Author: Donna M Day

Triominos! was a collection of piano, clarinet and bassoon trio music, spanning offerings from nineteenth century Ukraine to twentieth century Argentina. The first half featured a trio by Carl Frühling and a world premiere from Liverpool based composer, David Forshaw, and the second half was made up of a selection of Mendelssohn’s Songs without Words and Piazzolla’s Rivirado arranged by pianist, Ron Abramski. The concert opened with Frühling’s Trio for Clarinet, Bassoon and Piano Op.40. Frühling’s work is not well known or regular performed today and it was nice to see this Romantic piece of music performed which was chosen in particular for Frühling’s links with Ukraine. The first movement is haunting and enchanting, with the woodwind frolicking playfully over the piano. Slower section...

Punch, written and produced by Steve Bird, and directed by Elaine Louise Stewart and Bird, is a drama uncovering what happens when two families collide in a shock tragedy that will change their lives forever. Aiming to raise awareness of death and catastrophic injury from single punch injuries, the play uncovers a single example of how one punch can rock the foundations of family life. The set shows two family homes, one with crisp white tablecloths, and a graduation photograph and one with an overloaded clothes horse and a tacky fringed lamp. This serves to illustrate that the two families are from different social classes: one with “a house on the hill” and the other on an ill-reputed estate. These differences are highlighted in the beginning of the play where Charles (Ted Grant) bemo...

Mozart’s Double Concerto, performed by pianists Katia and Marielle Labéque, accompanied by the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Karel Deseure, is preceded by Dvořák’s The Wood Dove and followed by Prokofiev’s Symphony No.3 to create a magical and dramatic afternoon of music. The opening of The Wood Dove features a lovely contrast of heavy bass and percussion and light woodwind. This proceeds into a repetitive double bass and cello section which guides the rest of the orchestra along the progression. Gentle cymbals add a sense of drama as the piece moves into a march with a military feeling as the intricate brass blends with ominous pizzicato to create a sense of eerie magic. The piece is ideal for the summer creating a feeling of the world waking up, and a sense of d...

This is Merseybeat, compiled by Cavern Club resident band, The Shakers, is a fun, musical trip down memory lane, showcasing the songs performed by a selection of bands and solo artists on Mathew Street from 1962 onwards. The first half of the show features a projection of the interior of the original Cavern Club, as host, Paul Codman introduces the venue, year and sound of Liverpool which changed the lives of a generation. The Shakers are wearing the suits and ties associated with the era and begin a high energy performance of Merseybeat songs from the early sixties. One left-handed guitarist and body language reminiscent of The Beatles recorded performances add to the aesthetic of a different time. Lead guitarist, Liam Mannion’s vocals on a Quarrymen style cover of That’ll Be The Da...

It felt unusual travelling to the theatre on a very sunny and reasonably warm day to see a pantomime, but everyone’s favourite Christmas activity is making a nationwide spring comeback, with theatres around the UK, resurrecting the festive tradition for the Easter season. The Epstein Theatre’s offering is Sleeping Beauty, the traditional story of a beautiful princess who pricks her finger on the spindle of a spinning wheel on her birthday, falling asleep for one hundred years until awoken by True Love’s Kiss. Written by Liam Mellor and directed by Chantelle Nolan, this fun jukebox musical pantomime features all of the traditional elements with lots of opportunity for audience participation. The pantomime is opened by our narrator, Fairy Sparkle (Katy Mac) who lives up to her glittering ...

Stone on Stone, written by Frank Kenny and directed by Mikyla Jane Durkan, is a drama inspired by Charlie Chaplin’s infamous visit to John Larkin in Sing Sing Prison, New York in the early 1920s. An exploration of the political views of Larkin, the political education of Chaplin, and the constant peril Chaplin’s position as an internationally famous film star with far-left leanings, the exact definition of which he would constantly be deliberately vague in confirming, this play is an interesting look at what might have happened behind closed doors, when Larkin met Chaplin. The play opens with James Larkin (John O’Gorman) discussing Chaplin’s forthcoming visit with the Warden (Franklyn Jacks). Unfortunately, a lot of the impact of this scene is lost due to some apparent confusion in the ...