(Brighton) This is something of an indulgence.  Anyone who knows me knows that I have two very strong passions in my life (well I guess I have more but right now all I want to talk about is the two).  The good people at the Assembly Hall Theatre in Tunbridge Wells have one of the finest and most exciting plays coming there this month, Agatha Christie’s ‘Witness for the Prosecution’.

WITNESS FOR THE PROSECUTION
Mon 12-Sat 17 April
Tickets £27.50 – £17.50

Those passions I was talking about was for Sherlock Holmes and my other (pre Guy Richie), and my most favourite literary creation, Poirot.

The opportunity like this to see the work of one of the UK’s finest and most celebrated authors is a chance that you really can not miss and is certainly going to be something that will stay with you.  Seeing a live play, and one that is so well known and respected as this one, will only add to your a new love and appreciation, and to be in a theatre when they go through all this suspense is going to memorable.

Based on the calibre of the cast in this production you are going to be in for one of the most original, traditional, and splendid nights at the theatre, and I would implore you to come not simple because of the top rate cast but to also experience the work of one of the finest writers of the past 100 years.  This work has had something of a love affair with Hollywood since the 1950s when Billy Wilder directed Tyrone Power, Marlene Dietrich, Charles Laughton in one of the most celebrated film adaptation of the time.

About the Cast:

Leading this tour de force cast is Honeysuckle Weeks (from the BAFTA award-winning Foyle’s War), Denis Lill (star of the highly acclaimed series, The Royal), Ben Nealon (Soldier, Soldier) and Robert Duncan who played Gus Hedges in the multi-award-winning iconic comedy Drop The Dead Donkey.

Honeysuckle Weeks is best known for her starring role as Samantha Stewart in the British TV series Foyle’s War, since 2002. Her acting career started with the juvenile lead in a television series (an adaptation of Anne Fine’s Goggle Eyes, 1993, alongside Perdita); since then she has appeared in many programmes, including children’s series The Wild House, and the long-running series Midsomer Murders and Poirot.

In 1997 Honeysuckle and Perdita were both in Catherine Cookson’s The Rag Nymph, where Perdita played the younger version of her sister’s character. Her film roles include Anne Ridd in Lorna Doone (2000) and Sarah in My Brother Tom (2001). Weeks is currently best known, however, for her parts in three television series: Close Relations (1998), Ladies & Their Gentlemen (2002-2006) and Foyle’s War (2002-2008).

Denis Lill – apart from Survivors he is probably best known for his regular roles in Outside Edge, Mapp and Lucia, Only Fools and Horses, Rumpole of the Bailey and Sherlock Holmes, and for his memorable guest appearances in Doctor Who and Red Dwarf.

Lee Mack is something all together different from the rest of the comedians making the rounds.  As a Lancashire lad his comedy can be, at rare times, very northern, but Mack has this charm, which is rather daring but harmless and wins over audience after audience. His Live at the Apollo sketch about his sister and father will stay with me forever (its at this point that he wins you over, totally).

Most people though will be used to seeing Mack on the small screen from his award winning show ‘Not Going Out’, its won a few awards and Mack just happens to have a Bafta, so I guess the bar has been set rather high!

This show is fully sold out but there may be returns available, it would be best to call up the Assembly Hall Theatre on the night.

Every so often a female artist comes along that shows a new generation how it’s done and Imelda May since releasing her debut album “Love Tattoo” which had the Radio One and the likes hailing her as THE one to watch. Her rockabilly sound has got her a place on Jules Holland’s show, where she preformed Johnny Got a Boom Boom, as well as play at the Hot 100 club.

Imelda recently joined Jeff Beck on stage at the Grammy’s 2010 May, and sang “How High the Moon” in a tribute to the late guitar legend Les Paul.

It’s fantastic to see that May is finally enjoying a little taste of mainstream success in a career that began singing in Dublin clubs at age 16. Last year she undertook her first US tour in support of her debut album “Love Tattoo.” Her collection of jazzy, bluesy, roots rock songs topped the Irish charts and won her the Best Irish Female award at the Meteor Ireland Music Awards, the Irish equivalent of the Grammy’s.

And after another US Tour supporting Jamie Callum through the next few months May will heading back to the UK and on May 20th will be bringing her sweet and soulful sound to the Assembly Hall Theatre! May has something spectacular in the way that she sing and she seems to hold such a genuine beauty and respect for the style that seems almost ingrained in her bones.  Few artists who are just getting their feet firmly on the ladder come across so wonderfully as May does and if your a lover of great music with a warm and subtle style then you need to see Ms May live!