JOHN OTWAY & WILD WILLY BARRETT

Alexander's, Chester

18th June 2026

John Otway is something of a living legend. Often billing himself as “rock n roll’s greatest failure”, his shows are never anything less than entertaining, energetic, unique, and often brilliantly bizarre. A true British eccentric who, at the age of 73, shows absolutely no signs of slowing down.

Otway is a beloved musical icon, remembered mostly for his notoriously shambolic appearance on a live 1977 episode of the BBC’s ‘The Old Grey Whistle Test’. Making his debut TV appearance, alongside the more serious minded Wild Willy Barrett, the mismatched duo were halfway through a song when Otway proceeded to leap around the stage, and crash into a stack of heavy amplifiers, causing a power cut, and injuring himself in the nether regions.

Tonight, at the wonderfully atmospheric and cosy Alexander’s in Chester, Otway and Barrett (the elder, at 76) showed that the passing years have not diminished them (although, thankfully, Otway refrains from any improvised stage acrobatics.) They are a splendidly comedic duo, with wildly contrasting stage personas. Otway’s barely contained manic toddler, combined with Barrett’s world weary wizened old pro, are a potent mix. Playing mostly their own original songs, varying from simplistic teenage angst to raw unbridled pure rock, everything is delivered with genuine, heartfelt joy. Otway chats to the audience with gleeful familiarity, and the whole thing feels like a raucous family gathering. A particular, and popular Otway trademark is the ripping off of his shirt to reveal a scrawny, hirsute torso, with shirt buttons flying everywhere. For some old rockers this could be truly embarrassing and a little disturbing, but Otway’s childlike innocence is truly infectious, and the audience absolutely love him.

Barrett plays a variety of instruments superbly well, and even includes a great display of BAD playing, for comic effect. There is even the use of a specially adapted wheelie bin, (referred to as “the wah wah wheelie bin), harbouring an apparently home-made amplifier, plus assorted props. One of those props being an actual hand saw, which Barrett uses to violently hack through his guitar, whilst playing it! He then proceeds to take a hammer, and totally wreck the instrument, causing a mini whirlwind of splinters and dust. Otway often watches on with (apparently ) genuine fear and nervous apprehension.

Another Otway signature move is the wheeling on of his theremin, the odd looking electronic musical instrument activated by moving the air around it. This results in an unpredictable orgasmic display of shape throwing, and wildly waving arms to produce seriously eerie electronic wails and screeches. Otway looks like he’s having the time of his life, while Barrett stares at him like a thoroughly depressed headteacher. A surprise inclusion is the song ‘Two Little Boys’, originally made famous by a now disgraced TV entertainer. Otway sheepishly, and rather emotionally, explains that they decided to keep performing the song, in spite of it’s now notorious connections. Barrett, always the more thick skinned and straight talking, leaves us in no doubt as to what he thinks of the aforementioned entertainer! There’s a running gag about how much Barrett hates artifice, fake jollity, and particularly encores, and he is stone faced as Otway camply exits and quickly returns (it’s a very small stage, by the way), to perform the final songs. This is a pure display of hilariously effective artistic compromise.

There is even a set of highly amusing Bagpuss bagpipes, played by Barrett.

A wonderful and inspiring evening, with two genuinely offbeat eccentrics, who also happen to be superb musicians. Reviewed on 18th June.

First published at https://www.thereviewshub.com/john-otway-and-wild-willy-barrett-alexanders-chester/

MRS DALLOWAY

Storyhouse, Chester

Writer: Virginia Woolf

Adaptor/Director: Jen Hayes

This is a truly mesmerising, profound, original, and deeply moving production.

Adapted from the classic novel by Virginia Woolf, and directed by Jen Heyes, co-created with and starring Olivier Award-winning artist Kit Green, who effectively plays over a dozen demanding roles including Virginia Woolf herself.Movie Listings & Theater Showtimes Simon Kenny’s deceptively simplistic stage design, consisting of three huge projection screens, with a baby grand piano on one side, and a solitary green chair on the other, looks magnificent. The lighting by Phil Saunders creates a wonderfully cinematic atmosphere, working beautifully with the filmed sequences by Monika Koeck. This is part stage play, and part cabaret, with Green occasionally breaking character to address the audience as herself to comment on what we’ve just seen, and to prepare us for what’s to come. We are given performances of original songs by Green, who also plays piano, which is delivered beautifully and emotionally.

Before the house lights dip, Green appears in character as Mrs Dalloway, wandering along the front row of the audience to welcome us to her party. Throughout the play, the character of Dalloway’s downtrodden, acid-tongued housemaid often pops up to hilarious effect, a hybrid of EastEnders’ Dot Cotton and Catherine Tate’s Gran.Geographic Reference Green interacts with herself playing different characters on film, via an ingenious method involving front and back projection, including an additional smaller screen, that is smoothly rolled on and off the stage. The story takes us through a single day, traversing both June 1923 – and the present. Repressed socialite Clarissa Dalloway ambles across London, looking forward to her party, while shell-shocked war hero Septimus Smith desperately attempts to hold on to his rapidly unravelling sanity, plagued by horrific and traumatic memories. Their experiences follow a parallel track; mingling their vulnerable souls, and delicate physical and mental states. Stunningly effective use of drama, original live music, audience participation ( at one point, volunteers are brought on stage to play party games with Clarissa!), create an emotionally uplifting immersive experience. Mixing the drama and intensity of Woolf’s novel, with an in-the-moment, gloriously involving, 1960s style ‘happening’, make for a simply enchanting and deeply moving evening.Movies Woolf and Green, as her onstage representative, asks us penetrating questions about our individual place in the world, and what it is that makes us who we are. Kit Green is simply glorious, effectively seducing the audience, and powerfully portraying a woman gradually succumbing to entropy. The stepping out of character sequences could so easily backfire, and risk undermining the gravity of the more sensitive scenes. But, Green’s sheer force of personality, charisma, and deep understanding of the issues raised within the performance, work perfectly. The finale is incredibly emotional, soul-piercingly poignant, yet simultaneously uplifting and glorious. On a very warm, atmospheric summer’s evening in historic Chester, this is a truly astonishing theatrical experience.Literary Classics

Runs until 6 June 2026

Originally published on The Reviews Hub https://www.thereviewshub.com/mrs-dalloway-storyhouse-chester/

Q THE MUSIC - A JAMES BOND CONCERT SPECTACULAR

The William Aston Hall, Wrexham (13 June 2026)

As a lifelong fan of the James Bond movies (and the original Ian Fleming novels), I'd been wanting to see the highly-acclaimed 'Q The Music' orchestra for several years, now. Finally, the stars aligned, and I found myself heading over to Wrexham to see 'A James Bond Concert Spectacular' at The William Aston Hall.

This is a truly spectacular show, with an orchestra led by musical director and lead trumpeter Warren Ringham, plus a trio of superb vocalists dressed to the nines. Attention to detail was paramount, with carefully chosen projections played onto the auditorium walls, eliciting shivers up one's spine as I recognised motifs from several Bond movies; the undersea majesty of Thunderball, the outer space hijinx of Moonraker, and I'm sure I spotted a few rather suggestive triggers on the golden guns! The set design was also a delight, with a pair of huge golden pistols dominating, and what appeared to be large strips of ammunition, illuminated by sweeping searchlights and pulsating colours.

Warren Ringham

Miss Moneypenny herself, the very classy Caroline Bliss, was our host for the evening. A veteran of two 1980s Bond epics that featured Timothy Dalton as 007, she was the perfect choice to MC. Offering a few personal anecdotes from her time on the huge Pinewood Studios sound stages, along with nuggets of behind-the-scenes information on the early Connery films.

The show opened with a rip roaring rendition of the classic James Bond theme (the orchestration based on the cinema trailer music for 1995's Goldeneye), enthusiastically performed by lead guitarist Dan Booth, who resembled a young Pierce Brosnan. This segued perfectly into Marvin Hamlisch's invigorating 'Bond 77', that originally accompanied Roger Moore's classic ski chase in The Spy Who Loved Me. Drums and funky trombones to the fore, with guitar intervening with a superb, footstomping jazz interlude. All the main title songs from the 25 official movies were performed, with the stand outs being a cool, sensuous and powerful rendition of David Arnold's 'Surrender' (Tomorrow Never Dies) from vocalist Kerry Schultz, and a gloriously raunchy interpretation of 'The Man With The Golden Gun' sung by Rhiannon Porter in a slinky gold dress, accompanied by Booth.

Kerry Schultz

Matt Walker managed a stonking version of the powerful 'Thunderball' (originally belted out by Tom Jones), and excelled with 'The Writing's On The Wall' from Spectre. The latter performance eliciting a cheeky remark from Caroline Bliss, stating that Matt did a better job than original singer Sam Smith! The stage erupted into blinding white light, created by huge sparkler effects, during a gutsy 'Live And Let Die', while the quieter numbers were beautifully performed with heartfelt verve. John Barry's gorgeous 'You Only Live Twice' and the bittersweet 'We Have All The Time In The World' given total respect; the latter delivered with true emotion by Warren Ringham on trumpet. Kerry Schultz provided a wonderful finale, and equalled the iconic Gladys Knight, with an erotically soulful 'Licence To Kill'.

A truly cinematic experience, perfectly capturing the essence of James Bond, and his 'kiss kiss- bang bang' world.

MACBETH

 Storyhouse. Chester

Adapted & directed by Jamie Sophia Fletcher 

Until 21st March 2026

Review by Brian Gorman 

"Something lurid, this way comes..."

It's one of the most popular Shakespeare plays. Famous speeches, a timeless plot, indelible characters, and a short running time (relatively speaking). So, not surprisingly, a top choice for a production aimed at the younger generation, with the focus on making the 400 year old text accessible to a modern audience.

So, on a sparse thrust stage, we had bright, multicoloured neon lights, lots of projected images and video footage, and occasional snapshots of isolated text - "TRAITOR", "TYRANT", etc. (Set and lighting design by Andrew Exeter). The young students in the audience certainly enjoyed it, several waving their arms during the outrageously superfluous dance sequences. A relentless avalanche of "Sound and fury"!

Modern dress needn't necessarily detract from the classic drama and atmosphere of this darkest of Shakespeare offerings, but when we have the blood-stained Macbeths trudging around in day-glow boxer shorts and oversized fluffy slippers, the usual dread and suspense is dishearteningly diluted.

Yolanda Ovide as Lady Macbeth 

Jamie Sophia Fletcher directs as though she has a serious case of Chronophobia, as we're whisked through the story, with everything ending prematurely with Macbeth's beheading (effectively created through split-second timing of lighting effects and dramatic image projection).

Turning the much-loved 'Scottish play' into a brash, perky, 'dramedy' is a brave move. By introducing Lady M sitting on the toilet, Macbeth stalking King Duncan (an endearing Marc MacKinnon, channeling his inner Peter Ustinov) in his boxer shorts and rainbow coloured socks, Lady Macduff and her child's brutal slaughter climaxing in a cheery 1940s song, and the hiring of Banquo's murderers played like a Reeves and Mortimer sketch, we're straying dangerously into David Lynch territory. Does it work? For the kids it certainly did (and, to be fair, a good number of the adults). For me? Well, I've seen quite a few Macbeths over the years, including classic turns by Owen Teale, Antony Sher, and Pete Postlethwaite, each redefining the role. The lithe and athletic young Robin Morrissey is well up to the job, too. He looks like a guy who could lop off a few heads, and is particularly effective at expressing the man's gradual descent into madness. His return visit to the weird sisters sees him ending up in a filthy ASDA rubbish bin, yet he maintains the dignity of the character, and even adds a delicate touch of subtle physical comedy. It is Morrissey's skill, alongside his formidably demonic Lady M (Yolanda Ovide) that just about keeps the narrative afloat. The bathroom scenes (which, at one point, have a plastic toilet brush utilised as a deadly weapon) initially reduce the leading characters' gravitas, but Lady M's demise is chillingly suggested as we witness her final moments surveying her wrists in the bathtub. 

Robin Morrissey is Macbeth 

Roly Botha deserves a special mention for a spirited, audience-delighting performance as a hyperactive witch, and a cheeky, slutty porter.

All in all, a successful interpretation of a classic text, which has certainly divided opinion. But, I will always salute innovation, bravery, and passion. An unusually young cast was packed with talent, and one or two stars of the future.