Donna M Day, Author at North West End UK

Plays in the Key of Life – Hope Street Theatre

14Oct

By Donna M DayNo Comments

North West

Plays in the Key of Life – Hope Street Theatre

Plays in the Key of Life is an anthology of four short plays, presented by Writers Inc. Productions, a Liverpool based company founded by the four playwrights whose work is being presented. Each play has a different theme, but they are all united by explorations of loss, particularly loss caused by abandonment. The first piece is The Tramp and The Lady, written by Bob Towers and directed by Brian McCann. The play is presented with a simple set of two fold up chairs, representing the outside of a train station, and Mike Sanders, playing a homeless man, does a good job of creating a sense of a cold wet day. The atmosphere becomes even more unpleasant with the entrance of Abi Tyrer, the ironically named “lady” of the title, who is judgmental, rude and very nasty to both her partner, whom s...

8Oct

By Donna M DayNo Comments

North West

Part Vampire – Hope Street Theatre

Part Vampire, written by Kenny O’Connell and directed by Zara Marie Brown, with music by Matt Shaw and the cast, is a musical comedy which plays with classic and contemporary horror tropes om a fun and exciting story of the cutthroat environment of showbusiness and what people are willing to do to achieve success. The set features an ornate chair, polished coat stand and floral sofa, creating the impression of a well-kept, if slightly old fashioned home for Jack Moody (Phil Jones), a 67-year old former Hammer Horror extra who lives with his mother (Linzy Boden). The show does a good job of exploiting the cringey and camp reputation of Hammer Horror with its darker undertones and genuine scary moments. Jack enters the stage in a threadbare dressing gown and plays an emotional piece on...

The Tragedy of Dorian Gray – Ukraine Fringe

3Sep

By Donna M DayNo Comments

REVIEWS

The Tragedy of Dorian Gray – Ukraine Fringe

Blue Devil Productions’ The Tragedy of Dorian Gray is an original reinterpretation of Oscar Wilde’s classic novel, which takes the hedonism and debauchery of Gray’s character, amplifies it, and spreads it across a cast of characters who are deliciously unlikeable. Written and directed by Ross Dinwiddy, this unique take on the memorable horror begins in London during the swinging sixties, and unveils a dark world of celebrity, corruption, drugs, alcohol, and scandals. The play opens during an exhibition of the work of artist, Basil Hallward (Christopher Sherwood). The cynical and vulturous Mavis Ruxton (Heather Alexander) and Harry Wotton (Kace Monney) survey the room with wry amusement analysing where the best gossip will come from. Observing the shy and socially anxious Alan Campbell (...

30Aug

By Donna M DayNo Comments

REVIEWS

Read to Me – Ukraine Fringe

Covert Firmament’s Read to Me is a criminal drama exploring how far someone would be willing to go for love. Directed and written by Dan Horrigan based on a story written by Horrigan in collaboration with Sarah Jennings, it tells the story of Rollin who has dyslexia and has recently been imprisoned at Strangeways. The piece is narrated by Rollin and shows him and two other prisoners in a voluntary talking therapy group. He is the first to share the story of how he ended up in prison and frequent asides which break the fourth wall, show the complexity of his character. History like that of the other prisoners allow the three men to bond over common ground. Flashback scenes show Rollin meeting the woman he fell in love with and reading her Tarot cards. Parallels between the languag...

The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood – Ukraine Fringe

30Aug

By Donna M DayNo Comments

REVIEWS

The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood – Ukraine Fringe

The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood, based on Atwood’s novel of the same name, is a feminist retelling of The Odyssey, from the point of view of Penelope, Odysseus’ wife and her twelve maidens. Directed by Frederique Michel, this stage interpretation of Atwood’s book takes full advantage of the traditional Greek chorus, bringing together an ensemble cast and creating a strong reflection on the well-known and celebrated myth. The play opens with haunting bells and Penelope, alone, walking onto the stage. The action takes place in Hades and Penelope is taking the opportunity to tell her side of the Odyssey story, but it is of course difficult to overwrite an established myth. Her maidens appear on the stage, with their arms tied while they laugh hysterically. Penelope begins to tell the ...

Desfazenda – Bury me out of this place – Ukraine Fringe

28Aug

By Donna M DayNo Comments

REVIEWS

Desfazenda – Bury me out of this place – Ukraine Fringe

O Bonde’s Desfazenda – Bury me out of this place, is a unique play exploring the lives of four people, 40 (Ailton Barros), 23 (Filipe Celestino), 12 (Jhonny Salaberg) and 13 (Marina Esteves), who were taken to a farm as children and enslaved. They are supervised by Zero, a foreman who is the only one who sees the priest who owns the farm. Directed by Roberta Estrela D’Alvia, and written by Lucas Moura, this original drama is both heartbreaking and horrifying, as the characters realise that the world outside the farm might not be exactly what they’ve been told it is. The play was originally performed in São Paulo and is performed in Portuguese with English subtitles. The piece opens with haunting singing and an upside-down view of the sea. We hear a mother and child discussing an animal ...

28Aug

By Donna M DayNo Comments

REVIEWS

Mary & Mietek – Ukraine Fringe

Katla Theatre’s Mary & Mietek is a dramatic, dual timeline love story, written by Maria Laumark in association with director Abi Smith, and inspired by the real-life love letters between wartime sweethearts, Mary, an English bank clerk and Mietek, a Polish soldier she met at a dance. In the play, Mary and Mietek are Ben’s (Louis Cruzat) grandparents, and he has brought their letters to the airport where he recently ex-girlfriend, Alma (Laumark) is waiting for a flight back to her home country of Denmark following the breakdown of their relationship. The play opens with Laumark stood on an empty stage holding a suitcase with Joel Marten in the background performing music he composed specifically for the show. A feeling of poignancy is created with this gentle music from the start and...

A Night to Remember – Edinburgh Fringe Online

27Aug

By Donna M DayNo Comments

Scotland

A Night to Remember – Edinburgh Fringe Online

A Night to Remember is a musical retelling of the nativity story, extended to include some of the wider biblical details around the birth of Jesus, which are usually not included in the treasured school tradition. Presented by an ensemble cast, this sung-through musical, composed and directed by James Arthur Patterson, is an interesting take on a Christmas story, which aims to educate the audience on the biblical aspects of the story. The show was performed in aid of veterans and featured some veterans and active service members in the cast. The show opens in the modern day, showing a busy city street with shoppers and the sadly ubiquitous homeless people. A song about the magic of Christmas is performed and several of the performers give money and gifts to homeless people, as an illust...

Call Mr Robeson – Edinburgh Fringe Online

24Aug

By Donna M DayNo Comments

Scotland

Call Mr Robeson – Edinburgh Fringe Online

Call Mr Robeson is a one-man show telling the story of the life of Paul Robeson, singer, actor, and political activist. Written and performed by Tayo Aluko and directed by Olusola Oyeleye, it is an interesting exploration of the early civil rights movement in America, against a background of Hollywood films, theatre performances and concerts, with live performances of Robeson’s songs sung by Aluko, accompanied by Michael Conliffe on piano. The piece opens with Aluko singing Nobody Knows the Trouble I’ve Seen while carrying a chair, which is used to symbolise the weight of the events of Robeson’s life on him. Aluko has a strong and operatic voice and performs the songs throughout the piece brilliantly, and often, particularly in the case of Old Man River, with dramatic flair and action w...

24Aug

By Donna M DayNo Comments

Scotland

Dibubuísmos – Edinburgh Fringe Online

Dibubuísmos is a short poetic video exploration of creativity and the self. Created and performed by Paes Loureiro, it is a unique way of delving into the artistic self and where the artist fits into the natural world. The piece opens with Loureiro mindfully cleansing herself and shedding her existing self. The movements are slow, deliberate and show an appreciation for the little things and living with intention and awareness. Loureiro contemplates herself and her surroundings in a place where land meets water, before floating through the river in a ritual of rebirth and peaceful meditation. Background music allows the mood of the piece to alter and moments of drama to be built up, which creates a sense of dialogue with Loureiro, even though the piece contains no spoken word. ...