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Neil Bartlett delivers yet again a striking work in which Bette Bourne the radical drag performer of Bloolips fame plays Wilde, Maggie Steed his wife and Guy Henry the investigator who uncovered that Wilde had spent a night in a Brighton Hotel with one Alfonso Conway. Conway played by Edmund Wiseman was suitably knowing and naive as he sat and listened to Wilde read him a story about a rocket, a telling parable. Bourne is of course superb in the role, with the ability to deliver the lines like sugared poison at one moment and softly and sadly romantic at others. Maggie Steed pulls out all the stops reading the smaller characters but it is her telling of Wilde’s wife that is most moving, and it has to be said that I wanted perhaps more of that story. Bartlett’s script is concise, witty and lyrical. He has the knack of using a few words to convey a wealth of both story and emotion. The spartan staging worked too. I can’t help feeling that we were party to the birth of something that will become much bigger. I certainly left very happy but also wanting more.

Theatre Royal, Brighton, 21 May
Rating:
Andrew Kay

This enthusiastic production of the musical version of Frank Wedekind’s play left me confused. There was no doubting that this was a great production but for me it is the work that is flawed. Set in the late 19th century and done in period I was left cold by the crass late 20th century vernacular of the lyrics. In fact it was the lyric content that let it down. The cast gave 100 per cent with great sets and lighting and great choreography too. I felt that whilst the girls in the company were by far the better singers, the boys had the upper hand, pardon the illusion, when it came to acting. One boy, in the chorus for the most part, did have a stunning voice and both principals had one number each that they nailed, but were less confident in the rest. Lizzie Jay who plays Wendla had a stunning voice. If this review seems mean please note that it is criticsim in the main for the work rather than this excellent team of young performers.

Sallis Benney Theatre, 20 May
Rating:
Andrew Kay

Resident MC Stephen Grant kicked things off, effortlessly warming up the audience with a level of quick witted banter and sharp humour that proved his title as ‘Chortles Best Compere 2011’. Opening tonight’s stand up trio was Irishman Owen O’Neill. You could argue his act was quite limiting as it centred only on the quirks of being ginger and Irish. However his set was funny nonetheless. Londoner Doc Brown proved very popular with the audience mixing humorous anecdotes and with exceptionally funny rapping on David Attenborough and life in general. Closing was Geordie Chris Ramsey. Fresh, energetic, engaging and roaringly funny. A top night all round.

Komedia, 22 May
Rating:
Lee Stevens

In a change from the Fringe brochure, this free hour of stand up now pairs occasional TV presenter Dan Wright with storytelling Cornishman Matt Price. Wright went first, mixing tales of school trauma as both pupil and supply teacher, with nods to his other job – flying around on a wooden spoon for CBeebies’ show ‘Big Cook, Little Cook’. Price’s warm-hearted routine sprung from his unenviable attempt to bring light relief to the inmates of Broadmoor Hospital. This evening’s sun-struck, over-refreshed audience seemed to present almost as much of a challenge to the good-humoured pair’s patience.

Laughing Horse @ The Quadrant, 22 May
Rating:
Stuart Huggett