The Ovalhouse, London.

“too nice for its own good”

The Good Daughter offers to keep her father’s secret – he has been so sad of late, it may cheer him up. He whispers it to her and feels joyous, the weight having been lifted. She has sworn to keep it secret, which she does. Unfortunately, everyone desires a go and soon the whole town is happy, except The Good Daughter – she is sadly aware of so much truth, even the identity of a murderer.

This is a gothic, adult fairy tale, creepy and silly. As an entertainment, it is brilliant. Mainly due to the amazing cast of four who pull the audience into their bizarre world and tell a story as dark as anything the Grimm Brothers could have conjured. Angela Clerkin (who co-wrote the piece with Lucy J Skilbeck) plays The Good Daughter, on high, in the attic, watching events unfold below her, as a young girl. The years drop away as she assumes an innocent and childish air. As if that’s not enough – she directed the play as well!

Photograph courtesy of Sheila Burnett

But I left feeling slightly cheated. There is nothing wrong with the performances: the other actors play all the additional parts – as well as the magpies, representing the secrets. Niall Ashdown, Hazel Maycock and Anne Odeke excel in the style and present a wacky assortment of town characters.

Simon Vincenzi’s design centres on the raised attic bedroom, with the surrounding town looking small and distant. It is simple and efficient, perfect for the UK tour.

Photograph courtesy of Sheila Burnett

Even though the production was developed at the National Theatre Studio, The Secret Keeper does not fulfil its promise. It is advertised as a ‘political fairy tale’, but it is very light on the politics. Even light on the darkness and the horror that it feels too timid to veer towards. There are songs, too, which take us into, perhaps, one genre too many – they being of variable quality. There was, in conclusion, little peril – the very emotion I craved to feel.

Photograph courtesy of Sheila Burnett

The Secret Keeper is too nice for its own good. Still a marvellous production, full of wit and charm, but lacking in bite.

Paul Vates.

Producers           Ovalhouse and ClerkinWorks

Photography      Sheila Burnett

Twitter                 @ovalhouse

Tour dates:

Until Oct 21        Ovalhouse, London SE11

020 7582 7680 – ovalhouse.com

Oct 23                  Stantonbury Theatre, Milton Keynes

01908 324466 – stantonburytheatre.co.uk

Oct 24-25            Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry

024 7652 4524 – warwickartscentre.co.uk

Oct 27                  Greenwich Theatre, London

020 8858 7755 – greenwichtheatre.org.uk

Oct 28                  The North Wall, Oxford

01865 319450 – thenorthwall.com

Oct 31-Nov 4      Theatre Royal Plymouth (The Drum)

01752 267222 – theatreroyal.com

Nov 6-7 Curve, Leicester

0116 242 3595 – curveonline.co.uk

Nov 8                   Little Theatre, Sheringham

01263 822347 – sheringhamlittletheatre.com

Nov 10                 Corn Exchange, Newbury

0845 521 8218 – cornexchangenew.com

Scamp Theatre present Stick Man

Leicester Square Theatre – Saturday 21 October 2017 – Sunday 7 January 2018

This joyful adaptation of Children’s Laureate Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler’s bestselling book, Stick Man, returns to Leicester Square Theatre for another enchanting festive adventure.  Touching, funny and utterly original, Scamp Theatre’s (Tiddler & Other Terrific Tales, The Scarecrows’ Wedding) fantastic production features a trio of top actors and an hour of fun for all the family.

Leicester Square Theatre, 6 Leicester Pl, London WC2H 7BX      http://www.leicestersquaretheatre.com/

Spun Glass Theatre present Princess Charming

Ovalhouse Tuesday 24 –  Saturday 28 October, 2.30pm

A cabaret for kids. Some boys like pink. Some girls like football. Whatever. It’s time to sing, shout, stamp, dance, dress up, and be ourselves. Princess Charming explores gender stereotypes for children aged 7-11 in a fun, questioning and celebratory way using a variety of acts and toys, skits and dressing-up.  Join in with Spun Glass Theatre’s cabaret extravaganza!

Ovalhouse, 52-54 Kennington Oval, London SE11 5SW

www.ovalhouse.com, 020 7582 7680

Mouths of Lions present Dr Zeiffal, Dr Zeigal, and the Hippo That Can Never Be Caught!

Ovalhouse

Tuesday 24 – Saturday 28 October, 2pm

Help the forgetful Dr. Zeiffal catch the crafty Hippo with her patented Hippo Instruments. Bring your hippo catchers and your hippo google goggles, because Dr Zeiffal has most likely lost hers! Expect belly laughs, belly flops, surreal slapstick and fantastical falling over in this interactive family comedy created by Mouths of Lions.

Ovalhouse, 52-54 Kennington Oval, London SE11 5SW

www.ovalhouse.com, 020 7582 7680.

The Flamingo Neon Light

Tested on a ten year old and a world weary ‘seen it all’ teen both of whom totally loved this neon pink flamingo light, calling it really cool.  Actually it is huge fun and I wouldn’t mind it myself. Life is so serious right now, that something to lift the spirits is a great boon. It’s simplicity itself.  Just plug it in and switch it on to share your room with this pink wading bird in all its glory. It looks really cool, as Sara said, definitely adding to the atmosphere of any room you put it in. From the crossed legs and the twist in the tail, right up to the tinge of blue in its beak, this vibrantly coloured flamingo light is just what you need to bring home a little bit of tropical fun. Loved it.

The Flamingo Neon Light glows bright pink, and is main powered. It is, of course, tested to eu standards.

Also available in Unicorn, Cocktail, Pineapple and Rainbow and Cloud.

£30.00

The Wall Racer

And here it is, the broom broom present for boys and girls of ALL ages. Childen, keep it away from Grandpa, and I reckon Grandma will want to get her hands on it too.

The Wall Racer is a remote controlled car with such a powerful suction that it can drive up walls and across ceilings. Huge fun, especially when others are nodding off, after plentiful wine and pudding, and think they’re seeing things.

£20.00 tested to eu standards.

Available from: www.hawkin.com

Milly Adams’ most recent novel is The Waterway Girls. Pub Arrow. Pb £5.99

At Greenwich Theatre, London.

“you just have to sit back and let it overwhelm you”

Bracknell-based Blackeyed Theatre have toured this country since 2004, producing everything from Brecht plays to The Great Gatsby. They have previously visited Dracula and Frankenstein, too. Their current production is a return to this horror genre which obviously suits them really well. Nick Lane’s adaptation is as close to the book as a play can be, utilising monologues to zip the story along when it is needed.

Lane also directs, using a cast of four stunning actors to whisk us from scene to scene with precise choreography.

Ashley Sean-Cook – photo courtesy of Alex Harvey-Brown

At first, the whole piece seemed a little messy – a hotchpotch of styles: musical numbers, monologues, ensemble effects, live and recorded sound effects, recorded music, physical theatre, natural theatre, slow-motion … it goes on. What The 39 Steps does for comedy, nothing here is played for laughs, the intensity of the play driving through at all times, for instance when two characters mime jumping into a taxi to dash across London.

And it works.

The audience had a large number of teenagers and they gasped with awe at each revelation, turning the theatre into their own version of Gogglebox, reacting quite freely. This lack of restraint is wonderful to witness – the ‘awwww’ at the romance, the shock at the cruelty. A few ‘Duff-Duff’ Eastenders-style moments left them reeling and buzzing with excitement. They were truly gripped. It was like a pantomime without the jokes.

Jack Bannell – photo courtesy of Alex Harvey-Brown

On top of that, the hero of the play – assuming the weak Jekyll role and the masculine Hyde persona – is a Poldark lookalike. Jack Bannell has the long hair, the unshaven swagger of testosterone oozing from him as Hyde. From the moment he first appears, twirling his walking stick with gay abandon like a Terry-Thomas moustache tweak, we know he is dangerous. Then he physically shrinks and limps, to become the frail, desperate Jekyll – and the teens lapped it up.

Paige Round photo courtesy of Alex Harvey-Brown

Supporting this stand-out performance, there is Paige Round, primarily playing the Irish Eleanor Lanyon, both loving and lusting for  Jekyll and Hyde. She appears as a cockney tart and a housemaid, too, showing a grand versatility. As do Zach Lee and Ashley Sean-Cook, playing a multitude of characters throughout. Sean-Cook’s Dr Lanyon is touching and believable, a light character in this dark world. Lee’s solicitor Utterson, hard and edgy.

There is much not to be impressed with in this production. Although the lighting and the set suit the mood and fulfill all their requirements, it somehow feels dated and unadventurous in its presentation and style. It is theatrical box-ticking. Yet, it is undeniably spot-on for getting its points across. The darker, heavier and meatier elements of the story slightly brushed over, for the gothic gore – ‘giving them what they want’. For this, there is a lot to be admired. Knowing the book is on the GCSE syllabus has allowed the company to get the funding and have the courage to tour a full-on version.

It could so easily have been a long and dull, worthy and wordy adaptation of the text. I saw an RSC production many years ago that was just that. But Blackeyed have triumphed.

In the end, you just have to sit back and let it overwhelm you. It’s worth it!

Length 2 hours including interval    Ages 11+

Box Office Tickets are available from individual theatre box offices.

Details of the tour: www.blackeyedtheatre.co.uk

Twitter: @Blackeyedtheatr #JekyllandHyde

Director Nick Lane

Composer Tristan Parks

Designer Victoria Spearing

Costumes Naomi Gibbs

Lighting Claire Childs

Producer Adrian McDougall

Photography Alex Harvey-Brown

To be held at venues across Bath including The Edge Thursday 19th October – Saturday 21st October 2017

Exciting arts and creativity hub, The Edge will host three days of talks, walks and workshops across the city centre looking at urban development in the 21st Century.  With a focus on the complexities of a place like Bath, a city similar to Venice with UNESCO world heritage status, how should cities reinvigorate their character and economy when looking to the future?

Thanks to the master planning of John Wood Senior and Junior in the 19th Century, Bath could rightly claim to be one of the UK’s first future cities.  But could it really make that claim today? Is there a city in the UK, or in the world that can?

The Utopian City

Thursday 19th October, 3pm-9pm, Various locations Events suggesting how utopian thinking could develop our cities, and what utopian aspects are already in place. Including ‘Walking Utopia’ a walk around Bath with writer and critic Owen Hatherley – author of A Guide To The New Ruins Of Great Britain and an evening of PechaKucha presentations on ‘Liveable Cities’.

Whose City Is It?

Friday 20th October, 1pm-6.30pm, Assembly Rooms Bath Taking in the complexities of a place like Bath we look at the local question of future city. What are the best ways to develop an ecosystem for all to contribute economically, and benefit by return? Is public space an answer? Explore the challenges of preserving architectural heritage whilst creating new buildings and welcoming new populations with leading architect Alison Brooks’ (Bath Western Riverside housing scheme), Henrietta Billings, Director of SAVE Britain’s Heritage, Andrew Vines of Historic England, Jim Heverin, Director at Zaha Hadid Architects and more.

The Creative City Saturday

21st October, 12.30pm-5.30pm, The Edge What makes a city a great place to live? Explore global radical housing solutions, the city as artistic inspiration and 21st Century design. Speakers during the day include Stuart Woods (Thomas Heatherwick Studio, Garden Bridge project) Anna Minton (Big Capital), Alex Vasudevan (The Autonomous City), The Design Museum’s Justin McGuirk and artist Rut Blees Luxemburg a photographer and installation artist focusing on urban space.

Talks will include:

Owen Hatherley – Architecture and Utopia (A Walk in the City of Bath) Thursday 19th October, 3pm-5pm, Bath A unique walk around Bath on the trail of architecture and utopia.

Ken Loach Friday 20th October, 7.30pm-8.30pm, Bath Assembly Rooms Ken Loach presents his vision for the city of Bath, his home for many years.

Agatha Raisin and the Witches’ Tree: M.C. Beaton has done it again. My favourite laugh aloud village crime author has, I think, a slightly, but only slightly darker touch in this latest offering, and it’s still wonderful.

Rory and Molly Harris, the new vicar and his gorgeous wife, drive slowly home from a dinner party  and see in the gloom a body dangling from the branch of a tree. It is Margaret Darby, an elderly spinster who, despite appearances, hasn’t killed herself. Indeed no, someone else has taken it upon themselves to do the deadly deed. But why? As the bodies mount, witches raise their heads, and disparate characters begin to reveal themselves, Agatha Raisin and her team of private detectives finally arrive at the answer. But not without Aggie, as politically incorrect as ever, almost becoming a victim, and misreading Charles’  feelings for her. Who is Charles?  Oh come on, read it and find out. Lovely jubbley.

M.C. Beaton is the author of the Agatha Raisin and Hamish Macbeth series. Both have been turned into TV successes.

Agatha Raisin and the Witches’ Tree by M.C. Beaton. pub Constable. hb £16.99. Also availabe as an eBook

The Prime of Ms Dolly Greene: by E.V. Harte

One hot day Dolly reads the Tarot cards for Nikki, a client. Nikki knows how to share herself about, shall we say, but as Dolly reads the cards she sees a vision of blood, bruises – could it be death? When a body is washed up on the banks of the Thames does she do as Aggie would do, and bustle and thump her way into the crime scene – or not? I do like these less than dark crime novels. Such a relief from the ones you read and have to check the curtains are drawn in case there’s some awful murderer waiting to pounce and do unimaginable things to you. Another to enjoy. Tarot cards, crime, and a warm heart. What’s not to enjoy. (Nifty title too)

The Prime of Ms Dolly Greene: by E.V. Harte. Pub Constable. pb. £8.99. Also available as an eBook/digital audio download.

Different genre but just as much a page turner, one not about to rip your  heart out but leave a thoughtful warm glow:

Fanny Blake’s:  Our Summer Together.

Is it ever too late to begin again?

Just begin this novel, why don’t you. You will find you are turning the pages late into the night. Warmhearted and amusing Our Summer Together explores how someone can find themselves again, or even for the first time, after a lifetime of being someone’s daughter, mother, grandmother, wife, a progression set in stone, until suddenly  ditched by a husband of many years standing.

What are you going to do? Go to bed with a box of tissues and a large helping of woe is me, perhaps a bottle of gin? Probably for a while, but what then?

Read this and see how a meeting with a younger man can help you re-asses, help you find just who you really are.

(If only they grew on trees)

Our Summer Together by Fanny Blake. Pub Orion. pb £7.99 and eBook.

Reviewer Milly Adams is an author with Arrow. Her latest novel is The Waterway Girls. She also writes for Arrow as Margaret Graham

Thirsk in North Yorkshire is about a two and quarter hour train journey from London, or a three to four hour drive, so off we went to explore an area that interested us, following on the heels of the the Yorkshire Vet series, and before that All Creatures Great and Small.

Thirsk is a traditional market town, unspoilt, delightful, with a market place festooned with flowers, and surrounded by small shops. On the edge of the Yorkshire Dales and the North York Moors, it was the home of author and vet James Herriot, (Alf Wight) and the vets of the Yorkshire Vet fame have their practice on the outskirts of the town.  For horse racing enthusiasts, Thirsk boasts its own racecourse, not far from the train station.

Interestingly for me, an author who has just published No 1 in the series The Waterways Girls (Arrow), I discovered there had been a project to build a navigable waterway to the town from the River Swale along Cod Beck in the 1760s, but sadly not completed. Nice to see several of my titles in WH Smith.

A vital resource for Thirsk is the small but beautifully formed Thirsk Tourist Office manned by volunteers, and what gems these volunteers are. We called in and received all sorts of information from the friendly, and fun, staff.

We nipped into The World of James Herriot which is where Alf Wight, aka James Herriot worked with Donald Sinclair,aka Siegfried Farnon,  and stepped back in time – totally fascinating. Another day we set off, bus pass in hand, from the market square to Ripon to see the annual art display in the small cathedral.

That particular bus route had just been taken over on the death of Shaun by another bus company. One of the fantastic Tourist Office volunteers appeared just as we were boarding to check that we were on the right bus, or was it just to make sure we left them in peace for a bit. Honestly, everyone in Thirsk goes above and beyond to help, and to welcome.

We stayed at The Fourways Guesthouse, just a step away from the centre. Nicky and Mark were great and the breakfasts lovely.

And I mustn’t forget the White Rose Book Café which we used constantly, to browse, buy, (Christmas sorted – Julian Norton’s book bought for several family members)  and to tuck into tea and cake. This is a great independent bookshop, one that holds numerous events, and positively buzzes.

In a couple of weeks I’ll tell you more about Thirsk, including our bus trips to Northallerton and Betty’s Tearooms, and the villages on the way.

Anyone else out there have ideas for those essential breaks that keep us all going? Let Frost know.

The Waterway Girls by Milly Adams. Pb Pub Arrow. £5.99

A Yorkshire Vet through the Seasons. Julian Norton pub Michael O’Mara £14.99

www.worldofjamesherriot.com

www.fourwaysguesthouse.co.uk

www.visitthirsk.org.uk

www.whiterosebooks.com

www.bettys.co.uk

www.thirskracecourse.net

I have a kitchen drawer full of knife sharpeners which I don’t use any more, because they don’t work. I even have a steel similar to the one my dad used to use to produce razor sharp knives. He would ‘steel’ away at the carving knife and then cut super thin slices off the Sunday joint.

In fact, he turned the steel sharpening into a ritual, or even an art form, one that took an interminable time, so the slices might have been super slim, but  the meal was cold.

On the other hand, however, he sharpened my mum’s cooking knives with the same finesse and gusto. I have tried to achieve even a modicum of his success with the myriad sharpeners I have bought but no, into the reject drawer always goes another one.

However, the day has been saved. We at Frost were sent Any Sharp Pro to try. This is a small in size but mighty in range  knife sharpener which we have discovered produces excellent results so, to coin a phrase, size isn’t everything.

It has a strong suction grip, and can handle straight and serrated blades.

With Chrimbo approaching, this could save hours of whingeing about blunt knives, which can and frequently do, end in cut fingers. I even tried our carving knife and though a small sharpener it produced a razor edge.

Do give it a go. At only £16.35 from Amazon it’s a steal. Sorry, should that be steel? But perhaps it’s time the curtain closed on poor jokes.

Try it: Any Sharp Pro knife sharpener: Amazon £16.35