THEATRE

from NN Pulse May 2022

by PulseGroupMedia

INTERIORS

Bobby Mair The Osmonds: A New Musical

From Puppy Love to puppy training!

Ann Widdecombe

May is a mad busy month, with funny business all over the place – and enough stuff to get tails wagging. Sammy Jones has more.

The Osmonds: A New Musical arrives at Northampton Derngate (May 3-7) telling the true story of the five brothers from Utah who were pushed into the spotlight as youngsters and went on to become household names.

They sold more than 100 million records worldwide and bagged 59 Gold and Platinum awards and now Jay Osmond is pulling back the curtain to reveal the real family behind the hits; Love Me For A Reason, Crazy Horses, Puppy Love, Long Haired Lover From Liverpool and so many others...

Foil, Arms & Hog present Swines at The Royal (May 5). Best-known for their online sketches, this trio excel in the live setting.

Having met at University College in Dublin, they ditched studying architecture, engineering and genetics to be downright silly, topical and refreshingly philosophical. They connect with people too; they’ve had more than 150 million YouTube hits and 648,000 subscribers. Oh, and some fella called Rowan Atkinson says they are ‘very funny.’

Grab a ticket for a guaranteed face ache, in the best sense of the word.

Julia Donaldson’s modern children’s classic The Gruffalo visits The Core at Corby (May 5-7) promising monstrous fun for little mites aged three years and up.

Alan Carr brings his Regional Trinket show to his hometown for a two-night stay (May 12/13). Of course it’s sold out, but we had to give him a mention in case he’s reading!

There’s loads more much needed light relief for the taking during these bitter times, too; Bobby Mair takes the Underground stage (May 14) to share his hatred for the people who thrived during covid and, on a serious, but still hilarious note he’ll tackle the lack of treatment available for the mentally ill, and Dara Ó Briain (May 15) asks the Derngate audience, So, Where Were We?

Not that he’ll mention much from the past couple of years; he thinks we’ve heard quite enough of all that. Instead, expect stories, one-liners, audience messing and tripping over his words, because he is so excited to be in the live setting again.

Mark Watson presents This Can’t Be It at The Royal (May 17) which will provide spiritual enquiry meets high-octane observational comedy, and Barry Humphries settles in at The Royal for three nights (May 19-21) in he Man Behind The Mask.

“This is a show in which I am the principal character; it’s not Les, it’s not Edna, it’s not Sandy Stone. It is really about this character called ‘me’. I’m not in disguise,” Humphries says.

Over at The Deco, Ann Widdecombe (May 20) will be as entertaining, enlightening and controversial as you would expect, as she continues on her debut tour.

Graeme Hall

Barry Humphries

She’ll lift the lid on life in Westminster, and share gossip from her time with Strictly Come Dancing. And that’s just for starters.

John Barrowman’s I Am What I Am: From West End to Broadway visits Derngate (May 21).

“I’ve lived my dreams. My new show is a celebration of that wonderful journey,” John promises, “I’ll perform songs from the biggest musicals I’ve starred in and perhaps one or two that I haven’t.”

Lou Sanders will present One Word: Wow at The Underground (May 21), Joe Lycett is delivering two shows at The Derngate (May 22) which are both fully booked. So if you don’t have a ticket, you won’t Lycett, will you?

Jason Manford arrives (May 26) with Like Me, and rising star Steve Bugeja – a writer who has contributed to Mock The Week, 8 Out Of 10 Cats and The Russell Howard Hour – brings Tried To Start His Own Nickname to the Underground (May 28) , the same night that Derngate hosts Jack Dee: Off The Telly. A quick note regarding a show that was to have taken place at the Derngate on May 29. Britain’s expert dog trainer Graeme Hall is now bringing his wisdom and puppy prowess to The Royal Theatre instead of The Derngate, and at the early date of Monday, May 16. He can turn your corrupt canine into a perfect pooch, and there is nothing he can’t sort. His ‘mutt-o’ is ‘any dog, any age, any problem.’ First thngs first though, you’ll need to let your fingers go for a walkies with your credit card details.