Damian Riverol, Author at North West End UK

2Nov

By Damian RiverolNo Comments

North West

Beautiful Thing – HOME Mcr

As part of its 30th Anniversary tour, Jonathan Harvey’s Iconic, coming-out and coming of age story comes to HOME Manchester. Set in the 90s, we delve into what it’s like to be 16 and in love in a time when the subject was not talked about, where the British Government brought in a legislation banning homosexuality being promoted in schools and educators were silenced. Following struggles of three teenagers, Jamie, a young boy who is bullies at school for being gay. Ste, a football fanatic who is always at the brunt of his brother and Father’s temper. And Leah, a misunderstood Mama Cass fan who has been excluded from school and struggling to find her way through life, seemingly alone. When things become too much at home, Ste takes refuge at Jamie’s flat, and this is where the boys str...

By the Waters of Liverpool – Floral Pavilion

25Oct

By Damian RiverolNo Comments

North West

By the Waters of Liverpool – Floral Pavilion

Pulse Stage Productions in association with Bill Elms bring the follow up to Twopence to cross the Mersey, By the Waters of Liverpool, to the Floral Pavilion for its final date of the UK tour. By the Waters of Liverpool continues to tell the story of Helen Forrester (Emma Mulligan) and her family in the 1930s as they have been forced to leave behind their nannies, servants and middle-class life as Helen’s father went bankrupt during the Great Depression. The story is told through narration by the actors themselves, talking to the audience to set the scene or tell you how their characters are feeling, which is where, at points, it became a little confusing as there is no separation from dialogue to narration, the actors just continued talking within the scene, feeling quite disjoin...

16Aug

By Damian RiverolNo Comments

North West

Greatest Days – Blackpool Opera House

This evening I'm at the Blackpool Opera House to see the official Take That musical – Greatest Days. The box office colleagues are so pleasant and very helpful at this theatre, going the extra mile to ensure we are happy, even changing our seats to make it more accessible for the person with me. The greeting from front of house and ushers were so welcoming and professional. I couldn’t have asked for more. The Greatest Days began it’s life at The Band the musical but has been revisited and renamed with a new cast, a new set and a new lease of life. With the book written by Tim Firth and lyrics by Take That, we are transported on a journey of love, loss and a heap of nostalgia. Five teenagers follow every move of the ‘Boys,’ the band they share a love for and their journey of winning a...

Tick Tick … Boom! – St Mary’s Creative Space, Chester

28Jul

By Damian RiverolNo Comments

North West

Tick Tick … Boom! – St Mary’s Creative Space, Chester

This is the first Productions from Disley Theatrical Productions (the brain child of Luke Disley) and what a show to open with. Tick Tick...Boom! is a Semi-autobiographical musical of writer, Jonathan Larson. It follows the story of Jon who lives in New York in 1990. As he approached his 30th birthday, he begins to question his life choices and career path to be part of the performing arts. Larson began performing this piece as solo work in 1990, but after his death in 1996, it was revamped by Playwright, David Auburn, as a Three actor piece. Tick Tick...Boom! Include incredible songs including 30/90, Therapy and the glorious Louder Than Words. The cast is made up of three fantastic performers, Phil Cross as Jon, Ceri-Lyn Cissone-Hunter as Susan and others and Calum Craine as Mich...

18May

By Damian RiverolNo Comments

North West

Sweeney Todd – Northwich Memorial Court

Attend the tale of Sweeney Todd – The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. After a warm welcome from the team at KMTC (Knutsford Musical Theatre Company) this is exactly what I did this evening. The auditorium has been transformed to take you into the creepy, dark, eerie world of Sweeney Todd, with blood splattered posters all over the walls, razors hanging from the ceiling above us and sounds from the streets of London being played to transport us into this dark story of revenge and love. Director Ben Ireson has taken on a huge task bringing this piece to life and has done a fantastic job, especially with changing the space to include an immersive area and the brilliant use of such a large set piece that takes over the centre of the stage. The immersive section has numerous cast members tr...

5May

By Damian RiverolNo Comments

Wales

Truth or Dare – Theatr Clwyd

Truth or Dare? Do you have the courage to answer the question? Can you face the outcome? Theatr Clwyd have brought us an interesting concept in the form of Truth or Dare. Truth and Dare are split over two performances, each with 5 short plays to tease and entertain. The 10 plays are written by 10 incredible writers who each bring us a little piece of joy or sadness to keep these plays fresh and interesting. The set for both events are the same, with different sized boxes and cupboards, lined up across the back with Truth or Dare written on them. These pieces are then used throughout to make set pieces, stood or lay on, things put inside, and all moved by the cast to keep the plays moving along. Set is designed by Millie Lamkin and even though simple it is very well used and doesn’t n...

Pride and Prejudice *(*sort of) – Storyhouse Chester

12Apr

By Damian RiverolNo Comments

North West

Pride and Prejudice (sort of) – Storyhouse Chester

Based on the original story by Jane Austin, Isobel McArthur has reimagined and rewritten an hilarious version of this well-known story, told through the eyes of the servants. The cast of five play every character through the story, changing costumes and characters on the go in this extremely perfectly choreographed play, with some character changes happening right there in front our of eyes. Even before the play starts are we are involved in the story with the servants out in the audience cleaning and each time the bell rings, they shout ‘coming’ and off they go to their next ‘job.’ Our cast this evening are Lucy Gray, Dannie Harris, Leah Jamieson, Emmy Stonelake and Megan Louise Wilson and they have the audience almost crying with laughter with phenomenal comic timing and brilliant ...

15Mar

By Damian RiverolNo Comments

Wales

Home, I’m Darling – Theatr Clwyd

Five years after its birth at Theatr Clwyd, Home, I’m Darling has returned as part of its UK tour. After being lucky enough to see this Olivier award winning show the first-time round, I was excited to see it’s return and how it has developed over the years. Laura Wade has written a fantastic piece, with thought provoking conversations and plenty of wit and humour. Judy (Jessica Ransom) and Johnny (Neil McDermott) love the 50s and when Judy gets made redundant, she cooks up the idea of living a “traditional” 50s life. She’ll be a stay-at-home housewife, doing all the cooking and cleaning, having her husband’s slippers and drink ready for when he comes home from work. Dressing in beautiful 50s dresses and staying away from current events and devices. At first, it’s the perfect life, but ...

26Feb

By Damian RiverolNo Comments

North West

Song from Far Away – HOME Mcr

Originally performed in Brazil then the Young Vic in 2015, the revival of Song from Far Away has opened at HOME, Manchester. The piece is set several years after the event and is told through the letters he has written to the brother he has lost. Willem, a 34-year-old man living in New York, receives a phone call which tells him it’s time to go home to Amsterdam. Will Young delivers this single-handed play beautifully, telling the story of Willem’s journey home to an estranged family and a forgotten relationship. Set in what seems to be one room with a sofa and a chair, a couple of tables and a huge set of curtains at the back, as the story unfolds, through the use of lighting and the movement of the curtains, you are transported to numerous locations, an airport, a hotel, Willem’s p...

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat – Theatr Clwyd

17Feb

By Damian RiverolNo Comments

Wales

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat – Theatr Clwyd

Go, Go, Go Tip Top you’ve done it again! Tip Top Productions has brought an incredible version of Joseph to Theatr Clwyd and within the first five minutes I know this is going to be something special. With Direction and Choreography by Rob Stevens, we are treated to a show that would not look out of place on a West End stage and as bold a statement as this may be, this has got to be the best version of this show I have seen. Ever. The direction is clear and precise, bringing out the best in the cast members on the stage, taking us through many emotions and eventually leaving the whole audience on our feet, cheering, clapping, and dancing along. The choreography is incredible. It’s inventive, clean, slick and uses many assorted styles. The cast take hold of every move and deliver it with...