The title’s a teaser. Has departing Dukes director Joe Sumsion gone the full Rick Wakeman in his final production and decided that what an everyday story of Northern folk needs is a touch of Las Vegas, Frozen-style? In fact, The...
Read MoreCometh the summer, cometh the outdoor Shakespeare. Sometimes it seems as if every park, stately home, castle, National Trust property and botanic garden you pass in the car is hosting something Shakey. Even the Shakespeare’s...
Read MoreI never did read The Hobbit. Our village library had a copy but getting hold of it was about as easy as, well, stealing dragon’s treasure. In the end I made do with Lord of the Rings – or rather, the final two-thirds. The...
Read MoreThe origins of The Dukes’ latest two-hander production of The Island are legendary. The play was created in the early 70s by South African actors John Kani and Winston Ntshona, alongside playwright Athol Fugard. Acclaimed...
Read MoreOne look at Ciaran Bagnall’s marvellously monumental set and we’re back in the 1970s, a world of white surfaces, chrome, and chunky design. It’s the world of the Troubles, antiquated fertility treatments, and Dutch Elm disease....
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