Theatre Review The Karate Kid The Musical Lyceum Theatre, Sheffield

Wax on, phones off for a musical stage adaptation of the 1984 stone cold classic movie, The Karate Kid. It is an instantly recognisable franchise which has, so far, spawned  5 sequels spread over 4 decades. Although initially unsuccessful at the box office, it became one of the highest-grossing movies of the year. It also earned Pat Moriata an Academy Award nomination as best supporting actor for his role of Karate’s answer to Yoda,  Mr Miyagi. More recently, the show has won recruits with the popular Netflix spinoff series Cobra Kai, which revisits the contrasting fortunes of the show's main characters in the modern day. 

As the lights dimmed, the silhouette of  Karate’s most famous mentor appeared, trimming a bonsai tree. The stage setting of paper walls set the scene of Mr Miyagi’s California-based slice of Okinawa. The staging and props were familiar and an indication that the original film would be closely adhered to. The scenic design (Ben Davis) and costumes(Izzy Ribbeck) transport the audience back to 1980’s Los Angeles.

The stage is set for the tale of Daniel LaRusso’s struggle to adapt to his new life in LA with his widowed mother. For this performance, Isaac J Lewis, a bona fide black belt in Karate, steps into the Dojo to play the role of the love-struck, but affable Daniel. The excellent Sharon Saxton plays his mother, Lucille, who has orchestrated the move to start a new life for the  LaRusso family. Both actors excel in their roles and have great chemistry in the mother-son dynamic.

Adrian Pang is outstanding as the legendary Mr Miyagi and is responsible for many of the lighthearted moments of the show. Abigail Amin (Ali Mills), Matt Mills (John Kreese) and Joe Simmons (Jonny Lawrence) are backed up by a great ensemble to provide a strong cast performance.

The musical score is excellent and Act One closes with a spectacular performance of 'The Whole World Is Waiting' by the infamous Cobra Kai. But the star of the show is the choreography and fight scenes, which are visually stunning and exhilarating to watch. The fight scenes were loudly cheered on by the audience, in particular by a large contingent of school children in attendance, which added to the atmosphere. The number of young people in the theatre would suggest that the franchise is still packing a punch.

Karate Kid the Musical is a visually spectacular stage production that follows the plot of the original movie closely. Although the storyline is in some places a touch laboured, the show is held together by the musical score and exceptionally well-choreographed dance and fighting scenes.

Production run (The Lyceum Theatre, Sheffield): Tuesday 7th June – Saturday 11th July 2026.

Running Time: around 2 hours and 30 minutes, including an interval.

https://www.sheffieldtheatres.co.uk/events/the-karate-kid-the-musical/dates

Reviewer: Matthew Burgin

On: 7th July 2026

Concert Review Gary Murphy Presents The Ultimate Tribute to Dire Straits and The Police The Cavern Club Liverpool

 

Dire Straits and Police fans were entertained by Gary Murphy and Rob Shirley for approximately two hours in the Cavern Clubs’ Live Lounge.  Rob performed as Sting during the first half singing all Police and Sting favourites plus a few lesser well-known songs accompanied by Gary on guitar.

After a short interval, Gary performed all the popular Mark Knopfler hits.  Both Gary and Rob were accompanied by Adam on drums and Adam on keyboards, clarinet and saxophone. Gary was keen to point out that the performances in the show were 'live' and that no backing tracks are used throughout.

Gary Murphy is an award-winning guitarist and an ambassador of the ‘International Guitar Festival’.  He delivers various shows covering a wide range of music from Rock ‘n’ Roll and Pop, to Jazz, Blues and Country with influences ranging from Bill Haley, Buddy Holly, Chuck Berry, Duane Eddy, The Shadows, The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, Dave Gilmour, Albert Lee, Angus Young plus many more. His guitar playing has a very unique and diverse style both on electric and acoustic guitars.

Gary has written several albums of original material including the award winning ‘Here Comes the Rain’, and ‘Dangerous’. Gary’s performances offer renditions of guitar classics and his own material.

He is currently a resident artist at the Cavern Club and performs regularly in venues as a solo artist with a live band, and in large scale productions including his Guitar Legends shows throughout the UK.  He is widely regarded as one of the finest guitarists in the UK and has received many local and nationwide awards.

The Cavern Live Lounge is an intimate setting with seating and a small bar at the back stage area of The Cavern Club, dedicated to special live events and performances such as this one.

For more about Gary Murphy see https://garymurphy.rocks/

For Cavern Club info see https://www.cavernclub.com/events/event/direstates/

Reviewer: Anne Pritchard

On: 5^th July 2026

Music Festival Review The Brit Fest 2026 Ashley Hall Showground Cheshire

The Brit Fest 2026, (2-5 July 2026) Powered by ABC+ Warranty, Friday 3rd July was outstanding! Madchester magic as Happy Mondays prove they’ve still got it as The Brit Fest hits all the right notes. 

There are festivals that entertain and there are festivals that remind you why live music matters. Friday at The Brit Fest in Ashley was firmly in the second category. From the moment the gates opened, the atmosphere felt uniquely different. Families spread out picnic blankets, friends reunited over cold drinks, and the Cheshire sunshine seemed determined to make an appearance just in time for a soundtrack that celebrated some of Britain’s most iconic bands. Friday’s line-up featured a glorious blend of indie, Britpop and Madchester royalty, culminating in the unmistakable swagger of the Happy Mondays. 

The line up also included James Walsh, The Farm, Sleeper, Stero MC’s, Peter Hook & The Light, and Cast amongst other acts in various arenas around the festival who warmed up the crowd beautifully. Cast delivered singalong favourites with effortless confidence, Peter Hook & The Light reminded everyone why those Joy Division and New Order bass-lines are woven into British music history, while Stereo MCs had everyone grooving along to “Ground Level”. Sleeper and The Farm added to a day that simply didn’t let up. But when Happy Mondays finally walked on stage, everything shifted up another gear.

This wasn’t just another headline set. It was a celebration of Manchester attitude, working-class swagger and dancefloor rebellion. The crowd instantly became one giant party.

As soon as the opening bars rang out, strangers became friends. Arms were around shoulders. Drinks were raised. Everyone, from those who’d followed the band since the Hacienda days to younger festival-goers discovering them live for the first time, was united by the infectious groove that only Happy Mondays seem able to create. There is something timeless about their music, still sounding as joyful, mischievous and gloriously unconventional today as they did decades ago.

The beauty of The Brit Fest is that it doesn’t try to be Britain’s biggest festival. Instead, it feels personal. The layout is easy to navigate, the atmosphere relaxed, and there’s room to actually enjoy yourself without spending half the day in queues. It’s a festival where great music comes first and community follows naturally. You could see generations sharing the experience, parents introducing children to the bands they grew up with, lifelong mates reliving youth, and newcomers discovering why these artists still command such affection.

As darkness settled over Ashley Hall Showground, Happy Mondays delivered exactly what everyone had hoped for, a set full of rhythm, nostalgia and unapologetic fun. No gimmicks. No over-production. Just a band with decades of experience reminding everyone that great songs never go out of fashion. One of the most heartwarming aspects of the festival was the presence of the Seashell a national charity whose dedicated team were on hand throughout the day. Their involvement was a wonderful reminder that The Brit Fest is about more than great music, it’s about community, inclusion and creating opportunities to support an organisation that makes a life-changing difference to children and young adults with complex disabilities. It added an extra layer of meaning to an already memorable day.

Special guest mention to Chris Helme, whose warm, unmistakable voice brought a wonderfully serene yet uplifted energy with his performance in the VIP Tent. Best known as the former frontman of The Seahorses, Helme delivered an honest, soulful set that showcased the strength of his songwriting and reminded the audience why his music has stood the test of time. The Brit Fest 2026 runs from 2nd to 5th of July, and if Fridays ambience and line up was anything to go by, it has firmly established itself as one of Cheshire’s standout summer events. The Brit Fest doesn’t try to compete with the sprawling giants of the festival circuit and is tucked away in the beautiful Cheshire countryside. It feels welcoming rather than overwhelming, stylish without pretension, and refreshingly easy to enjoy. By Friday evening, it was clear that the organisers had once again struck the perfect balance between great music, good food, happy families and an audience simply delighted to be there. In fact, The Brit Fest was the winner for Leading Event of the Year award 2025 and finalist at the Visit Cheshire Tourism Awards 2026, this is following previous recognition at the UK Festival Awards and a High Sheriff’s Award for Community Contribution. It’s relaxed without feeling sleepy, nostalgic without feeling dated, and packed with enough quality music to satisfy lifelong fans while creating new ones.

Happy Review - Happy Mondays didn’t just headline Friday.  They owned it.

For more info and tickets https://thebritfest.co.uk

Reviewer: Mary Fogg

On: 3rd July 2026

Theatre Review FLIGHT: One Man’s Journey Greater Manchester Fringe The Squad House, Pear Mill, Stockport

Solo performance shows are virtually a staple part of Fringe Festivals, typically of comprised of a versatile performer, alone on a stage with perhaps a couple of props and not much else. ‘Flight’ by Martin Lytton, takes the genre a stage further, incorporating a huge number of props requiring the actor to make full use of a large performance area, effective (and at times, very sophisticated) sound effects, dramatic lighting (albeit used sparingly) and some off-stage voices.

Added to this is a very talented performer who with the aid of basic costume items such as a pair of glasses or a skull cap, presents a myriad of interesting characters surrounding the life of the central protagonist who, born with social disadvantages into a poor, rural community in Bangladesh, struggles to better his life, find love and fight his inner demons.

Naz Sheikh not only plays all the characters but is also the narrator, intermittently telling the story in a measured, calm voice and going into lively characters, from an oppressive passport official to excitable  markets traders, the protagonist’s mother, mad beggars and numerous other people who appear in one man’s journey from a life with few prospects in a rural backwater of Bangladesh to a new existence of hope in the city of London. 

Sheikh brings his characters to life through a quick-fire combination of vocal gymnastics, expressive facial contortions and the use of props, often depicting conversations whilst keeping the progress of the narrative grounded through the reassuring persona of the narrator. It is also a very physical performance, frequently involving climbing a step ladder, throwing cloths around the stage, dancing and sometimes even singing.

There is more to this production than just characters. A virtual world is created, from the sound of children laughing whilst playing in a river to the hustle and bustle of a village market, interspersed with the sound of aircraft flying overhead and ultimately the traffic and noise of London. Electronic sounds are occasionally used to denote the main character’s inner mental torrent but with the exceptional of a single joyous moment, to director Jacqui Crago’s credit, there is no reliance on any background music to create either effects or atmosphere.

This is an intensely human story and is ultimately about hope and perseverance in the face of adversity. No attempt is made to go into any background religious or political issues, even though it no secret that the central character is from an Islamic background, hoping to move to a largely secular western democracy. A nice touch is that a key element in his quest to get to England involves, on the advice of a mentor, embracing the works of his chosen county’s greatest playwright, referencing his own life with quotations from Twelfth Night, Henry the Fifth and Hamlet. Another refreshing element, particular in the light of recent, divisive protests from various political spectrums in this country, is that once arriving in England, he embraces the Union Jack to such a degree that he even breaks the fourth wall by engaging the front row with bunting.

This is a very personal story that manages to retain cultural authenticity without getting sidetracked into wider political and religious issues, fully utilising the varied skills of Naz Sheikh in combination with wide-ranging effects and props. A powerful and uplifting story told through a stella performance.

https://greatermanchesterfringe.co.uk/events/flight-one-mans-journey/

Reviewer: John Waterhouse

On: 03.07.26

Theatre Review Miss Saigon Winter Gardens Blackpool

 

Miss Saigon has everything one could wish for in a musical production – drama, emotion, tragedy, humour and a surprise shock finale.  It also has a brilliant story, based on Puccini’s opera, Madame Butterfly and a superb set design (Andrew D. Edwards) used to bring it to life.  Legendary, producer Cameron Mackintosh has managed to breathe new life into this production which is utterly spell-binding.

The plot is simple, a US soldier falls in love with a 17 year old Vietnamese girl whilst partying in a brothel; she is shy and new to working in the seedy dive with the other hard-nosed prostitutes, an orphaned country girl who has turned to prostitution to survive and he takes pity on her before pledging his love and promising to take her back to the US.

The musical was inspired by a photograph which book co-writer, Claude Michel Schönberg found in a magazine. It depicted a Vietnamese mother leaving her child at a departure gate at Tan Son Nhut Air Base to board an airplane headed for the United States where the child’s father, an ex-GI, would be in a position to provide a much better life for the child. Considering this mother’s actions for her child to be “The Ultimate Sacrifice,” Schönberg developed an idea central to the plot of Miss Saigon.

The story will tug at the heartstrings of many as the scenario of American GI’s leaving pregnant Vietnamese women behind during and after the Vietnamese War, must have been played out so many times in real life.  The show portrays how in the final days of the Vietnam war, the fated love between an American marine, Chris (Jack Kane), and an orphaned Saigon prostitute, Kim (Julianne Pundan) are pulled all ways by The Engineer (Seann Miley More), a pimp who longs for a visa to get him to the US.

The show set intermingles hi-tech effects and drama seamlessly and is one of the show's most impressive features with clever use of turntables, rotating rooms, staircases which glide across the stage, backdrop projections, and a levitating giant US dollar sign, all co-ordinated with the amazing songs, the stark scenes of poverty, the neon-lit landscape of Thailand, the faultless talented cast, the dancing and sublime singing. The show is enhanced with a live orchestra.

Although none of the songs have become popular as hits, they are executed superbly and all of the cast and ensemble are to be commended. Brilliant musical theatre, not to be missed.

Dealing with adult themes, including prostitution, sex and violence the show is not suitable for younger audiences.

This production runs from 30^th June – 4^th July 2026

See https://www.wintergardensblackpool.co.uk/events/miss-saigon/

 Reviewer:  Anne Pritchard

On: 1^st July 2026

Theatre Review The Rocky Horror Show Storyhouse, Chester

In a world of constant change and in especially in recent years, where virtually nothing seems reliable or stable, it is comforting to find some things that still provide a feeling of constancy and well-being. One such item is surely ‘The Rocky Horror Show’ which always seems to be on tour somewhere in the country and remains largely unchanged 50 years on from when Richard O’Brien decided to fill sometime between jobs writing a musical.

‘The Rocky Horror Show’ is the cheeky, punk alternative to big West-End/Broadway musicals from the likes of Lloyd-Webber and Rodgers & Hammerstein but it is now a big show in its own right, usually  selling out large venues and gathering new fans year on year, now well into its second half-century. Audiences seem ever more familiar with the script and rehearsing presumably includes having to deal with constant well-placed heckling.

This particular touring production has been doing the rounds for several years, with a number of actors having been in place for a long time. The cast are clearly still having a good time performing but what set this latest tour apart is the music. Without changing the essence of any of the numbers, it sounds like many songs have been given a makeover with a slightly heavier guitar sound and more emphasis on piano. Certain songs have been given a fresh feel through the use of various guitar effects and acoustic guitar is even used on some songs, without losing any of the bounce of the music.

The sets remain a feast for the eyes, with an array of curious items (as you expect to find a Frankenstein house!) thoughtfully included to enhance the right backdrop, from a mounted Dodo’s head in the hall to a huge brain in the lab. A nice touch was a huge translucent roll of film across the top of the set, providing an extra singing-stage for some cast members as well as a constant reminder that is was old sci-fi B-movies that provided much of the inspiration for the Rocky Horror Show. This current tour, directed by Cristopher Luscombe, features more impressive lighting, particular in denoting the death ray and during the climatic last scene, coupled with copious amounts of dry ice.

The show’s cast is like a fully matured fine wine but with some interesting new additions. Jackie Clune, giving an unusual female take on the role of the narrator, shows remarkable ad-lib versatility in exchanges with the audience, whilst presenting a more familiar and relaxed feel to the character than typical male interpretation. The aside jokes have been updated (most notably at the expense of Prince Andrew) whilst giving much more acknowledgement to the LGBT-friendly world we know live in (in sharp contrast to when the show first appeared!). Ryan Carter-Wilson is a very memorable (and quirky) Riff Raff, with excellent facial mannerisms. Stephen Webb has well-honed in his role as Frank N Furter over an infinite number of performances as has Hayley Flaherty as Janet. Relative new comers to Morgan Jackson as Rocky and James Bisp as Brad each bring a freshness to the production, with Flaherty and Bisp gelling was as the central couple in the story.

This is a truly refreshing and enjoyable presentation of a very well-known show, certainly giving new things for fans who know ‘Rocky Horror’ inside out as well as presenting a more or less perfect rendition for anyone who had never seen the show before; very highly recommended as an exciting, sexy and hilarious night out.

‘The Rocky Horror Show’ is on at Storyhouse, Chester until 4th July.

https://www.storyhouse.com/

Reviewer: John Waterhouse

On: 30th June 2026