... Andy White and the Celtic Ono Band Glasgow/Touring This wandering minstrel is a storyteller in the classical mould who weaves his words with gorgeous melodies and wry humour. That is why his songs work so beautifully. An evening with Andy White is like discovering a fantastic book, or a photo album from the past. White and his Celtic Ono Band of Davy Crichton, Kieran Kennady and Bronagh ...

... Looking Glass Warwick This is a revival of the opening production at the Dream Factory, home of the Playbox Theatre Company. The fantastic new theatre draws young people from throughout the Midlands to its excellent facilities and training opportunities in a variety of performance arts. There is an impressive line-up of productions planned for the year and it offers real opportunities for ...

... Variety Show Greenford Featuring a speciality act, a comic and a headliner, this tight, old style variety show at Greenford Hall was produced by veteran Jack Seaton in association with local MP the late Harry Greenway. A wealth of songs were included in a meaty 120 minutes of entertainment. Comedy musician Steven Geller is an adept banjo player, with a nifty line in patter and George Formby ...

... Sondheim First & Last Covent Garden Festival: Peacock Theatre Stephen Sondheim is 70 and suddenly the world seems autumnal. Those witty lyrics with warm, open American vowels for 'love', 'alone' and 'tomorrow' now resonate more poignantly on the complex melodic line. This BBC birthday concert, devised by Julia Makenzie for future broadcasting on Radio 3, celebrated overtures and finales the ...

... Great seaside show Blackpool Eclipse As timing goes, opening the third annual summer edition of Blackpool Pleasure Beach Globe's unique circballet at exactly the same moment that England kicked off against Germany in Euro 2000 was less than perfect. But though Joe O'Connor's dramatic score is the same as last season, almost half the cast are new to the production. For several of them it is the ...

... Music wins in test of time Jermyn Street Theatre The Jermyn Street Revue Nothing, it appears, detes faster than verbal humour, to judge from the material assembled by Sheridan Moriey for his Jermyn Street Revue. We of the older generation have fond memories of intimate revue, the genre as well as the humour--short, sharp sketches interpreted by person able actors with an innate sense of ...

... The Great Kovari's Magic Show Centre for the Magic Arts Coinciding with the Easter holidays, The Great Kovari's show was aimed mostly at children. It is no mean feat to have lured them from their mobile phones and computer games to witness a gentler form of entertainment--a mix of magic, mystery and illusion. He starts well by letting everyone think he is revealing the secret of his ...

... Hot Ice 2000 Blackpool For its millennium production, the world's longest-running annual ice production-Blackpool's first full-scale summer season offering this century-has introduced the first contemporary art/ballet sequence created specifically for ice. Staged at the Pleasure Beach Arena, the show opens with Rhythms, a full-scale ensemble production in its own right. Featuring 26 skaters, ...

... Stars in Your Eyes Torquay Because of the enormously high standards that Colin Matthews has set in the last six years, one expects this show to be of the same quality. But this event did not entirely match expectations. However, it was extremely entertaining in parts, and one could not fault the excellent performance from comedian Matt Slack, who grows in stature and ability every time I see ...

... The Millennium Show Millennium Dome The Dome's new dance extravaganza devised by Mark Fisher, no less, with music by Peter Gabriel is fantastically spectacular, but, like Greenwich's overgrown tent itself, a shade hollow. Why we British have an obsession with mediocrity and a fear of taking risks, I do not know. But the resources these 26 performers have at their disposal (57 winches is a lot ...

... Jont Ronnie Scott's Boasting plentiful stage presence and charisma as well as a superb voice, Jont powered his way through an attention-grabbing performance that was rich in both variety and musicianship. The singer and guitarist's range encompasses music varying from the folk-inspired to more pop directed approaches, delivered in a manner which is at times reminiscent of performers such as ...

... Carmen Cardiff/Touring Welsh National Opera's revival yet again of its 1997 staging of Carmen proves that the popular appeal of the Bizet masterpiece remains as strong as ever, despite the break with most of the traditional trappings. No wild gipsy dancing, no endless parade of toreadors, no realistic Spanish scenery, no sexy cavortings in this Patrice Caurier and Moshe Leiser produc tion, as ...