Grace Annabel, Author at North West End UK

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...

<strong>The Pantomime Adventures of Peter Pan – Opera House, Manchester</strong>

14Dec

By Grace AnnabelNo Comments

North West

The Pantomime Adventures of Peter Pan – Opera House, Manchester

As one would expect from such a prestigious venue, the Opera House’s annual Christmas pantomime was on a truly epic scale. As soon as the curtain lifted to a magical, fluttering Tink (Samara Casteallo), floating high above the enormous stage, the audience sensed it was in for an exceptional evening of festive entertainment with breath-taking special effects and screen graphics. A brief, child-friendly synopsis of the storyline was given by Tink to familiarise the audience with the upcoming plot before a colourful array of high-energy ensemble dancers dressed in jungle costumes stepped up the gears to mark the beginning of a vibrant, action-packed visual extravaganza. The vivid, gaudy artwork of the multi-dimensional stage set was a sight to behold and matched the ostentatiousness ...

<strong>Cinderella – Theatre Royal, St Helens</strong>

8Dec

By Grace AnnabelNo Comments

North West

Cinderella – Theatre Royal, St Helens

With a cast fresh from our TV screens, my expectations for Regal Entertainment's annual Christmas Panto at St. Helens Theatre Royal were high and, fortunately, I was not disappointed. One of the many charms of reviewing the marvellous institution of British Panto, is anticipating how production teams might 'freshen up' extremely overdone fairy tales to avoid audience fatigue and deliver hilarious family entertainment year after year. Cinderella at St. Helens Theatre Royal was anything but tired thanks to an eclectic mix of ventriloquism from the massively talented Jamie Leahey and Chuck (Postman and Speciality Act), stand-up comedy from Jon Courtenay (Dandini), hilarious antics from Lewis Devine (Buttons), breath-taking vocal performance from Rachel Wood (Fairy Godmother) and ah-inducin...

<strong>The Addams Family – Crewe Lyceum</strong>

4Nov

By Grace AnnabelNo Comments

North West

The Addams Family – Crewe Lyceum

Acton Operatic Society’s ‘Addams Family’, which marks the end of their two-year hiatus from performing full-scale musicals, is being staged in the grandeur of Crewe Lyceum Theatre from Wednesday 2nd to Saturday 5th November, including a Saturday matinee. This quirky, comical musical has recently done the rounds with several amateur theatre groups in the North West recently. Therefore, I was intrigued to see how this society might put their own unique stamp on this production. Despite expecting to witness some ‘first night nerves’ on opening night, this certainly was not the case, and it was obvious from the outset that this was going to be a very slick performance. Ingeniously, on entering the theatre foyer, the audience members found themselves rubbing shoulders with an...