Jan Mellor, Author at North West End UK

Much Ado About Nothing – Shakespeare North Playhouse

15Jun

By Jan MellorNo Comments

North West

Much Ado About Nothing – Shakespeare North Playhouse

So, for those that do not know what Shakespeare’s “Much Ado About Nothing (and many do ask!) the story is a comedic play by William Shakespeare about misunderstandings, love and deception. Benedick, Claudio and Don Pedro arrive at Leonato's house in Messina. Beatrice and Benedick bicker with each other and Claudio, a soldier, falls in love with Leonato's daughter, Hero. Don John, who is Don Pedro's evil half-brother, tricks Claudio into believing that he has seen Hero being unfaithful. Meanwhile, Don Pedro and others plot to bring Benedick and Beatrice together. Claudio accuses Hero of infidelity and refuses to marry her. Leonato is persuaded to pretend that she is dead. Hero's innocence is proven, and Claudio repents. He agrees to accept Antonio's daughter in marriage, and she turns...

Strictly Movie Musicals – Brindley Theatre

19May

By Jan MellorNo Comments

North West

Strictly Movie Musicals – Brindley Theatre

You know when you get that box of chocolates, and you love them all and cannot chose which is your favourite – that’s what watching this performance was like. The cast of the Centenary Theatre Company put on such a spectacular performance that for every song they delivered either as an ensemble or as solo performances they made it impossible to pick a favourite – now that is a rarity in musical theatre! The Centenary cast opened their third instalment in the Strictly franchise with a bang. The director Dan Groes had designed the performance as 5 showcases, transporting the audience to different genres of the world of music. The cast covered the Golden Years of MGM, songs from screen to stage, animated musicals, musicals from books and finally musicals that had earned Oscars. Ea...

Madama Butterfly – Manchester Opera House

27Jan

By Jan MellorNo Comments

North West

Madama Butterfly – Manchester Opera House

What a privilege to be able to see one of Puccini’s most iconic operas, in one of auditoriums built for such a performance – at the Opera House in Manchester. I was so delighted to see this (even if it was on a school night!) and as it was a packed house so were a lot of people. The set was stunning, with the Japanese pagoda and trees across the stage and as the curtain rose we were taken to a mountain top village in Nagasaki, where life was simple, traditions obeyed and love was strong. Lieutenant Pinkerton of the American Navy, awaits his bride to be, the 15 year old naïve Cio-Cio-San, and is shown around his mountain top home by the marriage broker Goro. The American is joined by the American Consul Sharpless, who has adept knowledge of Japanese traditions and knowing that t...

<strong>Matthew Bourne’s Sleeping Beauty – The Lowry</strong>

24Nov

By Jan MellorNo Comments

North West

Matthew Bourne’s Sleeping Beauty – The Lowry

Wow! For the awesome stage set and evocative costumes (such creativity from Lez Brotherton). Wow! For the hauntingly beautiful music (composed by Tchaikovsky) Wow! To the director, choreography and scenario concept (the incredible Sir Matthew Bourne) Wow! To the amazing talent of all the company for their performance, of this sublime version of this well-known fairy tale of deception, passion and devotion. That could be the full scope of my review for the performance at the Lowry – WOW! but I want to share more …… Matthew Bourne is an advocate of the astonishingly beautiful works of the Russian composer Tchaikovsky, having already directed and created the ballets The Nutcracker! (Composed in 1891) and Swan Lake (1877) and now his latest gothic take on the masterpiece S...

Rita, Sue and Bob Too! – Theatre Royal, St Helens

11Nov

By Jan MellorNo Comments

North West

Rita, Sue and Bob Too! – Theatre Royal, St Helens

This show was hilarious – I have to say that from the beginning -as it was rip- roaringly hilarious play and a true tonic to the soul! I went to the wonderful St Helens Theatre Royal with my best mate, she was my best mate from school, and we had loved the 1987 cult classic film when we saw it decades ago and so went together to rekindle memories and see how the live show compared to the film. It did not disappoint. With a strong and local cast of Michael Parr (Emmerdale) as Bob, Jessica Ellis (Hollyoaks) as Michelle, Crissy Rock (Benidorm) as Mum, Jamie Greer as Dad, Kay Nicholson as Rita, and Olivia Sloyan (Blood Brothers) as Sue, it was set to be a remarkable show. From the onset, when the announcer warned that the show had bad language and some scenes of a sexual nature the audie...

<strong>Strange Tale – Shakespeare North Playhouse</strong>

3Nov

By Jan MellorNo Comments

North West

Strange Tale – Shakespeare North Playhouse

Continuing with the opening season at Shakespeare North Playhouse, this tale explores the link between the 16th century poet and playwright to the Merseyside town of Prescot, in a fun, imaginative and engaging way. The production team “Imaginarium” is aptly named and as an award-winning ensemble, took us effortlessly and with enviable talent, through their “Strange Tale” of worm holes, eccentric lords, brassy landladies, besotted girls and tattooed thugs, to their adored town Prescot were somehow the bard had appeared. The Cockpit Theatre was a very fitting place to share with us the tale of how the bard transported from Stratford upon Avon in Tudor times to this pub in the centre of the Liverpudlian town. The links to the original Prescot Playhouse (where now stands a barber shop) w...

Calendar Girls The Musical – Brindley Theatre

27Oct

By Jan MellorNo Comments

North West

Calendar Girls The Musical – Brindley Theatre

Well, we have all probably seen the film – a bunch of middle – aged, bored housewives from a remote Yorkshire village, who, to raise money, decide to do a saucy calendar of them all naked. The film had such stars as Julie Walters and Helen Mirren and was a phenomenal success with all the cast being remembered for their bravery on the big screen. So, for the award-winning amateur dramatic group - D & S Productions – this was an even more courageous choice of show to attempt, in front of a live local audience. But attempt it they did, led by their chair and director/producer Donna Dale and Charlotte Allmand (choreographer), Craig Price (musical director) and Steve Dale (stage manager). To even dream of doing this was ambitious but to bring this challenging concept alive on stage was ...

Romeo and Juliet – Shakespeare North Playhouse

26Sep

By Jan MellorNo Comments

North West

Romeo and Juliet – Shakespeare North Playhouse

This was my second visit in a week to this newly built theatre in the heart of Prescot near Liverpool - so strong was the lure of having a theatre showing Shakespeare’s works in the Northwest of England. Having this auspicious opportunity to visit such a unique and inspiring building and to have these amazing plays on offer, at only a 20- minute drive away, was for me, as a theatre lover - a dream come true. The building of the Shakespeare North Playhouse was two major projects – firstly to build a theatre on the original site, where Richard Harrington constructed a theatre (1597-1603) to show the bards plays and secondly to build an outdoor arena in memory of Liverpool’s iconic comic genius Ken Dodd. Ken Dodd’s Memorial Gardens is set out with traditional stone steps that a...

The Rocky Horror Show – Liverpool Empire

17May

By Jan MellorNo Comments

North West

The Rocky Horror Show – Liverpool Empire

Well, what a hoot! From start to finish this show was an absolute rollercoaster of mayhem, laughter and double-entendres! The Rocky Horror Show – more of a phenomenon now since it first braced the theatres nearly 50 years ago (since 1973)- has become the biggest cult musical of all time. Richard 0’Brien’s wacky story of how two squeaky clean college kids – Brad and his fiancée Janet, when by a twist of fate, find their way into a creepy mansion whilst on their way to visit their former college professor, meet the charismatic Dr Frank ’n’ Furter and change their lives forever, has taken on a new life of its own. I have seen the show a couple of times and thought it’s time I educated my 17-year-old son into the world of “The Mind Warp” and to the craziness that is the Rocky Horror Show. A...

10Mar

By Jan MellorNo Comments

North West

We Will Rock You – Brindley Theatre

At last, the near two-year wait is over, as amateur musical groups can return once more to the place they belong - in their local theatres, doing what they do best – entertaining. “Codys Productions”, a youth company of cast members aged between 11-18 years old, produced by Nick Cupit since its conception in 1996, are firm favourites at the Brindley theatre having played their last remarkable show there-“Battle of the Boat” in March 2020, just as the pandemic hit the nation, and so were welcomed with open arms for this show that depicts the story of a gang of youths who fight to regain the world that was once normal – quite ironic and very fitting – and bring back music to the world , the world 300 years from now when the post-apocalyptic world is controlled by Globalsoft and known as P...