Grace Annabel, Author at North West End UK

17Apr

By Grace AnnabelNo Comments

North West

I Should Be So Lucky – Liverpool Empire

This evening, I had the immense privilege of watching Debbie Isitt and Jason Gilkison’s brand new musical creation, ‘I should be so lucky’ at the marvellous Liverpool Empire Theatre, which cleverly comprises of Stock Aitken Watermans greatest hits intertwined into a hilariously feel-good tale. The show takes us on an action-packed whirlwind, when two engaged lovers (Ella and Nathan) experience the greatest pre-wedding jitters of all, causing Ella to be jilted at the altar, but as the show’s tagline says ‘The wedding is off but the Honeymoon is on’! The show opens to reveal a set of great stature, with many cut out heart layers all one behind the other boasting gorgeous seaside themed details and outlined with vibrant lighting on each panel, demonstrating the show’s incredibly high pr...

13Mar

By Grace AnnabelNo Comments

North West

Come From Away – Liverpool Empire

This evening, I was honoured to have been invited to the first ever UK tour of ‘Come From Away’ - Irene Sankoff and David Hein’s show that has truly moved the masses, telling a remarkable tale of human spirit in times of tragedy. ‘Come From Away’ is set in the wake of 9/11 and follows the lives of air passengers from all over the world who were grounded in the small town of Gander, Newfoundland. It shows how the close-knit community welcomed strangers into their lives with open arms in a time of desperate need, and how unlikely friendships and bonds were forged for a lifetime. This show can only be described as uniquely thought-provoking. As the show begins, the scene is set with such simplicity, with the stage only comprising of a large wooden panel lining the entire back wall of th...

22Feb

By Grace AnnabelNo Comments

North West

Oliver – Northwich Memorial Court

This evening I had the pleasure of being transported back to 1830’s London for Mid Cheshire Musical Theatre Company’s and Mid Cheshire Youth Theatre’s production of ‘Oliver’. Following a brief hiatus from producing full-scale musical productions, I was very excited to see MCMTC tackle such an iconic classic on its welcome return to the Northwich Memorial Court. The pre-show air of keen anticipation in the auditorium was tangible. Despite the challenges of such a complex and epic show to a family audience, the stellar production team, comprising of Lou Steggals (director) Jenna Finnigan (youth director & choreographer) and Marilyn Blank (musical director) did not disappoint. The musical follows the story of Oliver, a young orphan living in Victorian England. After escaping t...

The Full Monty – Opera House, Manchester

15Feb

By Grace AnnabelNo Comments

North West

The Full Monty – Opera House, Manchester

On Tuesday evening I had the pleasure of watching the comedic triumph ‘The Full Monty’ at the Manchester Opera House. Our director (Michael Gyngell), the show’s designer (Jasmine Swan) and the producer (David Pugh) has immense shoes to fill, and certainly did not disappoint. Being incredibly familiar with the show, and having watched it previously in an amateur capacity, I was very much looking forward to this brand new adaptation, featuring some well-known faces. The musical is cleverly adapted from the late 90’s British film of the same name, six unemployed Northern steelworkers, all low on cash, decide to present a strip act, for one night only, their local conservative club after seeing their wives' enthusiasm for a touring company of Chippendales. Danny Hatchard played the prot...

23Dec

By Grace AnnabelNo Comments

North West

Sleeping Beauty – M&S Bank Arena

On 20th December I had the pleasure of watching ‘Sleeping Beauty’ at the M&S Bank Arena Auditorium, which turned out to be a truly wonderful evening of seasonal entertainment for an audience of all ages. The abundance of customary double-entendre did not fail to provoke giggles from the adults without detracting from the traditional family-friendly format of the great British institution of Christmas panto. The eclectic mix of popular music was adapted perfectly to the storyline with some notable pieces perfectly showcasing the beautiful vocal ability of Lucy Kay, playing The Fairy in our tale. Audience members, young and old, thoroughly enjoyed clapping and dancing along to the well-known songs throughout. A particular highlight and example of this was the ever-popular ‘YMCA’ which...

10May

By Grace AnnabelNo Comments

North West

Annie – Regent Theatre

Annie, a classic musical adaptation much loved by global audiences. I had the privilege of watching the musical adaptation of this classic film on its UK Tour, in the large-scale Stoke Regent Stage. With countless revivals, I was intrigued to see how this show has evolved and adapted since the last time I watched this production, many years ago. The tone was set from the beginning, by our 7 main orphanage residents rushing onto stage, before the show had even begun, immersing our audience in their harsh reality from the outset and creating an electric build-up within the theatre. With direction from Nikolai Foster and choreography from Nick Winston, I knew before the show begun, that we were in the comfortable hands of true professionals. Having been many years since visiting the gra...

30Mar

By Grace AnnabelNo Comments

Wales

Heathers the Musical – Theatr Clwyd

More often than not, I find that film-into-musical adaptations do not quite hit the mark on a number of counts, often seeming to have been created by piggybacking off an established brand for revenue purposes alone. Yet last night's performance of Heathers: The Musical felt fresh, vibrant and pleasing even to die-hard fanatics of the original 80s cult film. To borrow a quote from the musical itself, this show really was ‘Big Fun’. I had the pleasure of watching this show during its most recent UK tour, in one of my favourite venues, Mold's Theatr Clwyd. I felt this a very apt setting for the production - a space where the show’s filling set can be appreciated to its fullest on a slightly larger-scale stage, but which also offers an intimate ambience, allowing the audience to be involved...

The Rocky Horror Show – Storyhouse, Chester

1Mar

By Grace AnnabelNo Comments

North West

The Rocky Horror Show – Storyhouse, Chester

This evening I had the immense privilege to attend this ‘guaranteed party’ in all its glory, live at The Chester Storyhouse Theatre. Upon entering the theatre, I was greeted with the Rocky Horror tradition of audience dressing up in flamboyantly fabulous costumes (inspired by the show itself). This was complimented greatly by the intimate setting of the Storyhouse theatre, giving the audience a feeling of being fully involved in this production from the outset. In this cult classic, innocent sweethearts Brad and Janet, stranded with their broken down vehicle during a storm, discover the dilapidated and eerie mansion owned by Dr. Frank-N-Furter, a transvestite scientist. As they lose all innocence, Brad and Janet meet a mansion full of wild characters. Fast-forward through elaborate danc...

2Feb

By Grace AnnabelNo Comments

North West

Mamma Mia – Opera House, Manchester

Mamma Mia! The smash hit jukebox musical opened tonight to a raving full house of ABBA fanatics and theatre enthusiasts, all head- bopping to the renowned hits from the overture to finale. As soon as the band began taking us through a medley of ABBA’s greatest hits during the overture, I could feel the electric energy and could tell this would be an unforgettable night of musical theatre. The creative team is comprised of highly acclaimed and accomplished theatre professionals. Directed by Phyllida Lloyd, choreographed by Anthony Van Laast and musically directed by Carlton Edwards - this collective is a powerhouse, creating a truly triple-theatre piece of theatre right from the get-go. During the show we were greeted by a simplistic set. This was used to created a multitude of ...

<strong>The Cher Show – Liverpool Empire</strong>

18Jan

By Grace AnnabelNo Comments

North West

The Cher Show – Liverpool Empire

Tonight, I had the privilege of watching the dazzling new musical, ‘The Cher Show’. Having been exposed to this musical flooding social media for months, I was eager to see what the hype was all about. Some may believe this is a niche market - Jukebox musicals - therefore I was intrigued to find out if this one can appeal to a mass audience. To give a brief synopsis, The Cher show takes us on the journey of Cher’s life, and the creators have crafted this cleverly using three different performers to symbolise the three stages of her life. We are introduced to prominent characters in Cher’s life and are shown the relationships with each person and how they develop. From the moment we entered the Empire’s grand auditorium, the energy was electric. We were greeted with an intricate set o...