Entertainment

Celebrate the music of Franki Valli and The Four Seasons with Frankie’s Guys. This fast-paced, energetic production brings the talented foursome to theatres across the UK to relive an era of timeless classic hits.

Inequality and sexual politics in the workplace are common themes in the theatre today, but not something you would expect from a 1930’s play. However, London Wall, at the Abbey Theatre from next week, is set in a City solicitor’s office at that time. It’s a fascinating and touching play that strongly evokes the atmosphere of the time, and the concerns of working women.

In his new show 50 Things About Us, Mark Thomas combines his trademark mix of storytelling, stand-up, mischief and really, really well researched material to examine how we have come to inhabit this divided wasteland that some of us call the United Kingdom. Mark picks through the myths, facts and figures of our national identities to ask how we have so much feeling for such a hollow land. Who do we think we are? It is a show about money, history, songs, gongs, wigs, unicorns, guns, bungs, sods of soil and rich people* in the vein of The Manifesto-meets-sweary history channel.

Calling all St Albans parents! The schools are about to set your treasured children free for six weeks. If you want some ideas on where to release some kid-energy, read on;

Yes the circus is in town! My kids may be teenagers, but I knew they would still enjoy a trip away from their PlayStations and laptops – and so it proved! We went on the first night and although the crowd was a little sparse, the performers did not let it affect their enthusiasm and energy. The days of animals at circuses are long gone, so the show had to rely on human performance, in particular clowns, acrobats and trapeze artists, and they did not disappoint.

Following his biggest ever tour last year and yet another sell-out Fringe run in August, one of the UK’s finest observational comics embarks on an EVEN BIGGER brand-new tour and has now announced an even FURTHER extension for 2020! Join him as he takes a long hard look at himself and tries to decide if he has ANY traits that are worth passing on to his children. A TV household name, Ed has been seen on pretty much every TV programme in the UK including Mock The Week, Top Gear, Have I Got News For You, The Graham Norton Show, Live At The Apollo (Host), The One Show, The World’s Most Dangerous Roads, Dara & Ed’s Big Adventure, Dara and Ed’s Road to Mandalay and most recently QI and The Pilgrimage.

Join Rich Hall and his virtuoso musical mates for a mash-up of music, comedy and gratuitous coloration as they return this spring with a UK tour of Rich’s infamous ‘Hoedown’ in spring 2017. In addition to two nights at the Glasgow International Comedy Festival (17th - 18th March) and four nights at London’s Leicester Square Theatre (5th - 8th April), Rich’s Hoedown will be touring the UK from March until July this year. The floor will reek of liquor and spent dreams.

I still have strong memories of watching Abigail's Party on the BBC back in 1977. I was a young teenager and alternately bemused, amused and appalled at what I saw and heard. It left a lasting impression and I have followed the work of Mike Leigh and Alison Steadman ever since. It is not the safest of choices for a local theatre, although it can be hilarious in places, the characterisation is very strong and the reputation of the original production is so strong that any new production has a lot to live up to.

Office politics take a dramatic turn at the Abbey Theatre Studio next week, with their production of Bull, a powerful play about workplace bullying, written by Mike Bartlett. Three colleagues, Thomas, Isobel and Tony, gather together before an important meeting with their manager, Carter. The company is downsizing, and one of the three is about to lose their job. It soon becomes apparent that Isobel and Tony have decided Thomas will be the sacrificial lamb, as they begin a barrage of insults, innuendo and uninvited physical contact, aimed at undermining and overwhelming him.

Run by a local family and opened in 2005, Big Space is a ten minute drive from St Albans. There are lots of seriously cosy sofas, a café with a big variety of hot drinks (even Maltesers Hot Chocolate), soft football area, wavy slide, drop slide (my kids' favourite), climbing wall, chill-out room,