Shirley Valentine (film) to retain the best of Willy Russell's theatrical devices . . . while opening out the action to embrace a big-screen atmosphere. The supporting cast, particularly Bernard Hill as Collins's Neanderthal husband, is equally convincing, with only the hammy Conti (glistening teeth and appalling accent) striking a momentary false note." Among reviewers who found the film banal and hollow, Caryn James of "The New York Times" observed, "By adding all the characters and settings that Shirley only talks about on stage, the film reveals the weakness of Mr. Russell's script as surely as if a magician's clumsy assistant had pointed
Simon Bamford has also designed and directed several international tours including "The Big Day" in Sofia, Qatar and Dubai as well as "Educating Rita" in Kuala Lumpur. In 2004 he took a production of "Shirley Valentine" to Karachi to help raise money for a new school. He has been a theatre reviewer for "The Stage" newspaper since 2006 and is guest speaker at film conventions in Los Angeles, Indianapolis, Bottrop, Münster, Orlando, Boston, London and New York. Simon Bamford Simon Bamford (born 22 May 1961 in Bedford) is an English film, television and stage actor. He is well known for playing the