REVIEW: Dracula
By Gary Murray As part of an extensive tour, Blackeyed Theatre brought their production of Dracula to the Devonshire Park Theatre last night. Like Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, Dracula is one of the classics of Victorian literature. Count Dracula resides in a castle in Transylvania, modern-day Romania. He is about to purchase some property in England […]
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REVIEW: The Makings of a Murderer 2 – The Real Manhunter
By Gary Murray With the success of podcasts such as Serial and many dramas and documentaries, the true-crime genre is extremely popular right now. The ‘Makings of a Murderer 2’ tour, very much designed to appeal to that audience, arrived at the Royal Hippodrome in Eastbourne last night for one performance. Detective Chief Inspector Colin […]
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SPOTLIGHT: The revival of the Royal Hippodrome in Eastbourne
Gary Murray’s piece chronicles the Royal Hippodrome in Eastbourne, highlighting its survival through historic threats and restoration efforts. From its grand opening in 1883 to recent refurbishments, the theatre has hosted notable acts and faced scandals. Today, it thrives with diverse performances and community involvement, reliant on volunteer support and donations.
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REVIEW: Murdered to Death
By Gary Murray Spoof crime thrillers are all the rage at the moment. Murdered to Death, one of a trilogy, came to Eastbourne last night: it’s a parody of the Agatha Christie country house genre. A variety of characters assemble in the drawing room. It’s 1936 and the hostess Mildred, along with her prim niece […]
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REVIEW: Grease – The Musical
By Paul Bromley A profusion of ‘Pink Ladies’ poured into the Congress Theatre for a stylish and colourful production of Grease – The Musical. Some of the audience members were mature enough to remember the film first time round; others seemed too young to be familiar with the story of Danny and Sandy at Rydell […]
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REVIEW: The Rude Mechanical Theatre Company
By Gary Murray The Rude Mechanical Theatre Company’s summer residence in a big top tent in Helen Garden has become a regular fixture of the Eastbourne summer scene. The Rudes, as they are affectionately known, specialise in a highly visual type of theatre incorporating elements of the Italian theatrical form of commedia dell’arte plus several […]
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REVIEW: The Hound of the Baskervilles
By Paul Bromley If you’ve ever been to one of Eastbourne Theatres summer productions before, you’ll know what to expect. If you’ve never been to one of Eastbourne Theatres summer productions before, you’re about to experience the unexpected. The Hound of the Baskervilles follows in the footsteps (or rather pawprints) of previous shows such as […]
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REVIEW: Dangerous Obsession
By Gary Murray Dangerous Obsession, a taut thriller, is the third production in the Summer Playhouse season at the Devonshire Park Theatre. Author N.J. Crisp wrote mainly for television, notably The Expert, a series about a forensic scientist, and boardroom drama The Brothers, both big TV hits during the 1970s. However, when Dangerous Obsession was […]
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REVIEW: Naked Hope
By Gary Murray Mark Farrelly’s one-man play about the legendary author, writer and raconteur Quentin Crisp was staged last night at Grove Theatre, Eastbourne. Portraying real people might be daunting but, as in previous performances at the Grove, such as The Silence of Snow: The Life of Patrick Hamilton, and Howerd’s End about the (secret) […]
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REVIEW: Travels With My Aunt
By Gary Murray Travels With My Aunt is the second of three plays being presented as part of the ‘Summer In The Park‘ season at the Devonshire Park Theatre, Eastbourne. Following an entertaining but by-the-book production of Alan Ayckbourn’s Table Manners, Travels is the tale of Henry, a mild-mannered bank manager who’d much rather be […]
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