Donna M Day, Author at North West End UK

10Mar

By Donna M DayNo Comments

North West

Kerbs – Unity Theatre

Kerbs, written by Michael Southan and directed by Nickie Miles-Wildin, is a brutally honest and delightfully awkward story about dating with disability and fighting for your independence while keeping your relationships, romantic and otherwise, alive. Fully subtitled throughout, with audio description available, the play cleverly uses set and graphics to bring life to an original take on the boy meets girl story. Lucy (Maya Coates) has signed up to a dating app and it’s clear from the start that she’s looking for sex rather than love. As is always the way, there are a few cringey profiles that she quickly blocks, but sparks fly when she “meets” David (Jack Hunter) resulting in some heavy flirting in the DMs. They soon meet up in person for drinks, but a fun evening which both are hoping...

25Feb

By Donna M DayNo Comments

North West

Doing Shakespeare – Hope Street Theatre

The Northern Comedy Theatre’s Doing Shakespeare, written by David Spicer and directed by Shaun Chambers, is a farcical romp through some of Shakespeare’s best loved plays. A local village theatre company have taken the decision to perform Shakespeare but haven’t actually agreed which play to do. This might all work out if they hadn’t also taken the decision to perform the play as Shakespeare himself would have done with little to no rehearsal and lots of improvisation. As they’ve all learned different plays, stitching their individual parts together will prove to be quite a difficult task! The play opens with Jason (Elliot Bailey) running through his vocal warm up before launching into the opening of Romeo and Juliet. He is embarrassed when his enthusiastic rendition is seen by the comp...

The Diagnosis – The Fizzy Sherbet Podcast

17Jan

By Donna M DayNo Comments

REVIEWS

The Diagnosis – The Fizzy Sherbet Podcast

The new series of the Fizzy Sherbet Podcast launches with The Diagnosis, an audio play written by Athena Stevens. Directed by Anna Girvan, it tells the story of a remote-working London Underground security worker, played by Lizzie Annis, who monitors her area from home using drone cameras. One day she can suddenly see the cause and date of people’s future disabilities floating above their heads. Any attempts she makes to help people are ignored, but the consequences of her efforts change every aspect of her life regardless. The play is followed by an interesting Q&A with the cast and crew, exploring the origins and themes of the piece and the role of activism in today’s society. The play opens with Annis speaking to the police about a shocking incident, which has a long story. Her s...

6Dec

By Donna M DayNo Comments

North West

The Drunks – Hope Street Theatre

Off the Ground Theatre’s The Drunks, directed by Dan Meigh, is a darkly comic political satire, exploring themes of incompetent politicians, mental health issues and the impact that self-interested motives can have on your relationships with the people around you. Utilising surreal comedy and loud, brash personalities, this story of a small Russian town mirrors the wider world overrun with fake news, bumbling politicians and forgetting your worries in a heavy and mindless binge drinking session. The play opens with the ensemble cast entering in monochrome costumes and drinking greedily from silver hip flasks. The uniform effect of the costumes is dampened slightly by a pair of oxblood shoes worn by one of the actors as black shoes for all cast members would have emphasised the fixed fat...

19Nov

By Donna M DayNo Comments

North West

Who Cares – Unity Theatre

LUNG Theatres Who Cares is an emotional rollercoaster ride through the busy and, often overwhelming life, of young carers. Based on real life testimonies, writer and director Matt Woodhead presents three specific stories, against a backdrop of snippets of countless others, highlighting the prevalence of young carers and the tragic lack of support, both emotional and financial, they are faced with on a daily basis. The piece is presented against a background of bright blue lockers, surrounded by educational paraphernalia, a stark reminder that being a young carer does not change the usual responsibilities of going to school and being a kid. We see three young carers, Connor (Luke Grant), Nicole (Lizzie Mounter) and Jade (Liyah Summers), all dressed in onesies before a loud alarm signals ...

The Bunker (Halloween Edition) – Liverpool Arts Bar

31Oct

By Donna M DayNo Comments

North West

The Bunker (Halloween Edition) – Liverpool Arts Bar

Wing It Impro and Stories, The Bunker (Halloween Edition), is an intimate evening of storytelling inspired by the autumn season. The first of planned quarterly events, this cosy and charming evening of spooky tales is supported by Mark Smith providing live sound effects and enhancing the comfortable atmosphere with a warm and friendly presentation of the evening. The evening opens with Munro, telling a story of a family heirloom which, Alexandra, the lead character clings to for dear life, but in doing so unleashes the wrath of a terrifying beast which is determined to reclaim what belongs to them. Munro’s vocalisation of the beast’s voice is particularly good and creates a genuine sense of fear. His body language and gesturing is also very good. Munro’s second story is brighter, lookin...

25Oct

By Donna M DayNo Comments

North West

How to Kill a Rose – Unity Theatre

Transcend Theatre’s How to Kill a Rose, written by Felix Mufti-Wright and directed by Ailis Lord, is an exploration of domestic abuse within the transgender community. Terrifying realistic and heartrendingly hopeful, this bittersweet drama raises awareness of a vital issue affecting far too many people, while making you laugh with some clever humour. The performance is presented with subtitles and BSL interpretation throughout. The set shows a simple home, with a sofa and tables, and hints towards the creativity of the characters with the presence of a keyboard and easel with paints. The characters are sixteen year old “Me” (Felix Mufti-Wright) and 23 year old “Him” (Tony Fox). At the outset of the piece their relationship seems to be sweet and tender as they mime domestic bliss, watchi...

24Oct

By Donna M DayNo Comments

North West

The Chair – Theatre at the Casa

The Chair, presented by the Bridewell Production Company, is a new play written by Vinny Ferguson and Tony Kelly, based on the aftermath of the Cameo Murders which happened in Liverpool in 1949. Focusing on the experience of Tommy (Ted Grant), a petty criminal and prison barber, the play depicts DCI Balmer (Mike Lockley), a crooked and manipulative senior police officer, using his power to pressure Tommy into breaking the confidentiality that exists in the seat of the prison barber’s chair in order to ensure his preferred suspects, George Kelly and Charlie Connolly (Tony Jefferies) are found guilty of the murders. The play opens with Tommy arguing with his partner, Maggie (Andrea Neary) after being out all night “working”. Exhausted and cagey, it quickly becomes clear that Tommy is hidi...

Something about George – Liverpool Theatre Festival

14Sep

By Donna M DayNo Comments

North West

Something about George – Liverpool Theatre Festival

Something about George is a concert with a difference. Written and musically directed by Jon Fellows, it utilises live musical performance, storytelling and contemporaneous recordings to tell the story of the youngest member of one of Britain’s most famous most successful and enduring bands. Opening with the iconic screams of girls hysterical over Beatlemania, and the announcement that the Beatles have broken up quickly brings a halt to the story of the Fab Four. Performed by three musicians: Daniel Taylor and Fellows on guitar and Ben Gladwin on keyboard, the show combines a showcase of George Harrison's post-Beatle repertoire with anecdotes and stories from his life after the breakup of the band. Taylor narrates the story of Harrison's life and tells us that George was both the you...

Twelfth Night – Liverpool Theatre Festival

13Sep

By Donna M DayNo Comments

North West

Twelfth Night – Liverpool Theatre Festival

The Boaty Theatre Company’s Twelfth Night is a pirate themed version of Shakespeare’s classic comedy of unrequited love and mistaken identities. Live music, physical comedy and a reinterpretation of the use of gender in the play, make this an original and fun performance which is suitable for the whole family. The set features a barrel table and bar stools, giving this version of Illyria a feeling of Nassau during the reign of the pirates, and this version of the play features its very own Pirate Queen, Captain Orsina. The Captain is deeply in love with Countess Oliva, who is grieving for her father and brother while trying to maintain order on the island with the help of her overseer, Malvolia. In the meantime, a violent storm shipwrecks twins, Viola and Sebastian, each of whom assumes...