My Beautiful Laundrette

My Beautiful Laundrette, Norwich Playhouse, 2002.

Cast: Harvinder S Bhere, Rowan Talbot, Catherine Mobley, Kiki Kendrick, Arif Javid, Georgie Hayes, Seva Dhalivaal.

Adapted by: Roger Parsley & Andy Graham

Director: Andy Graham

A two-sided programme, I assume to reflect the two different cultures at the centre of the play. This might have been my first visit to the Playhouse and I remember having to research where to park, in a place that's probably now replaced by flats. They played two nights in Norwich towards the end of a tour that lasted nearly five months and took in fifty venues. That kind of thing is impossible now and that's really sad.

The Lady in the Van

The Lady in the Van, Norwich Theatre Royal, 2011.

Cast: Nichola McAuliffe, Paul Kemp, James Holmes, Tina Gambe, Emma Gregory, Fiz Marcus, Benedict Sandiford, Martin Wimbush.

Writer: Alan Bennet

Director: Sarah Esdaile

I was certain this was a one woman show so seeing other people on the cast list is a bit of a shock. I guess that's a compliment to the way Bennett writes the central character and the way she's performed. I never got to see this when it was first on in London, I'm guessing because at the time it felt impossible logistically and financially, but now theatre tickets are so expensive I do rather mourn the things I could have seen but didn't.

Henry V & The Winters Tale

Henry V & The Winters Tale, Norwich Theatre Royal, 2012.

Cast: Ben Allen, Nicholas Asbury, Tony Bell, Dugald Bruce-Lockhart, Gunnar Cauthery, Karl Davies, Richard Dempsey, John Dougall, Robert Hands, Finn Hanlon, Vince Leigh, Chris Myles, Gary Shelford, Dominic Thorburn,.

Writer: William Shakespeare.

Director: Edward Hall

I remember nothing about these although isn't Henry V the one with the big stirring speech that people misuse now? It makes me realise how much I miss the opportunity to see Shakespeare stuff on tour and how unlikely I am to ever tick everything off on that list if I'm going to have to go to London or Stratford to see it.

Talent

Talent, Menier Chocolate Factory, 2009.

Cast: Leanne Rowe, Suzie Toase, Jeffrey Holland, Mark Hadfield, Eugene O'Hare, Mark Curry.

Writer and director: Victoria Wood.

I wonder if this was the first time I went to the Menier Chocolate Factory? I'd love to go more often but they've gone off the boil or I've lost track of them a bit. This must have been a big deal, Victoria Wood directing her own work. It's hard to revive the stuff of a stand-up and TV writer so I'm surprised this has reappeared more recently.

The Ladykillers

The Ladykillers, Norwich Theatre Royal, 2013.

Cast: Paul Brown, Michelle Dotrice, Clive Mantle, Chris McCalphy, Marcus Taylor, William Troughton, Beverley Walding, Cliff Parisi.

Writer: Graham Linehan

Director: Sean Foley

Another play of a film I don't know. But worse than that, it was written by a man who has turned into such a vile transphobe that his wife left him and his career is over. I feel retrospectively ashamed that I went anywhere near this.

Quadrophenia

Quadrophenia, Norwich Theatre Royal, 2009.

Cast: Sean Croke, Daniel Curtis, Lillie Flynn, Ryan Gage, Rob Kendrick, George Maguire, Kirsty Malone, Ryan O'Donnell, Brennan Reece, Iris Roberts, Tom Robertson, Jack Roth, Jack Schumacher, Dawn Sievewright, Kevin Wathen, Sydney Rae White.

Music, lyrics and concept: Pete Townshend

Director: Tom Critchley

Writer: Jeff Young.

I only saw this because I can't say no to a friend who has no difficulty saying no to me. I don't like The Who. If I've seen the film this shares a name with it was decades ago and I remember nothing about it. I'm not interested in the whole Mod thing, which now is just old men clinging onto the time they thought they were at their best. I remember nothing about it. I wish I'd not wasted an evening in a theatre seeing it.