Chris Poppe
@chrispoppe.bsky.social
AKA The Real Chrisparkle, where I review theatre, comedy and a lot more - check out therealchrisparkle.com. See pinned post for my Agatha Christie Challenge! Eurovision, travel, and the odd literary challenge.
Pinned
Chris Poppe
@chrispoppe.bsky.social
· Nov 11
https://amazon.co.uk/Agatha-Christi…
Very proud that my #AgathaChristieChallenge is now available on Amazon in two volumes - would make a great gift to the Christie fan in your family! amazon.co.uk/Agatha-Christi…
Had a fantastic day at Huntingdon Racecourse last week - read all about it! wp.me/pKXAt-cS0
A Day at Huntingdon Races, 11th November 2025 - The Real Chrisparkle
Had a fantastic day out at Huntingdon Racecourse as a guest of the Jockey Club, which meant we could get a really close look at what goes on!
wp.me
November 16, 2025 at 2:09 PM
Had a fantastic day at Huntingdon Racecourse last week - read all about it! wp.me/pKXAt-cS0
Theatre Royal Bath's touring production of #Emma at Chichester Festival Theatre this week is good fun, with some excellent performances. wp.me/pKXAt-cdi ⭐⭐⭐ from me!
Review – Emma, Festival Theatre, Chichester, 6th November 2025 - The Real Chrisparkle
Smart and fun adaptation of Jane Austen's novel, simply staged and with some good performances. India Shaw-Smith is superb in the title role.
wp.me
November 8, 2025 at 2:37 PM
Theatre Royal Bath's touring production of #Emma at Chichester Festival Theatre this week is good fun, with some excellent performances. wp.me/pKXAt-cdi ⭐⭐⭐ from me!
The current UK tour of #DeathOnTheNile is at the Royal and Derngate, Northampton, this week and is a very entertaining adaptation - a few liberties taken can challenge the purist - but it's a well told and well acted production. wp.me/pKXAt-ccO ⭐⭐⭐ from me!
Review – Death on the Nile, Royal and Derngate, Northampton, 4th November 2025 - The Real Chrisparkle
Ken Ludwig's adaptation of Christie's classic takes liberties but tells its story clearly and entertainingly - good production & performances!
wp.me
November 5, 2025 at 12:16 PM
The current UK tour of #DeathOnTheNile is at the Royal and Derngate, Northampton, this week and is a very entertaining adaptation - a few liberties taken can challenge the purist - but it's a well told and well acted production. wp.me/pKXAt-ccO ⭐⭐⭐ from me!
Reposted by Chris Poppe
🤝75 years of the European Convention on Human Rights
A landmark treaty that reshaped Europe after the second World War, protecting millions of Europeans and supporting our shared values of human rights, democracy and rule of law.
Because human rights aren’t optional. They’re universal.
A landmark treaty that reshaped Europe after the second World War, protecting millions of Europeans and supporting our shared values of human rights, democracy and rule of law.
Because human rights aren’t optional. They’re universal.
November 4, 2025 at 8:15 AM
🤝75 years of the European Convention on Human Rights
A landmark treaty that reshaped Europe after the second World War, protecting millions of Europeans and supporting our shared values of human rights, democracy and rule of law.
Because human rights aren’t optional. They’re universal.
A landmark treaty that reshaped Europe after the second World War, protecting millions of Europeans and supporting our shared values of human rights, democracy and rule of law.
Because human rights aren’t optional. They’re universal.
Read all about a new children's book, #VitaliiPetrenko and the Secret of the Roman Baths, by Claire Bramwell-Pearson, that links Bath, Somerset with Oleksandriya in Ukraine. wp.me/pKXAt-cc0
Vitalii Petrenko and the Secret of the Roman Baths, a new children's book by Claire Bramwell-Pearson - The Real Chrisparkle
An exciting new children's book by Bath author Claire Bramwell-Pearson tells the story of an unlikely friendship across cultures!
wp.me
November 3, 2025 at 4:44 PM
Read all about a new children's book, #VitaliiPetrenko and the Secret of the Roman Baths, by Claire Bramwell-Pearson, that links Bath, Somerset with Oleksandriya in Ukraine. wp.me/pKXAt-cc0
Fantastic final #ScreamingBlueMurder of 2025 at Northampton’s Royal and Derngate last night, with Dan Evans, Abigoliah Schamaun, Toussaint Douglass and Tony Law all on rip-roaring form. Deservedly a sold out show! wp.me/pKXAt-cbD
Review – Screaming Blue Murder, Underground at the Royal and Derngate, Northampton, 25th October 2025 - The Real Chrisparkle
A terrific night of comedy hosted by the inimitable Dan Evans, with Abigoliah Schamaun, Toussaint Douglass and Tony Law all on terrific form.
wp.me
October 26, 2025 at 11:22 AM
Fantastic final #ScreamingBlueMurder of 2025 at Northampton’s Royal and Derngate last night, with Dan Evans, Abigoliah Schamaun, Toussaint Douglass and Tony Law all on rip-roaring form. Deservedly a sold out show! wp.me/pKXAt-cbD
Safe Space at the Minerva Theatre Chichester is a brave stab to cover the fascinating problems when a college is named after someone in favour of slavery. Good performances but sadly the play just isn't good enough to tackle its subjects. wp.me/pKXAt-cbl ⭐⭐ from me!
Review – Safe Space, Minerva Theatre, Chichester, 23rd October 2025 - The Real Chrisparkle
Excellent performances and fascinating themes sadly cannot rescue this unevenly written and frustratingly inconclusive play.
wp.me
October 25, 2025 at 2:26 PM
Safe Space at the Minerva Theatre Chichester is a brave stab to cover the fascinating problems when a college is named after someone in favour of slavery. Good performances but sadly the play just isn't good enough to tackle its subjects. wp.me/pKXAt-cbl ⭐⭐ from me!
First time seeing the comedian Kae Kurd in Northampton last night - a very engaging presence with great, hard-hitting material that packs a punch and is always funny. Ably supported by Muhsin Yesilada. Near the end of the tour now but definitely worth catching! wp.me/pKXAt-caD
Review – Kae Kurd, What’s O’Kurd, Underground at the Royal and Derngate, Northampton, 17th October 2025 - The Real Chrisparkle
Kae Kurd brings his What's O'Kurd tour to Northampton in this engagingly funny evening of challenging but always good-hearted material.
wp.me
October 18, 2025 at 1:05 PM
First time seeing the comedian Kae Kurd in Northampton last night - a very engaging presence with great, hard-hitting material that packs a punch and is always funny. Ably supported by Muhsin Yesilada. Near the end of the tour now but definitely worth catching! wp.me/pKXAt-caD
Highly entertaining and vivid revival of Joe Orton's Entertaining Mr Sloane at the Young Vic with an excellent stage debut from Jordan Stephens. wp.me/pKXAt-cak ⭐⭐⭐⭐ from me!
Review – Entertaining Mr Sloane, Young Vic, London, 15th October 2025 - The Real Chrisparkle
Joe Orton's first stage play given a fine revival by Nadia Fall at the Young Vic, still unsettling and challenging, as well as very funny!
wp.me
October 16, 2025 at 3:36 PM
Highly entertaining and vivid revival of Joe Orton's Entertaining Mr Sloane at the Young Vic with an excellent stage debut from Jordan Stephens. wp.me/pKXAt-cak ⭐⭐⭐⭐ from me!
Cracking new adaptation of Cyrano de Bergerac at The RSC in Stratford with universally great performances from the entire cast. wp.me/pKXAt-c9t ⭐⭐⭐⭐ from me!
Review – Cyrano de Bergerac, Royal Shakespeare Company at the Swan Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon, 7th October 2025 - The Real Chrisparkle
A smartly emotionally updated adaptation, notable for stunning performances from the entire cast; Adrian Lester & Susannah Fielding are superb
wp.me
October 8, 2025 at 12:47 PM
Cracking new adaptation of Cyrano de Bergerac at The RSC in Stratford with universally great performances from the entire cast. wp.me/pKXAt-c9t ⭐⭐⭐⭐ from me!
Northampton heat of the British Comedian of the Year 2025 competition last night in Northampton, courtesy of those nice people at The Comedy Crate - very entertaining and some excellent acts! wp.me/pKXAt-c7z
Review – The Comedy Crate presents British Comedian of the Year Northampton Heat, Cheyne Walk Club, Northampton, 18th September 2025 - The Real Chrisparkle
Nine acts competed for two places to go forward in the competition, in a very enjoyable evening of fast paced comedy!
wp.me
September 19, 2025 at 10:35 AM
Northampton heat of the British Comedian of the Year 2025 competition last night in Northampton, courtesy of those nice people at The Comedy Crate - very entertaining and some excellent acts! wp.me/pKXAt-c7z
Powerful, riveting revival of Hugh Whitemore's #BreakingTheCode at the Royal & Derngate Northampton tells the story of Alan Turing, both the man and the masterful scientist. Fantastic performances and direction, a must-see in Northampton or on tour. wp.me/pKXAt-c6W ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ from me!
Review – Breaking the Code, Royal and Derngate, Northampton, 16th September 2025 - The Real Chrisparkle
Hugh Whitemore's 1986 play about Alan Turing given a brilliant, riveting and relevant revival with superb performances and a new epilogue.
wp.me
September 17, 2025 at 12:54 PM
Powerful, riveting revival of Hugh Whitemore's #BreakingTheCode at the Royal & Derngate Northampton tells the story of Alan Turing, both the man and the masterful scientist. Fantastic performances and direction, a must-see in Northampton or on tour. wp.me/pKXAt-c6W ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ from me!
I saw Chichester's new production of Hamlet at an early preview, and my guess is that by now it is a solid and serious show - if very long! wp.me/pKXAt-c6f ⭐⭐⭐ from me!
wp.me
September 16, 2025 at 2:23 PM
I saw Chichester's new production of Hamlet at an early preview, and my guess is that by now it is a solid and serious show - if very long! wp.me/pKXAt-c6f ⭐⭐⭐ from me!
Reposted by Chris Poppe
every time there's political violence discourse i think about how jo cox was assassinated in broad daylight by a fascist who shouted "britain first" as he shot her, and now nine years later her party is dedicating every moment in power to placating the ideology of her murderer
September 10, 2025 at 11:41 PM
every time there's political violence discourse i think about how jo cox was assassinated in broad daylight by a fascist who shouted "britain first" as he shot her, and now nine years later her party is dedicating every moment in power to placating the ideology of her murderer
Reposted by Chris Poppe
Nigel Farage lashes out and calls Mirror reporter ‘disgusting’ after tax question
www.mirror.co.uk/news/politic...
#FragileFarage
www.mirror.co.uk/news/politic...
#FragileFarage
See shocking moment Farage calls Mirror reporter 'disgusting' after tax question
Nigel Farage lashed out at questions over his tax affairs and said 'you’re disgusting' when The Mirror asked him about not paying stamp duty on his constituency home
www.mirror.co.uk
September 7, 2025 at 8:23 AM
Nigel Farage lashes out and calls Mirror reporter ‘disgusting’ after tax question
www.mirror.co.uk/news/politic...
#FragileFarage
www.mirror.co.uk/news/politic...
#FragileFarage
Now closed, the recent production of Two Gentlemen of Verona at the RSC in Stratford was quite the disappointment. Unclear, poor staging, muddy sound quality and, overall, pretty dull. wp.me/pKXAt-c5u ⭐⭐ from me!
Review – The Two Gentlemen of Verona, Royal Shakespeare Company at The Other Place, Stratford-upon-Avon, 30th August 2025 - The Real Chrisparkle
A shortened version designed to introduce children to Shakespeare's play, this was sadly hard to follow, poorly staged and dull.
wp.me
September 1, 2025 at 1:27 PM
Now closed, the recent production of Two Gentlemen of Verona at the RSC in Stratford was quite the disappointment. Unclear, poor staging, muddy sound quality and, overall, pretty dull. wp.me/pKXAt-c5u ⭐⭐ from me!
Heartwarming and irresistible, Fat Ham at TheRSC in Stratford is a feast of positivity and joy - and a very clever new version of Hamlet. 100% recommended! wp.me/pKXAt-c5i ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ from me!
Review – Fat Ham, Royal Shakespeare Company at the Swan Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon, 30th August 2025 - The Real Chrisparkle
James Ijames Pulitzer-Prize winning version of Hamlet with a tremendous cast and a hilarious script in a beautiful, positive production.
wp.me
August 31, 2025 at 2:16 PM
Heartwarming and irresistible, Fat Ham at TheRSC in Stratford is a feast of positivity and joy - and a very clever new version of Hamlet. 100% recommended! wp.me/pKXAt-c5i ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ from me!
The Edinburgh Fringe 2025 has finally come to an end - here's a summary of the best shows we saw! wp.me/pKXAt-c4A
Edinburgh Fringe 2025 – It’s a Wrap! - The Real Chrisparkle
Here's a run-down of all the shows we awarded five or four stars at the 2025 Edinburgh Fringe. Each one a brilliant show!
wp.me
August 27, 2025 at 4:25 PM
The Edinburgh Fringe 2025 has finally come to an end - here's a summary of the best shows we saw! wp.me/pKXAt-c4A
Chichester's new production of Top Hat looks and sounds glorious but suffers from a very corny script and comes across as truly dated. I was also unconvinced of the connection between the leads. Still, I'm sure it will do great box office! wp.me/pKXAt-bXK ⭐⭐⭐ from me!
Review – Top Hat, Festival Theatre, Chichester, 18th July 2025 - The Real Chrisparkle
Great sets, costumes and music but little chemistry between the leads and a really corny dated script - great expectations sadly not met.
wp.me
July 25, 2025 at 10:18 AM
Chichester's new production of Top Hat looks and sounds glorious but suffers from a very corny script and comes across as truly dated. I was also unconvinced of the connection between the leads. Still, I'm sure it will do great box office! wp.me/pKXAt-bXK ⭐⭐⭐ from me!
Some very good performances in the new The Winter's Tale at the RSC in Stratford but one distractingly different scene unbalances the whole production. Good storytelling though. wp.me/pKXAt-bY8 ⭐⭐⭐ from me!
Review – The Winter’s Tale, RSC at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon, 22nd July 2025 - The Real Chrisparkle
Moody and atmospheric version which goes full guns blazing with the Bohemia scene, which unbalances the production. Very good performances.
wp.me
July 23, 2025 at 1:29 PM
Some very good performances in the new The Winter's Tale at the RSC in Stratford but one distractingly different scene unbalances the whole production. Good storytelling though. wp.me/pKXAt-bY8 ⭐⭐⭐ from me!
Marie and Rosetta at the Minerva Theatre Chichester is a thoroughly entertaining exploration of Rosetta Tharpe and Marie Knight's musical collaboration, beautifully brought to life by Beverley Knight and Ntombizodwa Ndlovu. wp.me/pKXAt-bUA ⭐⭐⭐⭐ from me!
Review Marie and Rosetta, Minerva Theatre, Chichester, 18th July 2025 - The Real Chrisparkle
Dynamite performances by Beverley Knight and Ntombizodwa Ndlovu as they bring Marie and Rosetta to life with their astounding voices.
wp.me
July 20, 2025 at 11:07 AM
Marie and Rosetta at the Minerva Theatre Chichester is a thoroughly entertaining exploration of Rosetta Tharpe and Marie Knight's musical collaboration, beautifully brought to life by Beverley Knight and Ntombizodwa Ndlovu. wp.me/pKXAt-bUA ⭐⭐⭐⭐ from me!
Despite all its excellence, I felt a little underwhelmed by Matthew Bourne's The Midnight Bell at the Royal and Derngate, Northampton this week - great dancing, but missing emotion and a strong narrative thread. wp.me/pKXAt-bRO ⭐⭐⭐ from me!
Review – Matthew Bourne’s The Midnight Bell, Royal and Derngate, Northampton, 16th July 2025 - The Real Chrisparkle
Matthew Bourne's Midnight Bell is danced with all the grace and skill you would expect but the overall impression is of a safe & mild work.
wp.me
July 17, 2025 at 1:03 PM
Despite all its excellence, I felt a little underwhelmed by Matthew Bourne's The Midnight Bell at the Royal and Derngate, Northampton this week - great dancing, but missing emotion and a strong narrative thread. wp.me/pKXAt-bRO ⭐⭐⭐ from me!
Sarah Kane's final work, 44.8 Psychosis, given an excellent production by its original creative team at The RSC in Stratford. The use of the mirror is inspired! wp.me/pKXAt-bRi ⭐⭐⭐⭐ from me!
Review – 4.48 Psychosis, Royal Shakespeare Company at The Other Place, Stratford-upon-Avon, 15th July 2025 - The Real Chrisparkle
Sarah Kane's devastating final work given an inspired new production by its original creative team - great performances and set design.
wp.me
July 16, 2025 at 9:39 AM
Sarah Kane's final work, 44.8 Psychosis, given an excellent production by its original creative team at The RSC in Stratford. The use of the mirror is inspired! wp.me/pKXAt-bRi ⭐⭐⭐⭐ from me!
Fantastic Comedy weekend with 25 acts up for grabs (so to speak) at the Comedy Crate Weekender in Northampton - Hal Cruttenden, Glenn Moore, Charlie Baker, Thor Stenhaug and Matt Richardson all on particularly fab form! wp.me/pKXAt-bQM
Review – The Comedy Crate Weekender at the Charles Bradlaugh, The Black Prince and The Lamplighter, Northampton, 12th and 13th July 2025 - The Real Chrisparkle
Two days of comedy in the sunshine with brilliant preview shows from the likes of Hal Cruttenden, Thor Stenhaug, Charlie Baker & Glenn Moore.
wp.me
July 14, 2025 at 4:01 PM
Fantastic Comedy weekend with 25 acts up for grabs (so to speak) at the Comedy Crate Weekender in Northampton - Hal Cruttenden, Glenn Moore, Charlie Baker, Thor Stenhaug and Matt Richardson all on particularly fab form! wp.me/pKXAt-bQM
Great fun night of Edinburgh previews at the Lamplighter in Northampton on Monday, courtesy of those nice people at The Comedy Crate, with both Jessica Fostekew and Josh Pugh on tremendous form. wp.me/pKXAt-bQE
Review – The Comedy Crate Edinburgh Previews – Josh Pugh and Jessica Fostekew, The Lamplighter, Northampton, 7th July 2025 - The Real Chrisparkle
Hugely entertaining Edinburgh preview night at the Lamplighter with Jessica Fostekew and Josh Pugh, both on terrific form.
wp.me
July 10, 2025 at 4:31 PM
Great fun night of Edinburgh previews at the Lamplighter in Northampton on Monday, courtesy of those nice people at The Comedy Crate, with both Jessica Fostekew and Josh Pugh on tremendous form. wp.me/pKXAt-bQE