Brian Madden, Author at North West End UK

18Jun

By Brian MaddenNo Comments

North West

The Kid – HOME, Manchester

Charlie Chaplin is one of those iconic movie characters that I am embarrassed to admit I've never seen on screen until Manchester Camerata's live orchestral accompaniment of The Kid. The beauty of his movies is that a story can be followed without the use of dialogue. At first, I thought this would be screened on one of the cinema screens at HOME, however it took place in their main theatre space. The movie is projected onto a screen at the back of the stage. Given the movie was originally released in 1921, the person who managed to digitally restore and bring it up to viewable quality should be applauded. The movie, as you can imagine, is silent. Yet it is filled with humour from beginning to end. Obviously for the movie to work without any dialogue it does rely quite heav...

House of Ghosts – Altrincham Garrick Playhouse

24May

By Brian MaddenNo Comments

North West

House of Ghosts – Altrincham Garrick Playhouse

Murder mysteries are one of my favourite genres of fiction. So, I was extremely intrigued to see Alma Cullen transporting the iconic Inspector Morse from television to stage. Cullen has written some of the episodes for the TV series, so she should be able to bring some of that magic to the stage production. From the beginning this has the busy going ons of a play within a play. It was rather amusing to start with, but then got far too complicated. A lot of the actors looked and sounded very similar, so it was difficult to distinguish who’s who - which is vital in a murder mystery! The play is set in Oxford in the 1980s where a production of Hamlet is taking place. However, the young actor playing Ophelia (in this case Ciara Booker) collapses and dies on stage during the performance. ...

20May

By Brian MaddenNo Comments

North West

Werq the World – AO Arena, Manchester

AO Arena in Manchester played host to some of the most fabulous drag queens from RuPaul’s Drag Race last night. Featuring probably the world’s most malfunctioning time machine, Werq the World was full of laughs, fantastic costumes, bad lip syncing and amazing hairography. If you’re looking for a slice of diva, then you’re definitely in the right place. Hosted by the fabulous Asia O’Hara, the premise of the show is she is trying to use the time machine to take her back to Season 10 of Ru Paul’s Drag Race, where she can go back and snatch the title. What was amazing to see at AO Arena on this night, is not only how much love there is for the drag queens, but that it comes from all walks of lives. Some people had waited two years to see this show as the original run was cancelled due to...

Ross & Rachel – Altrincham Garrick Playhouse

19May

By Brian MaddenNo Comments

North West

Ross & Rachel – Altrincham Garrick Playhouse

They were arguably the biggest on-screen couple of the 1990s. But what happened after the cameras stopped rolling on Ross and Rachel? After all, no one told life was gonna be this way. Written by James Fritz, strangely this isn't a play about the iconic couple from Friends. Instead, it is about a young couple navigating their way through life until they're delivered a massive blow. What starts off as relatively light hearted takes a more sinister turn. To add to this, the play directed by Carole Carr, is essentially a series of monologues delivered by one actor. In this case Fiona Primrose rose to the challenge. Her dramatic scenes were when she shone brightest, but personally I would have preferred a more distinguished difference between the two characters. I did have the joy of see...

Jane Hair: The Brontes Restyled – Hope Mill Theatre

6Apr

By Brian MaddenNo Comments

North West

Jane Hair: The Brontes Restyled – Hope Mill Theatre

A salon in the village of Haworth, West Yorkshire is an unlikely location for a play to be set. However, we soon meet the stylists; Emily, Charlotte and Anne and finally it all becomes clear. This is a modern day look at the Bronte sisters written by Bradford lasses Kirsty Smith and Kat Rose-Martin. From the get go the characters are instantly likeable and have their own unique personalities. However, before going on with the review I must state on the night I watched the production the actor who plays Charlotte was isolating due to Covid-19. However, instead of cancelling the performance the ladies ploughed on and the stage manager stepped up to read the role of Charlotte, and she more than delivered. The action really starts when a post appears online from a ‘Lizzie G’ (any gue...

14Feb

By Brian MaddenNo Comments

North West

An Adventure – Octagon Theatre

It's not very often you're treated to a play with 3 acts and that is exactly what An Adventure is. A three-act play, set in three countries over the space of three hours. First performed in London in 2018, this performance is its northern premiere. The story mirrors a lot of families who immigrated from India to the UK in the 1950s and 1960s. The production begins in 1954, not long after India and Pakistan split to become two separate countries. It follows the story of Jyoti (Saba Shiraz) and Rasik (Esh Alladi). It starts off as a sweet love story with political undertones. The story was inspired by writer, Vinay Patel's grandparents' life. From the moment Jyoti (Shiraz) steps on stage the audience are treated to a fierce, strong 16-year-old who is looking to find a husband. Rasik...

White Christmas – Palace Theatre, Manchester

23Nov

By Brian MaddenNo Comments

North West

White Christmas – Palace Theatre, Manchester

For some bah humbugs out there it may be a little too early to mention the C word. However, myself and the entire audience at the Palace Theatre were only too happy to watch a Christmas musical at the end of November. Despite being based on the 1954 movie of the same name, starring the iconic Bing Crosby, the musical didn’t receive its stage debut until the year 2000. It has since gone from strength-to-strength being performed on Broadway and in the West End. The story follows Bob (Matthew Jeans) and Phil (Dan Burton) who were both serving in the American military in 1944 and deliver a rendition of White Christmas to their fellow troops. After returning to the US, they decide to become entertainers. After setting up in New York, they decide to find a new act for their variety show, c...

3Sep

By Brian MaddenNo Comments

North West

Proper Adult – Altrincham Garrick

Life is funny. When we're young we can't wait to be grown up to do all the things we can't do. And then when we're adults we wish we could relive our youth. That is exactly what 'Proper Adult' by Megan Relph captures. This is a short one woman show where we meet Rachel, who has just turned 18 and has started her first job. Although we soon realise she's not prepared for adulthood. New writing is always something I look forward to in the fringe, you have no idea what to expect. While I felt this was a good production with some nice moments, it was too short to really get emotionally invested in it. In its current format, this would work well as a warm up act, or as a series of short plays performed in one evening. Having said that I do think Relph has the bones of something here and w...

24Aug

By Brian MaddenNo Comments

North West

The Woman in Black – Palace Theatre

Theatre is back! The Palace Theatre in Manchester swung open their doors for the first time since March 2020 to welcome theatregoers to The Woman in Black. A bit of a dark show for the first one back! Prior to this evening I had never seen The Woman in Black. I didn’t know what to expect, other than the promotional material that made me think it would be a thriller. I was actually pleasantly surprised to discover it was quite humorous in places. Fun fact - The Woman in Black is the second longest running show on London’s West End after The Mousetrap. It is said to be the most terrifying live theatre experience in the world - but I’ll leave that open to interpretation. This is a stage production based on the novel written by Susan Hill. In the beginning we are in a rehearsal studio...

20Jul

By Brian MaddenNo Comments

REVIEWS

Friend by Brendan Murphy

Even though it ended in 2004, Friends is one of those sitcoms that has captured the heart of a generation. Fun fact - Gunther (the owner of Central Perk) is the character that appeared in most episodes, outside the six main cast members. Performed by Brendan Murphy, Friend is a whistle stop tour of all 10 seasons of Friends through the eyes of Gunther. Murphy puts a whole new spin on the iconic character, and what could have been if Rachel chose Gunther instead of Ross. Impressively Murphy manages to take the audience from episode 1 where Rachel Green enters Central Perk after jilting her groom at the altar, right through to the final episode where Rachel gets off the plane. Murphy adds in a bit of audience participation and a couple of songs to mix up the delivery. My persona...