the scale. Rather like a Christmas lunch, this is stuffed full of go…
Opera House, Buxton: It would be difficult to imagine a more traditional panto than this perfectly pitched offering which scores highly in pretty much every department. Okay, it might not ha…
Gatehouse, Stafford: As one of the earlier pioneering venues to adopt the rock'n'roll panto format several years ago, the Gatehouse has scored well with the genre on several occasi…
