REVIEW: To Kill A Mockingbird at MK Theatre

Production truly brings the classic novel to life on stage

To Kill A Mockingbird is at MK Theatre until March 14. 

The book has delighted fans for generations, and now there’s a play to keep audiences entertained. For those of us who loved To Kill A Mockingbird from our school days, you do feel a little apprehensive about seeing the production. Could it possibly do the novel justice? 

But you don’t need to be concerned. The play is firmly rooted in the book and pays homage to the beautiful words of Harper Lee, truly bringing the tale to life on stage. Even if you don’t know the book firsthand, the themes of racial prejudice and fighting for what you believe are still relevant today. 

To Kill A Mockingbird follows the story of a black man wrongly accused of rape in a close-knit Southern community, all told through the eyes of a child. The three children, Rosie Boore, Billy Price and Milo Panni, were excellent in their observations of the adults’ behaviour. 

Overall, the cast was brilliant, but a special mention should go to Daniel Betts, who played one of the most famous characters in English literature and the moral compass of the story, Atticus. As he says, “you never really know a man until you stand in his shoes.”

A wonderful evening. Until Saturday. 

DEBBIE HALL

Peter Pan at MK Theatre- A swashbuckling success

Having interviewed the stars of Peter Pan, now at Milton Keynes Theatre, in this month's Phonebox magazine, we headed over to the show to see if it lived up to expectations... and we're pleased to tell you it most certainly did! MK Theatre was a packed house with young and old alike, and the atmosphere was buzzing even before the curtains came up.

We were looking forward to seeing headliner Bradley Walsh, TV star from Coronation Street and Law & Order: UK, among others, and presenter of The Chase, who was playing the role of Smee. He didn’t disappoint, and was hilariously funny and gripping to watch, leading the audience through the story as the comical baddy who everyone can't help but love. He was definitely the star of the show, and was joined on stage by professional dance crew and stars from Britain's Got Talent, Flawless. They starred as the pirates and Indians, and led the crowd singing and clapping along to their dancing. They incorporated the dance routine and acting in a truly Flawless way, showing their skills and abilities extend further than just dancing. The child actors involved in the show were amazingly confident, and were thoroughly enjoying playing their characters on stage. Peter Pan was played by Wicked star George Ure, giving a great show to make us really believe he was the boy who never wanted to grow up.

It was a show crammed full of entertainment from start to finish, including fire, dancing, singing and humour, it really is a night out for all the family. There were jokes for both adults and children, which had the whole audience roaring with laughter throughout. There was even some audience participation at the end, where two children were selected to go on stage. All in all it was a thoroughly enjoyable evening, and we would highly recommend taking the whole family. Don't miss out seeing this amazing show, which is at Milton Keynes Theatre until the 11^th January- you’ve still got time to book your tickets!

Dirty Dancing in Milton Keynes

Dirty Dancing is currently at MK Theatre until the 5th November, and following our interview with Roseanne Frascona in the October edition of the Phonebox magazine, we were excited to see the show for ourselves.

For both the fans of Dirty Dancing and those less acquainted with the film, this show is one which gets feet tapping and engages all, with the excellently choreographed moves and gripping storyline, it definitely feels as if the film has been brought to life.

It is hard to believe that Roseanne, who plays Baby in the show, came from an acting background with little dancing experience, as her dance moves are flawless, as are the rest of the cast's. Her resemblance to Baby from the film is uncanny, making you feel like you're really involved in the film.

The on stage connection between Baby and Johnny was electric as we watched, and feeling rather caught up in the moment, it was over before we knew it, all too soon.

The show had the classic tunes, including time of my life, as well as those famous lines of 'I carried a watermelon' and 'nobody puts baby in the corner' which Dirty Dancing has become so famous for. All in all it was a great night, and we can't recommend it highly enough! Dirty Dancing will be in Milton Keynes for another two weeks yet, so do get along there if you can.

Macbeth at the Mill

How well acquainted with good old William Shakespeare are you? Is he the name linked to the painful hours spent studying at school not understanding what the seemingly made-up language meant? Or is he more of an idol for you, and key to the start of great theatre? Either way, why not experience a live production of Macbeth from the Sharnbrook mill theatre company? In celebration of 450 years since Shakespeare's birth, this production is set to be a powerful representation of the tragedy which is considered to be one of his darkest and powerful works.

If you have yet to be acquainted with Macbeth, or it's just been a while, let us remind you of the storyline... The play is set around a brave general named Macbeth, who receives a prophesy from some witches that he will one day become King of Scotland. This good, upright man allows blind ambition for this prophesy to come true lead him to arrogance, madness and eventually death. This is the shortest of Shakespeare's tragedies, and is being shown at 7.30pm from tonight-Saturday (15th-20th September)

Tickets are available by calling the box office on: 01234 718112, from the Sharnbrook Post Office or online here.

Au revoir MKIF 2014!

Today brings us to the end of the Milton Keynes International Festival, and what a great 10 days it has been! We hope you were able to get along to one of the many events that have been on offer throughout the festival, and made the most of the great weather we've had for it!

One of the highlights for many was the 'Iltopie: Fous de Bassin' (water fools), where Willen Lake was lit up with fire and taken over by people and vehicles walking across the water. There was a bit of confusion with seating, it turned out you didn't really need a ticket to see the show, and yet some who had bought tickets ended up sitting where they could hardly see. Despite that, and the thunderstorms which took place during the shows (adding to the effects!), it was a great event, something unusual and definitely not something you see everyday- showing a good example of what the international festival has been about. It was an interesting show, especially when the car caught fire and people were voicing questions of whether it was meant to happen or not! (don't worry, it was!)

This was just one of the many events which was part of the festival, and there were lots of other amazing events and activities taking place. Gigs in the Spiegeltent have been sold out for much of the festival, and the Architects of Air's Pentalum in Middleton Hall has been popular throughout, drawing large crowds to both visit and enjoy music and classes within the luminarium. The lock shift songs is another of the more bizarre parts to the festival (although it's all a bit quirky really!) and has also been particularly popular with shoppers in centre:mk. If you haven't managed to pay it a visit, it's there today as well so do pop by if you are in the centre! Have a look at the official website to what what else is still on today if you fancy getting involved for the last few hours of the festival!

We hope you enjoyed this year's International Festival, we at the Phonebox Magazine certainly did and we can't wait to see what will be in store for next year!