By Carron Stacey, A Humdrum Mum
WHEN?: Friday 22 August 2025 (press ticket)
There was a different feeling about this 12th annual south coast festival (the two years previous to this, it was held in the Dockyard).
By Neil Durham
WORTH A LOOK?: *****
WHEN? Tuesday 19 August, opens 26 August and runs through 4 October 2025 RUNTIME: 165 minutes (including 2 intervals)
What do you get if you cross the desire for self-sufficiency of TV’s The Good Life with the farming techniques of wilding and regeneration seen in Clarkson’s Farm?
By Neil Durham
WORTH A LOOK?: ****
WHEN? Saturday 16 August, opens 2 September and runs through 1 November 2025 RUNTIME: 90 minutes (without interval)
Will they or won’t they? There’s real sexual tension between Gatwa’s roistering mentor Kit Marlowe and Bluemel’s in awe fanboy Shakespeare.
By Neil Durham
WORTH A LOOK?: ****
WHEN? Tuesday 12 August through 16 August 2025 RUNTIME: 60 minutes
We’ve enjoyed Mamma Mia! and even Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again but would we be ‘hitting the Vaseline’ for Bush! The Musical ?
WORTH A LOOK?: ****1/2
Tracklist: It’s Cian Bitch; Who’s Making You Feel It?; Little Dreaming; Unfair; What About Love?; Shalalala; Rock Bottom; Kiss And Tell; The Book Of Love; Hallelujah; Break My Heart; No Way To Live; God Only Knows; My Best Friend; Your Eyes; See It To Believe It
Authenticity is the key to Ducrot’s success and while we’ve enjoyed the radio friendliness of the singles released ahead of this 2nd album it’s the rawness of the emotion exposed within this long player that continues to fascinate us about his work.
WORTH A LOOK?: *****
Frontman Brett Anderson explains the idea for the song came from an exhilarating show in Spain where there was a great connection with the audience despite the personal low the singer was experiencing away from the gig.
By Neil Durham
WORTH A LOOK?: ****
WHEN? Monday 4 August, opens 11 August and runs through 20 September 2025 RUNTIME: 135 minutes (with a 20-minute interval)
This outdoor setting is the perfect venue for this updated musical of 2 crashed World War Two airmen who stumble across a Scottish Highlands village seemingly suspended in time and not on any map.
By Neil Durham
WORTH A LOOK?: *****
WHEN? Friday 1 August, opens 6 August and runs through 21 September 2025 RUNTIME: 100 minutes (no interval)
Sean Hayes won the 2023 Best Actor Tony for this portrayal of comedian and pianist Oscar Levant and here makes his London debut in a show which takes a peek behind the curtain of the exploitation of mental illness for entertainment.
By Neil Durham
WORTH A LOOK?: ****1/2
WHEN? Saturday 26 July 2025 RUNTIME: 90 minutes (no interval)
Like all of the greatest actors, Jack Lowden (Measure For Measure, Donmar) is absolutely unrecognisable as Scottish incel Luka here compared with the role of flawed hero River Cartwright he is perhaps best known for in Apple TV’s fine Slow Horses.
By Aline Mahrud
WORTH A LOOK?: *****
WHEN? Saturday 26 July, runs through 9 August 2025 RUNTIME: 145 minutes (including a 20-minute interval)
Jack Thorne (The Motive And The Cue, National Theatre) recently described Lynn Nottage, the author of this play, as ‘the closest thing to a living Shakespeare we have’ and on the evidence of this production it’s easy to see why.
