SPIES, lies and enough political intrigue to fill a James Bond novel, Hugh Whitemore’s new drama A Marvellous Year For Plums, does its best to talk up the reputation of arguably one of Britain’s worse prime ministers of the 20th century.

THERE have always been monstrous personalities in Hollywood from the megalomaniac directors to the kings and queens of the screen who scratched and clawed their way to the top and had no intention of relinquishing their crowns.

THEY were the Usain Bolt, Tom Daley and Oscar Pistorius of their day – running, diving and jumping to glory for their country in the first Olympic Games since World War Two.

THE balloon went up on five nights of comedy last week when Blackadder took his cunning plans into The Court Theatre, Tring.

OPIUM, acrobatics and backgammon – an interesting combination that would certainly make for a strange evening. And they’re all part of a stunning new circus at the Hat Factory in Luton.

FREE tickets for Luton’s Olympic Flame celebration will be available during a festival roadshow, Luton Borough Council announced today (May 17).

DANNY DeVito makes his West End debut in Neil Simon’s hilarious homage to vaudeville, The Sunshine Boys, and I hope someone steals his passport to prevent him ever leaving the UK.

THEATRE fans are in for a treat at Chichester this month when Anthony Andrews, Nicholas Le Prevost and Imogen Stubbs star in the world premiere of Hugh Whitemore’s sophisticated political thriller A Marvellous Year for Plums.

If Dennis Kelly has a handle on the youth of today then you have to fear for the future of mankind.

THE balloon goes up on another hysterical recreation of a TV comedy when Blackadder Goes Forth to face The Hun at The Court Theatre this week.

CLASSICAL music fans from Beds, Bucks and Herts are throwing their weight behind a campaign to raise £40,000 to buy a young cello prodigy an instrument of his own.

A ‘small but ambitious’ drama group in Toddington is celebrating its golden anniversary, and inspired by the Royal Shakespeare Company who are also turning 50 this year, they are putting on the first Shakespeare play in their history.

PATRICK Swayze and Jennifer Grey’s dancing shoes are hard to fill, but Paul-Michael Jones and Emily Holt are doing a fantastic job stepping up to the challenge at Milton Keynes Theatre this month.

FOR the first time ever a member of the legendary Special Air Service (SAS) tells his story live on stage.

EQUUS is one of the most profoundly disturbing plays to be staged in recent years and all credit to The Grove for bringing a superb touring production by London Classic Theatre to the venue last week.

FLIRTING with the hired help is pretty much a rite of passage for teenage girls forced to endure family holidays. Having a fling with a sexy, if troubled, dance teacher by the name of Patrick Swayze was the ultimate fantasy for girls back in 1987 and things haven’t changed since.

THE winners of our competition for free places in this year’s Cycletta Bedfordshire on May 13 have been picked.

LEIGHTON Masqueraders celebrate their 30th year with a cult classic at the town’s Lake Street theatre. The group is following up their successful production of Best Little Whorehouse in Texas with the outrageous sci-fi musical, Little Shop of Horrors.

A LOCAL theatre group is marking its 20th anniversary with a celebration concert featuring musical numbers from shows the group has performed over the past two decades.