North West Archives - North West End UK

18Apr

By Angela KellyNo Comments

North West

Kinky Boots – Crewe Lyceum

Crewe Amateur Musicals Society (CAMS) are gracing the stage of the Crewe Lyceum this week with their 100th Anniversary show and a performance of ‘Kinky Boots’ and it must be acknowledged that this is certainly a brave undertaking. Having first debuted on Broadway in 2013, with an original score by Cindy Lauper, Kinky Boots has won an impressive six Tony Awards. This interpretation, directed by Sean Johnson- Hargreaves is certainly ambitious and was performed to a very excited packed theatre. Written by Geoff Deane and Tim Firth, Kinky Boots is based on a true story and tells the tale of Charlie Price who is presented with the challenge of following his late Father’s footsteps when he is forced to save the family business. He meets the colourful drag queen, Lola, who he eventually works...

The Drifters Girl – Birmingham Hippodrome

17Apr

By Peter KinnockNo Comments

North West

The Drifters Girl – Birmingham Hippodrome

Faye Treadwell, born in Arkansas in 1926, owned and managed the Drifters following the death of her husband George Treadwell in 1967 and since then navigated their careers and oversaw many legal battles over the use of the name. She made history as one of the first African American managers in show business and created a reputation as a hard-headed businesswoman. Plus, she gave the world the Drifters! For those of us brought up in the seventies the great American songbook was filling up nicely with much loved numbers by tunesmiths who’d long since packed away their music stands and headed for swimming pool filled retirement, but not Miss Treadwell and not the Drifters. They were still touring well into the eighties and beyond with Tina Treadwell taking over her mother’s musical mantle ...

Les Misérables: School Edition – Hyde Festival Theatre

17Apr

By David S ClarkeNo Comments

North West

Les Misérables: School Edition – Hyde Festival Theatre

It’s not very often, if ever, that I am left speechless by a performance, but this was one such occasion. I found myself so enthralled by what was happening on the stage that I forgot that I was actually meant to be reviewing the show, in fact I got to the end of Act 1 and discovered that I hadn’t written anything on my notes, so I will have to write this review purely from memory. I’ve had to edit my review and have left out the synopsis which I had originally included. For those few of you who don’t know the story of Les Miserables, all I can suggest is that Google is a wonderful thing! Anyway, back to the show. The first solo of the performance was taken by Harry O’Connor as the Bishop of Digne who set the standard for the rest of the performers to follow, a good opening and grea...

17Apr

By Grace AnnabelNo Comments

North West

I Should Be So Lucky – Liverpool Empire

This evening, I had the immense privilege of watching Debbie Isitt and Jason Gilkison’s brand new musical creation, ‘I should be so lucky’ at the marvellous Liverpool Empire Theatre, which cleverly comprises of Stock Aitken Watermans greatest hits intertwined into a hilariously feel-good tale. The show takes us on an action-packed whirlwind, when two engaged lovers (Ella and Nathan) experience the greatest pre-wedding jitters of all, causing Ella to be jilted at the altar, but as the show’s tagline says ‘The wedding is off but the Honeymoon is on’! The show opens to reveal a set of great stature, with many cut out heart layers all one behind the other boasting gorgeous seaside themed details and outlined with vibrant lighting on each panel, demonstrating the show’s incredibly high p...

15Apr

By Damian RiverolNo Comments

North West

Dreamcoat Stars – Floral Pavilion

After their inaugural tour in 2023, the Dreamcoat Stars are back again with their UK tour for 2024 and tonight I am at The Floral Pavilion, New Brighton and an extremely full looking audience who are here to have a fun night with great songs, fantastic vocals, and some fabulous dance moves. Tonight’s line up are Sam Cassidy, Keith Jack, Rob McVeigh, and Graham Tudor. Each member of this group has strong links to the musical Joseph and the amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat, hence the name The Dreamcoat Stars, and it’s through their love of the show and theatre that have brought these stars together to deliver a fantastic night of entertainment. The stage is set up with a levelled scaffolding stage in the centre of the main stage to create levels for the stars to sing from and six large ...

Nielsen’s Violin Concerto – Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra

12Apr

By Mark HumphreysNo Comments

North West

Nielsen’s Violin Concerto – Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra

Let me let you into a little secret. When soloists embark on their concerto cadenza (an extended, elaborate virtuosic solo segment where the orchestra stops playing and the soloist takes centre stage) I stop watching what they are doing and ‘people-watch’ the orchestra and conductor. For there are few things better than watching professionals acknowledge professionals – putting their own instruments down, enrapt, leaning forward for a better look at the action, smiling and even nodding in appreciation at the skill of their fellow performer. So, it was last night with Swedish-Norwegian violinist Johan Dalene, the RLPO Young Artist in Residence who was last seen here performing the Korngold Violin Concerto. The Neilsen Violin Concerto affords not one but two opportunit...

11Apr

By David S ClarkeNo Comments

North West

Rock of Ages – New Mills Art Theatre

As NK Theatre Arts still do not currently have access to their home venue at the Romiley Forum, this production was staged at the 500-seat capacity New Mills Art Theatre, which is a considerable distance from their usual venue, but thanks go to them for accommodating this performance directed by Paul Wilson. Before the show even started many cast members took to the stage, which created a superb atmosphere at the “Bourbon Club” in downtown LA. The show was enhanced by the use of live musicians who were ably directed by Ceri Graves. All the action took place in the club, and it was non-stop right from the word go, with superb choreography from Dawn Wrigley and Rivkah Kneen which contributed hugely to the show’s success. One classic song after another, mainly originating from 80’s Ame...

10Apr

By Scot CunninghamNo Comments

North West

Bouncers – Octagon Theatre

Since its debut at the 1977 Edinburgh Festival, Bouncers has enjoyed countless revivals and tours. To a first-time viewer, though, this iteration of the classic, northern nightclub comedy suggests that last orders were called a long while ago. An interchangeable quartet of mostly-like-minded bouncers work the doors of Mr Cinders: their interactions and observations are interspersed with the activities of different sets of partygoers, from celebrating girls to pseudo-alpha males. Under the direction of Jane Thornton, the piece promptly establishes exactly who its target audience is, as the doormen proudly declare that, in their pocket of the 1980s, “nothing is woke”. The uttering of this tiresome phrase lays the foundation for the humour that is to follow: fat jokes, gay jokes, women...

10Apr

By Damian RiverolNo Comments

North West

Kill Thy Neighbour – Theatr Clwyd

Opening their spring season of shows, we are introduced to their first made by Theatr Clwyd production of the year, Lucie Lovatt’s Kill Thy Neighbour. As the developmental work continues in the main building we are back in the Mix, and this is the biggest set we have seen in this space. The set takes over the full stage and completely transports you into the main house of the piece. I found it interesting how The Mix loses a lot of itself in this show, with the impressive set taking over it, meaning the use of all the usual lights and effects are unable to be used. The Mix is a great space for the time being, but I personally find it quite uncomfortable for lengthy periods of sitting, with the seats being quite close together and hard. Also, external noise unfortunately can be heard at...

The Rug of Identity – King’s Arms, Salford

9Apr

By Lou SteggalsNo Comments

North West

The Rug of Identity – King’s Arms, Salford

The origins of tonight’s play, a revival of a 40year old tale, by Jill Fleming, came from her time with the women’s theatre troupe, Hard Corps, whose aim at the time was described by website Unfinished Histories as ‘to perform lesbian soap operas at the London Palladium, overthrow the patriarchy and put tampons on the NHS’. In a time when moral panic around AIDS was at its peak, Fleming and other member’s works didn’t follow any expectations of handwringing apologies for queer characters being the way they were, instead creating anarchic, in-your-face plays where the delivery of familiar theatrical tropes came from characters who just happened to inhabit every colour of the LGBTQ+ rainbow and took tremendous pride in doing so. Best efforts aside though, works soon faded into obscuri...