Alison Baines, Author at North West End UK

Unfortunate: The Untold Story of Ursula the Sea Witch – The Lowry

24Feb

By Alison BainesNo Comments

North West

Unfortunate: The Untold Story of Ursula the Sea Witch – The Lowry

Brash, bold and untold, Unfortunate is the story of (arguably) the best Disney villain ever made, Ursula the sea witch. It is the side of the classic 1989 story, The Little Mermaid, as never seen before. The original character was inspired by the triple treat drag queen Divine, so drag culture has been intertwined with the villain from the very start. This musical parody brings the character right back to its roots with an outrageously camp new story. The musical parody dives deep into what really happened all those years ago under the sea. We’re first introduced to a young Ursula Squirt, from a poor family in the depths of the ocean. We see her grow into an intellectual octo-woman and diva. Her relationship with King Triton was not as foretold; they explore their complex relationshi...

18Oct

By Alison BainesNo Comments

North West

Musicals That Made Us – 53two

There is no denying that musicals are a guilty pleasure for many people. Whether you’re openly a musical theatre lover or there’s the odd one you can’t help but sing along to, musicals make us feel something deeply; joy, sadness, confusion, sorrow, and there’s something so thrilling about watching a talented cast sing, dance and act their way into an audience’s hearts. 53Two’s latest show, ‘Musicals That Made Us’ is a celebration of all of that. Current Manchester School of Theatre student, Nejc Lisjak, and recent graduates Megan Keaveny and Lara Rose Hancox take the audience on an exploration of musicals old and new in a cabaret style performance. Described as a production that “takes you through the mistakes they’ve made and the lessons they’ve learnt through the medium of musi...

27Sep

By Alison BainesNo Comments

North West

Pornography – 53two

Simon Stephens’ Pornography is a dark, gritty play, spotlighting the lives of 8 people in London at a time of momentous excitement – and horror. It focuses on individuals living through the awarding of the 2012 Olympics, swiftly followed by the 7/7 bombings in the capital, showcasing the crash from euphoria to chaos. Red Brick Theatre, the collaborative, Manchester-based theatre company, took on the task of performing the first professional production of Stephens’ play since 2009, a year after it was published. The piece is written as a collection of seven scenes, published in numerical order to serve as a countdown to the bombings, but Red Brick opted to separate and intertwine these scenes instead – meaning that the performance had a highly fluid nature to it. Upon entering 53two’s...

Arisha’s OK Cabaret: An Operatic Extravaganza – Sonata Piano & Cabaret Lounge

20Jul

By Alison BainesNo Comments

North West

Arisha’s OK Cabaret: An Operatic Extravaganza – Sonata Piano & Cabaret Lounge

Tucked away in the alley ways of Manchester, not too far from Deansgate, is new(ish) piano bar, Sonata. It’s the perfect setting for a cabaret performance filled with jazz, musicals and pop. Arisha’s OK Cabaret: An Operatic Extravaganza, presented by ToBee Productions, is an autobiographical musical revue exploring Arisha’s lived experiences during their time studying Musical Theatre in Oklahoma City, when it was turned upside down by the worldwide disruptor known as Covid-19. Stuck halfway around the world from their home in Manchester, Arisha tells their tale of their, should-be-so-exciting, journey training in the renowned university where Broadway icon Kristin Chenoweth once graced the halls. However, it quickly became apparent that this tale wasn’t all jazz hands and high notes,...

22Jun

By Alison BainesNo Comments

North West

Julie: The Musical – Hope Mill Theatre

To most, the name Julie D’Aubigny may not mean anything at all, but once you’ve seen Julie: The Musical, you’ll be enthralled by her life, leaving as if you’d almost known her. Julie D’Aubigny (otherwise known as La Maupin or as known as in this musical, ‘that b*tch’) was a 17th century opera singer, who was quite a dab hand with a sword, and widely believed to be one of the first openly bisexual public figures. Julie: The Musical takes us on a journey of her flamboyant life, through her turbulent career, scandalous love life and of course the tale of her romp with a nun (I’ve tamed the language for the sake of this review). From the offset, audiences know they’re in for something a little different. The gig style performance is led by a cast of 5 wonderfully talented actor/musicians...

Dirty Dancing – Palace Theatre, Manchester

31May

By Alison BainesNo Comments

North West

Dirty Dancing – Palace Theatre, Manchester

One of the most loved films of the 80’s and even now, Dirty Dancing has charmed viewers for many years - but can the stage show have the same effect? Taking us back to 1963 in the quaint holiday village of Kellerman’s, Francis ‘Baby’ Houseman is on a family vacation when she meets dance instructor Johnny Castle. Baby is thrown into a world she’s been shielded from, as daddy’s little girl sees her life change forever as she becomes Johnny’s leading lady on and off the dancefloor. The pair of Kira Malou as Baby and Michael O’Reilly as Johnny pay the perfect homage to the original couple played so iconically by Jennifer Grey and Patrick Swayze, whilst still bringing their own flavour and panache to the roles. The audience swoons for O’Reilly, just as much as Baby does throughout as he s...

5May

By Alison BainesNo Comments

North West

A Gen-Z Guide To Life – 53Two

53Two is a great little theatre venue, bar, café and overall cosy setting. Based under the iconic Manchester arches, 53Two was created by Manchester Actors' Platform, MAP, established to provide affordable, professional services for actors. In doing so, it plays home to new and emerging theatre such as this new play performed by graduating students from the Institute for Contemporary Theatre: the company ‘Groundwork’ present, A Gen-Z Guide To Life. As part of the ‘53New’, this show is at the beginning of its journey, performed in a safe and supportive space as the production starts to take shape. As stated by Groundwork at the end of their piece, they’re looking for feedback to improve and refine their performance to take forward as part of their dissertation. The short performanc...

2Feb

By Alison BainesNo Comments

North West

Wasteland – Contact Theatre

When the mines shut down in the 1980’s, little thought was given to the catastrophic ripple affect it would have on the northern mining towns of England. This story follows Gary Clarke’s award-winning production Coal, which looks at the infamous mining strikes of 1984/5. Wasteland takes flight with its tale about the radial upheaval that followed. Mired in recession, communities struggled but born was an era of illegal raves forming escapism and euphoria. It begins with The Last Miner (Parsifal James Hurst), drunkenly swaying across the stage clutching a bottle. Every inch of his movement is carefully choreographed, from the light lyrical motions to the harsh stomps and falls, his despair and frustrations clearly evident. The Pit Men Singers were a really nice touch, unique to eac...

<strong>Bugsy Malone – Opera House, Manchester</strong>

9Nov

By Alison BainesNo Comments

North West

Bugsy Malone – Opera House, Manchester

Grab your sequins, pin-striped suits and splurge guns because Bugsy Malone is in town! This sparkling revival is packed with glamour, amazing choreography and a cast of future musical theatre stars. If you weren’t already aware, the show is performed by a complete cast of young people, however this is no school nativity, far from it in fact. The plot, light though it may be, follows the much-loved Bugsy Malone (Gabriel Payne) a penniless past boxer who just wants to take his new love, Blousey (Delilah Bennet-Cardy) to the shining lights of Hollywood to fulfil her lifelong dream of becoming a star. Bugsy gets mixed up in the New York gangster war of Fat Sam (Albie Snelson) and Dandy Dan (Desmond Cole). Custard pies are flung as rivalries flourish, but things get serious as the gangs b...

28Oct

By Alison BainesNo Comments

North West

Let The Right One In – Royal Exchange

Is there anything better than settling in to watch a horror film around Halloween time? Well, how about heading to the theatre to see a spine-tingling horror right in front of your eyes… even better right? The Royal Exchange have done it again, bringing to life a stage adaptation of a novel with great flair, vibrancy and talent. The horror fans out there might recognise the title: Let The Right One In from the Swedish novel and film by John Ajvide Lindqvist, a vampire horror/romantic tale with blood, guts, gore and heart. What more could you want? Oskar is a shy boy, suffering due to the reign of terror from school bully’s Jonny and Micke. He meets Eli, a mysterious girl who just moved in next door. Oskar is taken by her enigmatic presence; they quickly become friends and begin to fa...