Inside Out
Quick guide to turning your free time into fun time
THE 1988 Tom Hanks movie told the story of Josh, a boy who yearned to be big. Once his wish was granted by the magic Zoltar machine, he went on to remind adults of the joy of being alive – and the film became a smash.
So this stage adaptation has big shoes to fill. Sadly, it doesn’t always manage to do so.
The Wanted’s Jay Mcguiness does a good job capturing Josh’s innocence, while showcasing the slick dance moves that wowed Strictly. Girls Aloud’s Kimberley Walsh puts in a nice turn as workaholic Susan but, while their relationship never really takes flight, their comic moments need more time to land.
The story has sentiment but the plot isn’t enough to carry a musical full of mediocre numbers. On the plus side, the rotating set grabs you, framing the high-energy dance routines, including the famous piano dance. Fun, but it failed to meet big expectations.
RIANNE ISON full of romance, tension, and brilliantly drawn characters. Pure pleasure.
Cilka’s Journey – Heather Morris, Zaffre – out Tuesday THE sequel to The Tattooist of Auschwitz follows Cilka, a young Slovakian girl who survived the concentration camp only to be charged as a collaborator and sent to a brutal Siberian prison camp.
Again, a fictionalisation of a real life, this is a poignant story of courage and survival.
The Lying Room – Nicci French, Simon & Schuster – out Thursdsay
WHEN she arrives for a tryst with her secret lover and finds him brutally murdered, Neve flees the scene, intent on protecting her fragile daughter from a scandal.
But how long can she hide the truth, as the police circle in on her? A compelling, if rather far-fetched, domestic noir.
THIS three-mile walk in Kent’s Knole Deer Park starts by taking a left at Knole House’s front gate on to the drive. 1 Follow the wall to the next corner and carry along on the wide grass path, which veers to the right, to a road.
2 Turn right then, soon after, left on to another smaller road.
3 When a road runs across, turn right. Go along this path until the landscape opens up and there is a junction with a similar road that joins from the right. 4 Right down this road, continue until you are back at the Greensand Way. 5 Turn back towards the corner of the garden wall and return to the front of the house the way you came.
See nationaltrust.org.uk.