Chris Neville-Smith's blog on theatre

Testing … testing …

If you’re reading this, welcome to live coverage of Brighton Fringe 2026.

Featuring an exciting new technical change.

Okay, it’s time for another one of these, and I’m writing this with a stomach bug. Again. But let’s get a move on because we’ve got a long list this time.

Before going on to recommendations, the usual summa...

I didn’t comment on this because I didn’t want to prejudice any outcomes, but it did not go unnoticed that whilst Durham Fringe was doing its usual high-profile launch and programming, Newcastle Fringe was all quiet. I couldn’t remember if Newcastle Fringe’s launch and programming happened later, but by April I figured something was amiss. Well, last week the news was confirm...

On Wednesday, Alphabetti Theatre held one of it’s most unusual events – and possibly one of the most important. Ever since Ed Cole took over as artistic director, there have been noticeable changes. It cannot have escaped anyone’s attention that the programming policy of three-week runs and wraparound events has been quietly dropped. Then came the announcement buried in the n...