Katie Leicester, Author at North West End UK

3Mar

By Katie LeicesterNo Comments

North West

Footloose – Manchester Opera House

Hooray theatre land is beginning to get back to some normality after being hit hard by the pandemic, for the first time there was no need for Covid passes or compulsory wearing of masks. For that alone there was a heightened sense of excitement, and it was clear theatre goers are feeling more confident to mix as the Opera House in Manchester was packed to the rafters with barely one seat empty. Footloose the musical is the brainchild of Dean Pitchford and Walter Bobby with Music from Tom Snow it’s based on the 1984 film which starred Kevin Bacon as city boy Ren McCormack (played by Joshua Hawkins), who arrives with his mother Ethel (Geri Allen) in Beaumont from Chicago in a rebellious mood after learning of the town’s dancing ban. The ban came following an incident five years prior a...

19Jan

By Katie LeicesterNo Comments

North West

Looking Good Dead – The Lowry

The absolute stunning Lowry Theatre hosted Peter James’ stage adaptation of ‘Looking Good Dead’ starring Adam Woodyatt and Gaynor Faye as Mr and Mrs Bryce a family caught up in this crime and thriller script. Peter James is a best-selling author best known for his crime fiction novels and the creator of the much loved Detective Superintendent Roy Grace, he has achieved global book sales of over 21 million copies which have been translated into almost 40 languages. Peter James was born in 1948 in Brighton, so it seems fitting that his script location is that of his hometown. I must be honest I have not read any of the books in the Roy Grace series or watched his two feature-length film adaptations ‘Grace’ on television which seemingly attracted over seven million viewers, so my review...

18Jan

By Katie LeicesterNo Comments

North West

The Rocky Horror Show – Palace Theatre

Since the original show was spawned in 1973 the ‘Rocky Horror Show’ has gained generations of theatregoers who have been seduced by its mix of horror-comedy and science-fiction script, backed with some iconic songs such as ‘The Time Warp’ whilst dressed up in glittering corsets and eye-catching lingerie has become an institution that encourages glamour, silliness and having a damn good time. It is hard to believe that this show is nearly half a century old as it has absolutely no signs of ageing as it continues to entice the old and the youth of today through its doors with its bright, bold and extremely risqué script that bursts into life from the beginning through to the finale. I remember my first viewing as a teenager in the 1980’s with my mum and grandmother and I was mortified ...

10Dec

By Katie LeicesterNo Comments

North West

The Book of Mormon – Palace Theatre

The Book of Mormon has been making global headlines since it hit the Broadway stage in New York in January 2011. The musical is the creation of Trey Parker, Robert Lopez and Matt Stone and it’s a story that takes you through the journey of two young American Mormon missionaries who are sent from the comfort of Salt Lake City to Uganda to spread the word and teachings of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The lead characters are Elder Kevin Price (Robert Colvin) who is looking forward to his two-year mission whilst praying he will be posted to Orlando a magical place where he once visited as a child and dreams, he will return, whilst his partner Elder Arnold Cunningham (Connor Peirson) a nerdy overweight compulsive liar and fantasist missionary is solely looking for a be...

19Oct

By Katie LeicesterNo Comments

North West

Forgotten Voices – Hope Mill Theatre

The adaptable Hope Mill Theatre hosted the one woman show inspired by the life of Eva Moorhead Kadalie the wife of Clements Kadalie first black national trade union leader from South Africa. Shareesa Valentine whose stage and tv credits include Band of Gold, Hollyoaks, The Syndicate, Dumping Ground and Last Tango in Halifax played Eva a strong South African woman who was reflecting on her life and the transitions through the voices in her head that had been forgotten or suppressed that made her the female she was just before she was about to embark on the last journey to a new life in England with her son Victor. ‘Forgotten Voices’ was written by David Moorhead the grandson of Eva who stated in an interview "My grandmother was glamorous and warm hearted but beneath lay a complex pers...

26May

By Katie LeicesterNo Comments

North West

Meet Me at Dawn – Hope Mill Theatre

“No matter how bad your heart is broken, the world doesn't stop for your grief or does it?” “Death ends a life, not a relationship.” The stunning Hope Mill Theatre opened its doors to a long-awaited theatre audience eager to get back to watching live performing arts. The Covid safety screening was efficient and slick where the front of house staff guided you through from the box office to the bar area where they had tables with sectioned screens and table service to minimise movement. British playwright, screenwriter and director Zinnie Harris’ Meet Me at Dawn was first performed at the Traverse Theatre in Scotland in 2017 at the age of 48 her plays have been translated and performed in many countries and she has directed for a number of theatres, including the Royal Shakespear...