July 6th:

James Duckworth: Tony Blair
Ellie Cox/Alice Boagey: Cherie Blair/Princess Diana
Mike Slater: Gordon Brown/Jeremy Paxman
Ed Duncan Smith: Alastair Campbell/David Cameron/Nicolas Sarkozy
Jethro Compton: Peter Mandelson/Alastair Darling/Hillary Clinton
Gavin Whitworth: George W Bush/John Prescott/William Hague

Ian McCluskey (piano)
Mark Knight (guitar)
Tim Pearson (bass)
Jake Gill (drums)

Chris Bush: Writer/Director
Ian McCluskey: Composer/MD
Bryony Davies: Producer
Kate Womersley: Choreographer
Neil Arden: Technical Director/Lighting Design
Fran Olley: Lighting Technician
Pete Harbottle: Sound Technician

"A satirical musical comedy about an ex-prime minister might not sound like a howling night out, but Tony! The Blair Musicals is without a doubt the funniest thing I have ever seen at the theatre. Two shows in one – the first the rise of Blair's career as PM, and the second about his Middle East role – it was jam-packed with rocking musical numbers and rip-roaringly funny gags and impressions. Chris Bush's hilarious script was so on the ball it was quite cutting at times, but it wouldn't have been half of what it was without the incredibly talented young cast. James Duckworth, as Tony, was warm and likeable as well as having the traditional Blair mannerisms down to a tee. His scene where Tony gets a vision of Princess Diana, played superbly by Alice Boagey, who also played Cherie, was so funny, and his relationships with his fellow cabinet colleagues were very convincing. As Cherie, Boagey was sweet and a bit bewildered, like the real Cherie, and her song with Hillary Clinton was one of the funniest moments of both shows. The other four actors, Michael Slater, Ed Duncan Smith, Jethro Compton and Gavin Whitworth, were all incredibly entertaining, especially Whitworth as George Bush, and Compton as Peter Mandelson or 'Mandy', I should say. I can't go without mentioning the band, Ian McCluskey on piano, Mark Knight on guitar, Tim Pearson on bass and Jake Gill on drums, who kept the cast rocking for more than two hours without a single hitch. Tony! The Blair Musicals is enough to make even the most a-political wait with bated breath to see what they come up with next." Lindsay Pantry, Wakefield Express