... Simply superior Chanticleer Theatre Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art This audition presentation by one-year postgraduate students reflected the standards of excellence expected from the Webber Douglas prestigious acting centre. Virtually all the pieces were performed solo, with each stu dent having more than one oppor tunity to impress. Heather Oumont opened the proceedings with her own ...

... The Time of Your Life Torquay A different show on Sunday nights, during the summer, has become the norm for the Babbacombe Theatre. It is always a light-hearted affair with a lot of music, dancing and comedy. This year it is called The Time of Your Life but that takes artistic licence. The cast includes 36 chil dren aged betweem seven and 17, supported by the lively, like able, irreverent and ...

... The Golden Years Eastbourne Summer snows at tne Koyai Hippodrome have been song-sheet style for several years--but not this year. From curtain up on sharp rockin' fifties routines, the pace quickly settles for controlled speed. Although voices rise for several irresistible melodies, there is otherwise no pressure for the audience to do the bulk of the work and there is not much time spent on ...

... Kentwood Choir and John Dankworth and Friends Swindon Musical director Sheila Harrod's lifelong.ambition to appear on the same stage as Cleo Laine is going to have to wait a little longer as chronic voice loss meant Dame Cleo was unable to join the much admired Kentwood Choir for a sell-out performance at the Wyvern. Almost the entire audience remained, however, to be rewar ded by a ...

... Blackpool Tower Circus Blackpool Keith Harris, Orville and Cuddles have breathed new life into a show which has already been ably entertaining families for more than 100 years. Harris is a ringmaster of sorts, introducing each act as well as having his own moments of glory (including two songs!) while scenes and props are changed. There is no doubt his presence is a genuine boost to the appeal ...

... Bobby Roberts Super Circus Ayr/Touring This Is not only an excellent example of modem touring circus but Is also, for theatre buffs, a wonderful reminder of shows of yesteryear, featuring a selection of the kind of speciality acts which once commonly enriched variety theatre bills. For example, there are two terrific spots from Stephen Sallal and his high-speed juggling and hand balancing. ...

... Noel, Gertie, Bea and Boo Jermyn Street Theatre John Dalby belongs to that diminishing breed, the sophisticated easyon-the-ear supper room singer/pianist. In this cabaret revue he cele brates the talent of Noel Coward and the Master's favourite lead- Ing ladles Gertrude Lawrence, Bea Llllle, and Evelyn Lave. All have made massive con tributions to the theatre and their reputations are safe in ...

... You've got to be Wireless Wise BY JOHN MARTLAND Some of those quizzes which take a particular area of the media as their subject--the dreaded Telly Addicts for example--can be simply anorak fodder, but trie first edition of Wireless Wise (Testbed for R4, from Monday, June 28) had a rather broader appeal. Of course, you had to be of a certain age to get a kick out of hearing about Jack De ...

... Paganini/Giselle London Coliseum While it is generous of the Bolshoi to give us an opening ballet to prelude its staging of Giselle, there is something distinctly twee about Leonid Lav-rovsky's Paganini which dates from 1960. Set to Rachman- inov's well-known Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, the ballet is performed in front of enough drapery to curtain an entire hous ing estate, and is led ...

... Seaside Special Bournemouth summer snow or the season--one of three presented by Duggie Chapman throughout June at the Pier Theatre--hardly differs from many productions offered to holiday visitors over the past 50 years. Kegrettably, there are no dancers, but the Maurice Merry duo provide lively backing and the cast of eight possess a range of abilities. Bill-topping comedian Don ...

... Jazz history is a Shear delight By John Martland Russell Davies' excellent continuing history of jazz, Jazz Century (R3, every Friday), has just called in on the bebop era, and is featuring leading exponents of this style, Bud Powell, Theolonius Monk and the great Charlie Parker. These were among the musicians British pianist George Shearing admired when he arrived in America shortly after ...

... David Soul in Concert Reading Twenty-odd years after I recorded on to cassette Don't Give Up on Us Baby as an eager teenager listening to the UK Top Ten, it was a strange experience to be reviewing the blond half of Starsky and Hutch at the Hexagon. What was even more surpris ing was that this hit record now pales into insignificance against some of the songs that David Soul performs during ...