... William Bottrell's Amazing Tales of West Cornwall Penzance As its title suggests, David Shaw's one-man show, at the Acorn, is centred around the stories collected by the 19th century antiquarian and folklorist William Bottrell. Devised and adapted for the stage by Kelvin I Jones and directed by Steve Jacobs of Kneehigh Theatre Ensemble, it takes one back in time to a pre- railway, radio and ...

... Tommy Tiernan and Jason Byrne Edinburgh/Touring It is halfway through the tour, and the van which is winding Tiernan and Byrne around England and Scotland seems to have taken over their existence. At least it has if its impor tance is proportional to the amount of references it gets in the off-the-cuff sections of both their routines. It also demon strates why Tieman won the Perrier while ...

... The Jolson, Formby, Crosby Show Blackpool There have been busier opening nights. But, if there is anyone out there who loves a trier then they will adore this night of nostalgia at South Shore's once thriving Tangerine Nightspot. The idea for this event origi nated at Great Yarmouth's Wellington Pier before arriving in Blackpool for an early season at North Pier in 1995. But, the cur rent ...

... Colour Code Hemsworth New Northern clubland attraction Colour Code took the stage at Hemsworth Miners Social Club in West Yorkshire in front of a surprisingly busy post-Christmas house. This three-piece band, com prising John, Pete and Karen, has been around in various line-ups over the years, but it now seems to have struck clubland oil with a strong, self-contained sound and bags of ...

... The good, the bad and the ugly BY LISA MARTLAND It has hardly been the toughest job in the world during the last four years--to review the good, the bad and the ugly in radio light entertainment and, hopefully, offer some informed comments along the way. Alongside Moira Petty's views on the network's drama output and news stories covering the latest ratings wars and commissioning crises, The ...

... Vanessa Bloomsbury Theatre Samuel Barber's Vanessa is the composer at his best, an old- fashioned grand opera carried upon succulent harmonies skilfully orchestrated, the rhythmic momentum seamlessly sustained within the formal structure of each act. Menotti's trashy libretto, how ever, does not deserve its fine score. Vanessa, having waited 20 years for her lover, instead finally meets his ...

... Cosi fan tutte Longborough Summer opera for the wealthy gentry is proliferating alarmingly. Eavesdropping revealed a fair percentage of the Longborough crowd had already notched up Glyndeboume, Garsington and Grange Park. The Longborough Cosi was an Opera 2000 import. Making the lovers English travellers in Italy circa 1820, with Don Alfonso a waggish visitant friend stirring it with the ...

... Warren Vache and The Zephyr All-Stars Conway Hall Zephyr is a record label, run by John Bune, which has made its name by presenting the music of British jazz mainstreamers, chief among them the durable pianist Brian Lemon. The label's roster of artists has been supplemented by occasional American guest stars, with trumpeter Warren Vache appearing often enough to qualify for honorary ...

... Seaside Special Cromer Seaside Special is everything that a summer show ought to be. It is funny, fast-moving and colourful, and sends you out of the Pavilion knowing you have had a great time. Underlying it all may be the old-fashioned concept of the end- of-the-pier show, but this produc tion is, more than ever, bang up to date. Robert Marlowe devises, directs and choreographs for its 18th ...

... It's a Celebration '99 Blackpool As Linda Nolan weaves her way around the tightly-packed tables of Layton Institute's concert room, one is reminded of every thing that was good about music hall. Dressed as her popular Maggie May creation, her invita tions to join in singalongs evoke a warming feeling of deja vu. Her well-balanced and care fully-constructed routine includes everything from a ...

... Sods and Oddments Tristan Bates When composers of new musicals face so many barriers to getting their shows produced, it is not surprising to see Mark Bunyan present a selection of songs from various musicals he has written, some of which have already been professionally staged. In situations like these, it is always difficult to imagine just how a song works within context, but there was ...

... Weaving that old Braff magic Pizza on the Park Ruby Braff Now in his seventies, Ruby Braff does not play long trumpet solos on his return to London after three years. But then long solos were never his style. The most lyrical of musicians, juxtaposing marvels of melodic ingenuity with sharp flurries of notes, he now seems to be picking precisely how much he will play. But he can pack a ...