Sally Jack

England

Writer and Critic at British Theatre Guide

Online Editor at Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL)

Writer, critic @BritTheatreGuid (Spoken Word Midlands editor @SabotageReviews 2015-19), poet, editor. Co-founder @UpstairsWestern Loves a well-placed semicolon.

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Articles

Theatre review: Tina – The Tina Turner Musical from Stage Entertainment, Joop van den Ende and Tali Pelamn in association with Tina Turner at Curve Theatre, Leicester

1 month ago | britishtheatreguide.info | Sally Jack

If there’s a global equivalent of a national treasure, then Tina Turner would surely be a shining example, admired worldwide for her significant contribution to popular music across many decades, for her charismatic stage presence and for her fortitude in overcoming numerous traumas with grit and integrity.
& Juliet from Max Martin and Tim Headington at Curve Theatre, Leicester

2 months ago | britishtheatreguide.info | Sally Jack

The Bard, bangers, and boy bands is one way to summarise this musical. Max Martin may be a songwriter and producer you’re not familiar with by name, however, he is responsible for some of the biggest hits from the 1990s onwards, sung by artists including the Backstreet Boys, Britney Spears and Katy Perry and second only to Paul McCartney as writer of the most US number 1 singles.
The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe

2 months ago | britishtheatreguide.info | Sally Jack

If books could be called national treasures, then C S Lewis’s children’s classic The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe is a likely contender. It is a magical and imaginative story, set between the contrasting worlds of an old wardrobe in a spare room and the frozen kingdom of Narnia.
Pirates Love Underpants

Dec 8, 2024 | britishtheatreguide.info | Sally Jack

Pants and pirates are winning themes for the under-8s, and Brad Fitt’s jolly adaptation of Claire Freedman and Ben Cort’s much-loved children’s book Pirates Love Underpants (sequel to Aliens Love Underpants, among other pants-themed bestsellers) is perfectly pitched for this younger end of the theatre-going market. While this is Curve's Christmas production for children, it is due to go on tour from spring 2025.
My Fair Lady at Curve Theatre, Leicester

Nov 29, 2024 | britishtheatreguide.info | Sally Jack

From ‘umble Cockney flower girl to polished pronunciation fit for a princess, My Fair Lady is one of the classic rags-to-riches stories loved by many, its place cemented in the cultural psyche thanks to the award-winning 1964 film version starring Audrey Hepburn and Rex Harrison. My Fair Lady’s source material is George Bernard Shaw’s 1913 play Pygmalion, adapted for the Broadway stage by Lerner and Loewe in 1956, followed by the aforementioned film and numerous stagings around the world.
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang

Nov 6, 2024 | britishtheatreguide.info | Sally Jack

Old banger or sleek machine? Matching the journey of the titular vehicle Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, you get a bit of both in this new touring production of Ian Fleming’s popular children’s book (1964) turned Disney film (1968) then stage adaptation (2002). Leicester’s Curve is the first stop on a 13-venue tour, with the week’s run pretty much sold out.
SuperYou at Curve Theatre, Leicester

Oct 30, 2024 | britishtheatreguide.info | Sally Jack

SuperYou, a musical with book, music and lyrics by Lourds Lane, was due to open off-Broadway when COVID thwarted its progress. However, in keeping with the show’s themes of creativity and empowerment, plus help from TikTok and social media, the performers went from the New York stage to socially distanced performances on the backs of trucks. The songs became online hits during the summer of 2020, culminating in ‘in-concert’ style performances at the Lyric Theatre in 2023.
Murder on the Orient Express

Oct 16, 2024 | britishtheatreguide.info | Sally Jack

I think there’s a saying, “take a train, see life”, and the legendary Agatha Christie certainly embraced this idea for her novel Murder on the Orient Express, which features a cast of diverse characters stranded on the Orient Express thanks to a snowdrift.
Ghost The Musical

Oct 9, 2024 | britishtheatreguide.info | Sally Jack

Another week, another blockbuster-film-now-musical on tour, with Curve currently hosting Bill Kenwright’s production of Ghost The Musical, a month into a UK tour ending in early December. Recent past experiences have made me wary of these adaptations, however, this is a well-produced and performed musical with intriguing special effects.
Dear Evan Hansen

Oct 3, 2024 | britishtheatreguide.info | Sally Jack

It’s back to the classic ‘theatre holding a mirror to society’ quote for Dear Evan Hansen, the award-winning Broadway and West End musical now in the early stages of its first UK tour. This Nottingham Playhouse production, directed by Adam Penford, has had some minor adjustments from the original. If you don’t want to be immersed in the lives of socially awkward and social media-obsessed teens then this may not be for you.