Some critical comments

"An enjoyable character-driven play, with genuinely funny moments in a ... well worked script" (The Stratford Herald) : "Sophisticated, black comedy ... The language is crisp, the final product revealing a real writing talent" (The Stratford Standard) : "A play in the tradition of Joe Orton" (Birmingham Telegraph ) ; "Goes all out for comedy" (The Oxford Times) "Fast-paced comedy ... side-splittingly funny. The audience was rolling in the aisles." (The Oxford Arts Guide)

Stratford's Bird of Prey Theatre Company has pulled out another sparkling gem.
Reg Mitchell has tackled the latter years of Anton Chekhov - and a very masterly, if racy, work it is too.
Totally faithful to his subject, unlike the promiscuous Moscow theatre circle, Mitchell does not shy away from the sex, but by no means uses it gratuitously.
The quality of this beautifully crafted production ... deserves the highest praise

Extracts from Stratford Standard.

An accomplished piece of work - dialogue is escpecially strong and the play is intelligently & sensitively written to a professional standard.
Extracts from 'Best Plays 2000' reader review.

A very intelligent and stylish rendition of historical events, Characters are drawn very vividly, the dialogue is very strong - the use of language witty, passionate, and there's a good sense of period as well as being accessible to a modern audience.
An interesting story, very well told -mAn incredible amount of work and skill has obviously gone into this. dialogue merges unnoticeably with that taken from the letters, a very impressive achievement.

Extracts from 'Stagecoach!' readers review

If you were commissioning a play aout the Man of the Millennium, you would hope for something like Reg Mitchell's 'By Royal Command'.
So the Shakespeare Millennium Birthday Celebrations Committee have every reason to feel delighted with the outcome of their commission..
Reg Mitchell has woven every known fact and most of the unknown facts about the life of the town's most famous son, sprinkled in allusions to many of his works adding a range of pointers as to their possible inspiration, selected a galaxy of famous names from the time and produced a rollicking pageant for the town.

Extracts from the Stratford Standard

Fans of the blockbuster film Shakespeare in Love' should enjoy the knock around farce, By Royal Command'.
Reg Mitchell's script was very funny - It was packed with every conceivable Shakespeare legend and countless puns on the Bard's plays.

Extracts from the Stratford Herald.

Superb in production, it was quite exceptional. It was just so believable.
Extracts from Stratford Standard.

Enjoyably instructive as well as entertaining and thought-provoking. Val Mitchell gives a beautifully sensitive and controlled portrayal of Susanna
Extracts from Stratford Herald

Very traditional play, but incredibly absorbing and entertaining and very well written.
Judith and Thomas are wonderful and compelling leads.
Wonderful play, ambient, credible characters, with a very emotional ending which came out of the blue

Extracts from Soho Theatre reader report.

The Quiney Affair is a highly accomplished work - its structure is virtualy faultless.
The piece provides three substantial roles for women which are much more challenging and contraditory than those typically found in modern stage drama.

Extracts from Stagecoach!' reader review.

This was a version in format doing for A Christmas Carol which Lionel Bart did for Oliver.
Stratford Standard.

Reg Mitchell's admirable adaptation is laced with several witty and attractive original songs and sticks close to the original story, providing a galaxy of really wonderful character sketches.
Stratford Herald.