Magazine: STAGE STRUCK - January 2012

Doubtless many of you are still nursing a festive hangover and will be into next month, possibly even beyond. I refer here not to the nausea and headache caused by a self indulgent and inappropriate dose of alcohol but to the paralysis, terror and torpor caused by the necessary and requisite use of the credit card. It's a far more serious complaint and one which requires far more to solve than a morning on the sofa accompanied by some peach flavoured ice-cream with a Resolve sprinkled on top. Mind you that would be brilliant wouldn't it? Bad debt? Just drink this glass of financial resolve and you'll be able to withdraw another 50 quid this afternoon.

Unfortunately it's yet to be developed and if it had the Greeks would have stockpiled it all by now anyway so we'll all have to deal with January in the usual way won't we: skint and staying in. You could amuse yourself by perusing the regions venues upcoming programmes and should you choose to do so you'll see that there are some fantastic shows and comedians coming up this spring but what you may also find is that there are some shows which you really might want to consider just stretching the budget to take in this month.

The Norwich Playhouse looks intent on kicking Norfolk's January blues into touch (although I believe Norwich will happily kick the blues into touch any month of the year) with a tribute to Bob Newhart and Tom Lehrer on the 14th. If you've heard Newhart's driving instructor monologue you'll know why that should be very funny. Mark Watson's in residence from the 26th until the 29th and Glenn Wool spins in on the 30th. One gig in particular catches the eye in February and that's Steve Hughes on the 24th. Steve's an Aussie but Kevin Bloody Wilson he ain't. Despite looking like Lemmy's roadie his material includes casting a reflective, yet warm Aussie eye back on British society, much in the way Reggie Hunter – whom Steve supported on tour - does from an American viewpoint. I reckon this guy is going to be far better known than he is at the moment and this looks like the comedy gig to boast about being at this spring. For those of you in the south of the region he's also at the Colchester Arts Centre on the 25th. 

In Ipswich the only comedy away from Portman Road in January is to be had in the Circle Lounge, upstairs at the Regent Theatre. Barnstormers Comedy Club's experiment with midweek gigs has gone well and is being extended into the new year. On the 18th they'll have Andrew Crow, Pierre Hollins and Kevin McCarthy. Great gig for a tenner. In February on the 21st and 22nd you can catch the Science Museum Live, which doesn't mean that due to George Osborne's cut backs they've had a dodgy rewire but that the boffs from the Science Museum are taking some of the wonderment of South Kensington out on the road. That said, the Natural History Museum Live really would be a show to see – but only if you weren't the slowest runner in the room.

Dramatically things really get going in February and two of our best theatres, The New Wolsey and The Theatre Royal in Bury St Eds really have superb spring programmes. A play which has come to be regarded as a modern classic, Top Girls, plays at both and this looks like a very timely revival. Set in Thatcher's Britain the story centre's around a promotion celebrating dinner party at which the lives and experiences of modern women are mirrored by those of women from myth and history. It's far funnier and raunchier than that sounds – imagine Bonny Grier and Beryl Bainbridge collaborating on a sequel to Thelma and Louise and you'll be on the right track. It's at the Theatre Royal first from 31st Jan until the 4th Feb and then at The New Wolsey from 21st - 25th Feb. Kicking off the spring season at The New Wolsey is Beating Berlusconi on 2 & 3 Feb. Paul Duckworth's one-man tour through 40 characters was a sell out in spring last year and you should be quick to get in this year.

There's loads more on this spring, including Stagefright at the Theatre Royal BSE and John Peels Shed at the Norwich and Colchester Arts Centre so best you put down that credit card statement and go and read something more inspiring instead. Face it, it will all be resolved in the end anyway.