David S Clarke, Author at North West End UK

14Nov

By David S ClarkeNo Comments

North West

The Graduate – The Forum Theatre

I’m pleased to see Richard Parker getting another opportunity to direct a production at the Forum Theatre, Romiley, having made his directorial debut with NK earlier this year with what was probably my favourite show that I have seen this year, namely “Teechers” by John Godber. It was always going to be a difficult task to bring to the stage an adaptation of such an iconic and well known film with amazing stars (Dustin Hoffman, Anne Bancroft and Katherine Ross) but I must say that the director and cast have done a great job with the interpretation of the characters. The Graduate premiered on stage in London 25 years ago and is the story of young Benjamin Braddock and his seduction by the infamous Mrs Robinson and his falling in love with her daughter Elaine, which leads to all sorts of ...

Little Shop of Horrors – The Forum Theatre

25Sep

By David S ClarkeNo Comments

North West

Little Shop of Horrors – The Forum Theatre

Adapted from the B-movie classic from over 50 years ago, this production has been brought to the stage by an extremely talent cast led by director and producer Gareth Cole, a long time NK stalwart who is undertaking his first full length theatre show, ably assisted by musical director Scott Mitchell, who also lead the excellent live band, and Jenny Arundale as choreographer. The back stage people contributed well to the overall production and their input should not be underestimated. Again another superb programme (presumably by Dominic Stannage again) with brilliant photographs by Kyle Hassall. The show is set in Mr Mushnik’s flower shop on Skid Row and explores the relationship between the staff of shy Seymour and quiet assuming Audrey. The fortunes of the shop take off when Seymour d...

11Jul

By David S ClarkeNo Comments

North West

Fame Jr – NK Theatre Arts

This show was performed by the NK Theatre Arts senior youth theatre members, so we are talking about young people aged 16-18. It was great to see Hannah Thomas reprising the role of director, musical director and choreographer which she had previously undertaken when NK last performed this show 10 years ago. The show is a musical adaptation of the film and television series “Fame” and follows a group of students at the New York City High School for the Performing Arts. The script showcases the experiences of the students as they pursue their dreams of a career in the performing arts. The cast is led by the extremely talented Olivia Barton in the role of Carmen Diaz who is developing into a multi-talented singer, dancer and actress who succeeds in all that she attempts. She was given...

13Jun

By David S ClarkeNo Comments

North West

Finding Nemo Jr. – The Forum Theatre

This show was performed by the NK Theatre Arts junior youth theatre members (all 85 of them!) and I cannot remember ever seeing such an enthusiastic bunch of children, many of whom were taking part in their first ever stage show. I must say at the outset that HUGE congratulations must go to Hannah Thomas who in addition to directing the show also took on the role of musical director and choreographer and she excelled in all of these disciplines. I have to say that, going back many years, this must be just about the best production I have seen that Hannah has taken charge of. She really does excel in bringing out the talents of the youngsters in her charge. The storyline of the production is based on the 2003 Pixar animated film of the same name. Living on the great barrier reef off ...

Ghost the Musical – The Forum Theatre, NK Theatre Arts

22May

By David S ClarkeNo Comments

North West

Ghost the Musical – The Forum Theatre, NK Theatre Arts

This musical is based on the famous film of the same name which starred Patrick Swayze, Demi Moore and Whoopi Goldberg. It is such a well-known story that I guess it is pointless of me to go over the storyline, so I will concentrate instead on describing this production by the cast and crew of NK Theatre Arts who have put together a highly entertaining version of this story. Kerry Day (ably assisted by Nickie Simms) has put together a highly entertaining production which was enjoyed by a capacity audience on this opening night. The music (Dominic Stannage and Scott Mitchell) and choreography (Helena Davies in her debut as lead choreographer after many years performing on stage) all did an excellent job with the roles they had to undertake. Mention should also be given to the contributio...

1May

By David S ClarkeNo Comments

North West

The Addams Family – The Forum Theatre

The programme describes this production as a musical comedy and there was certainly plenty of both on show at this performance presented by the East Cheshire Musical Theatre Company, who can always be relied upon to put on a first class and highly entertaining show. I cannot remember ever seeing a production with so many one-liners on the comedy front that had myself and the rest of the audience in absolute stiches throughout the whole of the show’s duration. I have to say right from the start that every single member of the cast on stage did an absolutely superb job, not just the main characters but also the members of the company (The Ancestors) who’s singing and dancing, choreographed superbly by Sally Hilliard, brought the whole production to life (or death, if you prefer!) The ...

One Man, Two Guvnors – The Forum Theatre

11Apr

By David S ClarkeNo Comments

North West

One Man, Two Guvnors – The Forum Theatre

This has to be one of the funniest productions I have seen in a long time. Once I got around the complexes of the plot (which took me until half way through the second act before I could fully comprehend what was going on) it was a joy to watch. The minimalistic scenery and props only added to the overall ambience of the play. I liked the way the scene changes were accompanied by the cast members taking turns at singing songs from the period in which the play was set (early 1960’s) and I was particularly taken with Mike Lamont and Terry Halliday’s vocals. I will do my best to come up with a resume of the plot, but as I’ve said previously, there were many twists and turns in the storyline, but much of this was deliberate and I must apologise to the directors (Jake Martin and Terry Hallid...

Flashdance the Musical – The Forum Theatre

27Mar

By David S ClarkeNo Comments

North West

Flashdance the Musical – The Forum Theatre

This production of Flashdance the musical is directed and choreographed by Hannah Thomas of NK Theatre Arts and a wonderful job she has done of it too, ably assisted by Jade Wilbraham. The show is set in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in the USA and is based on a book by Tom Hedley and Robert Cary, music by Robbie Roth and lyrics by Roth and Cary. It has a distinctive 80’s feel about it and includes a number of well-known songs including “Maniac”, “Gloria” and “What a feeling”. it tells the story of young Alex, whose job is a welder by day and 'flash-dancer' by night, and her dreams of becoming a member of a dance academy and fulfilling her ambition to become a professional dancer. It was good to see many familiar faces in the cast members who took to the stage doing improvised dancing be...

14Feb

By David S ClarkeNo Comments

North West

Teechers – The Forum Theatre

Before I set off to watch this show this evening, I was trying to remember previous occasions when I had seen NK put on this play by John Godber (who is one of the authors who they seem to visit on a regular basis, having seen “Bouncers and Shakers” a number of times also) and if my memory is correct, I think this is the third time I have seen it in the past 8 years or so. Previous casts have utilised more adult actors, but this production is much more realistic in that all the cast are still in their teens so are genuinely playing characters of their own age. Teechers is actually a play within a play, which the students perform for their teachers, taking on twenty or so different roles throughout the show. The stage setting is very basic, consisting of a noticeboard, blackboard, a coup...

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time – Forum Theatre

31Oct

By David S ClarkeNo Comments

North West

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time – Forum Theatre

Well, where do I start with this review? Being a Stockport lad myself I am quite familiar with the work of Simon Stephens, but I have to admit this is the first time I have come across this particular play. There were definitely times during the production when I struggled to comprehend what was happening, but that was more due to my lack of understanding rather than anything lacking in the production. Once I got into the characters and began to realise what the story was about I found myself thoroughly absorbed. This play was first presented to the public a mere 12 years ago in London and this production is the Stockport premier of this play. For others like myself who are not familiar with the storyline, I think a brief synopsis would be appropriate. The lead character ...