Latest 7 magazine

Vintage radio comedy live on stage may sound mad but with a cast as strong as this it is a sure fire winner. Classic scripts and popular characters were revived for a side-achingly funny evening of nostalgia. Unlike the previous show, this time we had a full band and Not the Frazer Haynes Four, a close harmony group who added musical interludes of high musical campery. The cast were brilliant, Robin Sebastian is Kenneth Williams but top marks this time to Sally Grace who played Betty Marsden superbly.
Theatre Royal Brighton, 18 November
5/5
Andrew Kay

Mr Coogan seemed to be on autopilot for the first half of this show – the ‘Less Successful Characters’ – which, on this evidence, aren’t going to become any more successful. I’ve always had a soft spot for Paul and Pauline Calf but they were reduced to innuendo and gypsy jokes, although Pauline’s ‘Marriott Hotel’ was very funny. Partridge was altogether a different beast; reinventing himself as a motivational speaker, impressing on us his life-changing philosophy which came to him after soiling himself in PC World. Brilliant stuff, but you can’t erase the memory of a patchy first half.
Brighton Centre, 21 November
3/5
Simon Plotkin

That belting voice of hers was the highlight for me. The familiar songs got a great reception from the crowd, while lesser known and new ones felt a bit sluggish. She did say something about being on tour for ever, but they still looked like they were having fun. A breath of grungey rock and roll air from the usually ‘fresh and clean’ indie that comes out of Scandinavia. Ida seems to have blended influences from Blondie amongst others and created raw but pretty pop.
Komedia, 18 November
3/5
Rob Burdick

Tribal movements, industrial beats, and strong, primal energy fused neatly to create an all-male dance piece anyone watching will always remember. Everything contemporary dance should be – exciting, energetic and raw – Uprising was cracking with a capital C. In Your Rooms presented a thoughtful work of the subconscious where male and female dancers sprinted across the stage, performing fast, fluid moves, accompanied by calming, philosophical musings and a brilliant live score. Choreographer (and dancer, composer and musician, no less) Hofesh Schechter is very hot in the contemporary dance world right now and it’s dead easy to see why. Smoking.
Brighton Dome, Concert Hall 18 November
4/5
Monica Perdoni