Phil Sellars

[Phil Sellars @PhilofBeeston]

#BoysFromTheBlackstuff @derbytheatre has a strong emotional punch esp. in more focussed 2nd half. Superb industrial set by Amy Jane Cook backdropped by Jamie Jenkin's atmospheric videos. Great ensemble acting from large cast and excellently choreographed stage movements.

[Phil Sellars @PhilofBeeston]

#ONFlyingDutchman @RoyalNottingham knocks your socks off with quality & volume of singing & playing. Layla Claire (Senta) is clearly destined to be a great Wagnerian; Robert Hayward (Dutchman) already is. Least said about the production concept, the better.

[Phil Sellars @PhilofBeeston]

#ONMagicFlute @RoyalNottingham stars an amazing set which can be endlessly reformed and covered in Douglas O'Connell's immersive video design. Emyr Wyn Jones steals the show as a very engaging, Welsh Papageno. The three boys not only sang well but acted well and were audible too!

[Phil Sellars @PhilofBeeston]

@JOCampbellMP, Breaking news! The Royal College of GPs has made the sensible and pragmatic decision to drop its opposition to assisted dying.

Like many of your constituents, I support law change for terminally ill adults. Please stand with us and support this vital reform.

[Phil Sellars @PhilofBeeston]

#Hamlet @TheRSC is an amazing production, setting the action at sea, over the span of one night. Liberties are taken with text but justified by the result, which is thrilling and comprehensible. Whole cast work hard to establish tone and context ; Elliot Levey a v.suave Polonius.

[Phil Sellars @PhilofBeeston]

#EdwardII @TheRSC good to hear Marlowe's mighty lines back on the RSC stage, and spoken so clearly by Daniel Evans. His king is totally out of his depth - wrong person in wrong role, a managerial catastrophe. Emotionally though he's sharp as a pin. - scenes with Gavaston sizzle.

[Phil Sellars @PhilofBeeston]

"Alys, always" @LMTheatre with strong perf. by Clare Moss as worm that turns, from gauche put-upon office junior to Arts Editor at Sunday paper. In a rather large cast, Michelle Smith stood out as the haughty editor, doomed to a fall. Effective use of blinds but too many tables.

[Phil Sellars @PhilofBeeston]

#boyontheroof @LakesideArts brilliant empathetic observation of young and old people told entirely without words or facial expressions (actors fully masked) - body language is king! Cast of 3 absolutely wonderful.

[Phil Sellars @PhilofBeeston]

Aisling Loftus gives knockout performance in Dennis Kelly's Girls & boys. Solo performance on an often minimalist set, she is utterly compelling and engages us in her life story through her stage craft. Plenty of food for thought & discussion - what great theatre @NottmPlayhouse

[Phil Sellars @PhilofBeeston]

@crucibletheatre Death & King's Horseman is exuberant "total work of art" with great movement, costumes, singing and speech. The writing is quite difficult to follow in detail but the sentiments come over most powerfully - akin to a Western mystery play.

[Phil Sellars @PhilofBeeston]

@LMTheatre Skylight by David Hate forensically dissects a failed relationship and gender/class fault lines in 1990s Britain (sadly still present). Impeccable acting from Ellen Woszatka & Tom Sergeant should win them both BAFTAS. Hyper-real set (smell the cooking) & great video.

[Phil Sellars @PhilofBeeston]

#TheRedShoes @TheRSC mixes drama, dance & music in H C Andersen tale. Excellent work from Dianne Pilkington as a cruel-mother figure & Nikki Cheung as the shoe's wearer. Joseph Edwards made much of Clive, the psychotic step-brother. Perhaps more for adults than young people.

[Phil Sellars @PhilofBeeston]

#TwelfthNight @TheRSC is broad brush humour with much inventive work by Michael Grady-Hall 's Feste. Sam West makes a buttoned-down Malvolio & Joplin Sibtain is a particularly bitter Sir Toby. Missed the sexual ambiguity of Orsino, Sebastian & Antonio.

[Phil Sellars @PhilofBeeston]

#ONRuddigore from Jo Davies @Opera_North @RoyalNottingham along with Jonathan Miller's Mikado ranks amongst THE greatest modern interpretations of G & S. Rich in detail and comic touches. John Savournin made the most of Despard & Xavier Hetherington was an athletic Dick Dauntless

[Phil Sellars @PhilofBeeston]

@Opera_North @RoyalNottingham my third viewing of Britten Midsummer Dream and it gets better each time. Garry Walker's orchestra creates several engaging sound worlds, and the versatility of Johan Engels' set is unbelievable. Great singing too! Esp. from James Laing & Daisy Brown

[Phil Sellars @PhilofBeeston]

@LMTheatre "Bully boy" by Sandi Toksvig features knockout performances from cast of two, Nic Adams & Jack Durden. In an intimate studio setting they are well able to turn the emotional thrust of each short scene & make us warm to the unbelievable friendship that develops.

[Phil Sellars @PhilofBeeston]

#TheNewReal by David Edgar @TheRSC much underused Other Place covers 25 years' dark arts in world of political strategists. Excellent use of scene-setting video & highly-efficient scene-shifting. Acoustics a bit tricky & hard to understand the plethora of mittel-European accents.

[Phil Sellars @PhilofBeeston]

#Othello @TheRSC directed by Tim Carroll in high operatic style on beautifully lit bare stage with Baroque-like choral accompaniment, cast handsomely dressed in Elizabethan style. Will Keen's disturbing Iago leads the plot with outstanding Emilia from Anastasia Hille.

[Phil Sellars @PhilofBeeston]

@LakesideArts Make good: the post office scandal from @PentabusTheatre @NPtheatre resourceful cast play multitude of characters retelling the appalling personal impact of Horizon scandal. Good as a drama but music rather humdrum & lyrics not very insightful.

[Phil Sellars @PhilofBeeston]

@ComeFromAwayUK @RoyalNottingham great feel-good ensemble piece, where songs emerge out of the story or character. Music is in background for most of the play; Irish folk seems a big inspiration. Scenes change by reordering the chairs: lighting and spots highlight individuals.