... Far-reaching impression Traverse Further Than the Furthest Thing Zinnie Harris' excellent new play-- based loosely on the events behind the evacuation of the tiny Atlantic island of Tristan da Cunha in the early sixties-- painfully captures the point at which a self-sufficient community is wrenched into the modem world of business and mass-communication. Crudely speaking, the play contrasts ...

... if I Were Me Assembly Rooms Gay Marshall is a charming lady, i all expressive eyes, big smile and engaging chat. But it takes more than this to make a good show. Here, she talks to us as she prepares backstage for her performance, sharing her troubles and angst as an American actress in Paris. Illustrating her performance with big show songs, she displays her Broadway credentials, but one ...

... Jeff Green Assembly Rooms There should be a law against Jeff Green. In fact, there probably is The 1873 Limitation of Rumpled Twinkliness (Unrepentant) Act, which no one ever got round This is Green's ninth festival, and far from losing his way as he grows older, Green just rolls up his sleeves and turns another year's experience into beautifully observed anecdotes. He is warm as he decon ...

... Eternal Peace Asylum Augustine's Zimbabwe's brilliant multiracial group Over the Edge returns to the Fringe with an unflinching look at the current state of the country. Businessman James (Kevin Hanssen), learning that war veterans have driven his father from the family farm, has to find a lot of money to save his company after nervous European backers pull the plug. As the political system ...

... Turandot Cardiff/Touring Visual and vocal, the impact of Christopher Alden's 1994 updating of this piece for Welsh National Opera ensured that it had to be revived. And it has been to even greater effect, bringing together the outstanding talents of Dennis O'Neill as Calaf and the thrilling Anna bnatajinskaya, making her British debut in the title role. The heroic warmth of the Prince ...

... Here Come the Girls Wakefield When this show was first staged, its premise was to feature cabaret spots from a female cast of Yorkshire performers. Since then, it has developed into a high quality presentation. Clubland star Michaela May, who is also commere for this evening at the Frobisher Suite in the Millhouse Complex, is the first of the cast of four onstage. She has a dramatic, throaty ...

... Ronnie Scott's Stacey Kent Relaxed and classy, vocalist Stacey Kent's approach is ideally suited to her favoured repertoire, which consists largely of classic vintage American songs. Her refined interpretations, backed by an equally stylish band, serve to illustrate both what an excellent voice she has and how good the standard of popular songwriting was in the twenties, thirties and ...

... Melodies sure to stay with us Royal Festival Hall The Ted Heath Band--The Final Concert Thirty-one years after the death of its leader, the Ted Heath Band took its final bow to a standing ovation from a packed Royal Festival Hall. Fronted since 1976 by one of the major stars to emerge from the band, trombonist Don Lusher, the concert brought to an end 56 years of immaculate music making. ...

... Eric Bibb Blackheath Halls It was standing room only in the Great Hall as American-born, Swedish-based Eric Bibb made a welcome return for this final date of a European tour. Bibb and his three accompa nying musicians were all seated on-stage in a relaxed atmosphere as they proceeded to run through a host of familiar tunes along with some new material. With a repertoire of traditional American ...

... Big Top skills dazzle the crowd Monaco 24th International Circus Festival For the second successive year at this annual circus festival at Fontvieille, an act from Montreal's Cirque du Soleil set the crowd alight. Yves Decoste and Marie- Laure Mesnage are Vis Versa, a hand-to-hand balancing duo. Moving in seamless slow motion on a shallow domed plinth, they held the most extraordinary ...

... Sounds of Blackness Royal Festival Hall Boasting a formidable reputation, this choir--backed by a slick, disciplined band--returned to London to present a show which often sparkled but also threw up some surprisingly disappointing moments. Perhaps an occasionally skewed-seeming sound balance or the nature of some of the arrangements was to blame, but all too many of the evening's up-tempo ...

... Courtney Pine Royal Festival Hall There is no doubting the sheer quality and excitement of saxophone virtuoso Courtney Pine's work, nor his willingness to broaden the scope of jazz to take in a broad sweep of styles including rock rhythms and reggae. Those approaches were on display in a set which brought the packed crowd to its feet and provided ample opportunities to revel in Pine's ...