Chatterbox - still talking nonsense

A revival of a JB Priestly play, and with a fabulous cast, this was a lovely gentle way to ease back into theatre for 2026  The set is a proudly hideous mustard living room with a cartoonishly large houseplant in the corner next to the piano, which sets the scene perfectly as Mrs Northrop, the nosy ascerbic housekeeper (played by Janice Connelly) gets us off to a good start with a rousing opening rendition of The Biggest Apidistra in the World.  We are then very quickly into the comic shenangans as the chapel organist (Gerald Forbes)  brings bad news to the three couples who have gathered together to celebrate their 25 years of marriage.  It appears that their wedding ceremonies were not valid, and this throws everything in the air and in a very entertaining way.  I loved the arrival of the wives to the stage after this bombshell to the dulcet tones of Beyoncé’s All the Single Ladies which was gleeful in its incongruity.  The whole play is a jab at mar...

 My favourite tv of the year,  following my rules which may not make sense to anyone else... Best Drama A lot of female led drama this year which is good news.   The Morning Show:  This show, produced and led by Reese Witherspoon and Jennifer Aniston, but with plenty of other women in leading roles, now in its fourth season.  It has been interesting from the start, taking on different real life topics from the perspective of a US news organisation, starting with Me Too, but also looking at the January 6 riots and the political state of the US nation alongside corporate intrigue.  This season was particularly interested in AI and technology, although there were multiple other subplots and sub-Succession style wheeling and dealing wrapped into this, which made the end result a bit messy as they tried to cram everything in.  This was the weakest season so far, but I will still be watching season 5. (AppleTV+) Film Club: This drama focuses on mental healt...