Entertainment

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.

A St Albans-based theatre director and magician has spoken of the ‘tremendous success’ of his latest endeavour, which appeared on Primetime TV on Saturday night.

The word Verulam stems from the old word Verulamium (St Albans). You may have noticed this word associated with companies or entertainment all over this city. If not, read on and see who you can support.

Things I Know to be True, by the critically acclaimed playwright Andrew Bovell in conjunction with Frantic Assembly theatre company, is the touching, funny and visceral next production by the Company of Ten. It is a complex and intense portrait of the mechanics of a family, and a marriage, through the eyes of four siblings struggling to define themselves beyond their parents’ love and expectations.

The stage is set, the countdown has started, stand by everyone because Roald Dahl’s splendiferous swizzfiggling story George’s Marvellous Medicine is arriving any minute on the Abbey Theatre stage. The Company of Ten’s gloriumptious Christmas show is a feast of eye-popping feats, outrageously funny situations and hilarious characters as only the master storyteller himself could come up with.

I was rather hesitant about going to this year’s Christmas Pantomime at the St Albans Arena. For the past few years, I paid over £100 to see the pantomimes with my family and had not come away feeling satisfied. Last night, however, my child and I were enthralled by The Little Mermaid from start to finish. I spoke to other parents who were equally as awed by this show.

St Albans Operatic Society is proud to present Stephen Sondheim's Sweeney Todd - The Demon Barber of Fleet Street at the Alban Arena, St Albans from Tuesday 13th to Saturday 17th October 2009. For those of you who don't know the show, or haven't seen the Jonny Depp film, it is a dark tale of love and revenge that is thrilling, chilling and, in places, extremely funny. The show won many awards on its debut 30 years ago and has starred a number of musical legends from Angela Lansbury, Sheila Hancock, Julia Mackenzie in the Mrs Lovett role to George Hearns, Dennis Quilley, Alun Armstrong, Johnny Depp and Bryn Terfel in the Todd role.

St. Albans is rapidly acquiring a reputuation as a good venue for comedy gigs. The Alban Arena frequently gets national names to visit and perform. We now even have our very own comedy 'festival' annually, with Laughs in the Park. Now I wouldn't say it is anywhere near Glastonbury's exalted position in the national psyche, but as it's only the second year of existence, it still has time.

Here comes the perfect tribute to a Beatles legend! A musical icon who was part of arguably the biggest band of all time will be honoured and remembered with a special show taking place at The Eric Morecambe Centre, Harpenden, on Friday 29th November 2024. Alongside John Lennon, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, Harrison helped the band become the best-selling music act of all time with 600 million units shifted worldwide. After the Liverpudlian four-piece called time on Beatlemania, the songwriter enjoyed a successful solo career, releasing 12 studio albums, including Living In The Material World, Cloud Nine, Brainwashed, and the classic triple album All Things Must Pass.

I am old enough to remember the original TV versions of the Talking Heads monologues by Alan Bennett. They were gentle and bittersweet, often with a few surprising twists. The Play's The Thing theatre company brought their production, featuring 2 of the most iconic monologues - A lady of Letters & Soldiering On - to the Maltings theatre as part of their regional tour.