Luke Stephenson, Author at North West End UK

Alice in Wonderland – Liverpool Playhouse

7Jul

By Luke StephensonNo Comments

North West

Alice in Wonderland – Liverpool Playhouse

Last night, at the Liverpool Playhouse Theatre, I was invited to watch Alice in Wonderland. A short synopsis of the story is that we (as audience members) were transported back to the old ages, specifically the 1990s (which at that point, I felt old knowing it was 30 years ago). Where stereos played cassettes. Alice (Paislie Reid) was fixing her stereo player, as it had stopped working. She wanted to hear the song her dad Simon would sing to her before he sadly wasn't around anymore. In came her brother Lewis (Zweyla Mitchell Dos Santos) with a birthday cake for Alice. Like most brothers, Lewis got on Alice's nerves. Alice wouldn't let Lewis interfere with the stereo in case she made things worse. After a few more tweaks to the stereo, she was transported to a wonderland within the cassett...

Murder at Cadberry Manor – Hope Street Theatre

12May

By Luke StephensonNo Comments

North West

Murder at Cadberry Manor – Hope Street Theatre

A murder has taken place at the Cadberry Manor in Liverpool’s Hope Street Theatre. A 4am production directed by Phil Halfpenny. I was excited to see this show as it was completely sold out and of course like most people I do love a bit of true crime. The story consists of Detective Harrie Bo (Rafaela Dias) arrived at the scene to investigate the murder of Toby Le Rone (Phil Halfpenny) who at the time was hosting a dinner party which included guests such as his son Captain Robert Le Rone (Sab Muthusamy), his ex-wife Veronica Viscount (Kristin Jaap), Dr Whispa (Adam Titchmarsh), Friar Tuckshop (Tristan Harper), Felicity Flake (Rosie Bennett) Lord and Lady Thornton (Alan Kenny and Lisa Morgan). They were all enjoying a few social wines when Tony Le Rone announces a change to his last will ...

A Thong for Europe – Liverpool’s Royal Court

30Apr

By Luke StephensonNo Comments

North West

A Thong for Europe – Liverpool’s Royal Court

One of the biggest things to happen to Liverpool is that Eurovision is coming to the city and because of this shows are popping up with the Eurovision theme. The Royal court was no exception. A Thong for Europe written by Johnathan Harvey and Directed by Stephen Fletcher. Set in Waterloo the show opens with Lulu (Lindzi Germain) giving a eulogy at her mum’s funeral Steph (Eithne Browne) who loved Eurovision. But was sadly taken to the other side by a death trap of a hanging basket. Steph came to Lulu, and requested her ashes be scattered on the Eurovision Stage. Lulu and her son Terry (Andro Cowperthwaite) opened their home so that they could get a bit of extra cash and even maybe tickets to Eurovision it's self so that they can forfill the wish of their dear mother and grandmother. Som...

Little White Feathers – Hope Street Theatre

25Apr

By Luke StephensonNo Comments

North West

Little White Feathers – Hope Street Theatre

I’m often excited when I get to see new works especially musicals. Last night’s offering was called ‘Little White Feathers’ a story of love, loss and laughter with 17 original songs. This story is a tale of two ladies, firstly Vivian Edwards (Kate Mulrooney) who sadly lost her daughter as a young girl. A pain that never really goes away for a mother. She believes that when she finds a white feather it’s a sign from her late mother that she (her angel) is with her watching over her. Viv owns a costume shop in Liverpool with her husband Frankie (Tony Prince) and their motto is it’s always a yes, no matter of the request. In to the shop walks in a young American girl called Emmy (Beth McShane) from the Deep South. She’s in Liverpool on the search to find her biological father. Upon enterin...

Beauty and the Beast – St Helens Theatre Royal

8Apr

By Luke StephensonNo Comments

North West

Beauty and the Beast – St Helens Theatre Royal

It’s time for a seasonal pantomime in St Helens and this spring offering is a Regal Entertainment’s version of Beauty and the Beast written by Liam Mellor and directed by Chantelle Nolan. As with all pantomimes here at Theatre Royal and I’ve reviewed many here it was full of audience interactions, audience participation and the odd on the fence joke with an audience member or two getting involved on stage. So, to the story, Fairy Rose (Maria Lovelady) came on to the stage to tell us all about the little town of petit pois. Gaston (Auguste Voulton) with his big muscles and charisma wanted to take Belle (Lauren McCrory) as his bride but she wasn’t interested and definitely didn’t want to marry him, so Gaston and his mother Madame Botox (Abigail Middleton) hatched a plan by slipping a poti...

16Mar

By Luke StephensonNo Comments

North West

Bingo Star – Liverpool’s Royal Court

A new show is bestowed on the Royal Court stage in Liverpool called Bingo Star written by Iain Christie and directed by Emma Bird. Bingo can offer a mixed bag of emotions such as excitement, suspense, tension and laughter. This was certainly inhibited the same feelings when watching bingo star. I say this in a literal sense because audience members can have a chance to win £50 per game of bingo (3 in total) if you’re lucky enough to win the game the cast sing a ballad to the winner such as We Are The Champions by Queen. As well as getting the audience members involved with various call outs. For example, if you’re a lucky winner you don’t shout bingo, no you shout EE ah Lad. But as bingo caller Arthur says you don’t win until he says the win is legit and audience members have to shout b...

15Mar

By Luke StephensonNo Comments

North West

An Inspector Calls – Liverpool Empire

Upon writing this review I’m still trying to process what I saw upon the empire stage last. I can’t put into words (ironically) how good it was, but I will certainly give it a go. It also comes with a bit of sadness because usually when I write reviews, I hope that it encourages people to watch however, this run has already completely sold out so if you like what you are reading do check out where it is performing if it’s in your area or an area near you be quick and snap up tickets. I studied ‘An Inspector Calls’ by J B Priestley in school I would say it’s one of the first plays that gripped me and drew me in and got me in to theatre so when given the chance to see it live I was very excited. This production was directed by Stephen Daldry. It was a dark rainy night; children were pl...

The Wizard of Oz – St Helens Theatre Royal

18Feb

By Luke StephensonNo Comments

North West

The Wizard of Oz – St Helens Theatre Royal

It’s Pantomime season again in St Helens with this half term’s offering of The Wizard of Oz Directed by Reece Sibbald. Dorothy (Maddie Hope Coelho) is caught in a twister storm and is transported to the Land of Oz with her little companion the very cute and adorable ToTo the Dog. However, in order to get home she must seek to find the almighty Wizard of Oz down the yellow brick road. However, it wasn’t going to be quite so easy as she first thought as the Wicked Witch (Bethany Grace) vowed to make Dorothy pay for killing her sister when her house landed on her after the twister. Glinda (Hayley Russell) reassured Dorothy by saying as long as you have those Ruby Shoes on your feet the wicked which couldn’t harm her. Upon her journey she found a Scarecrow (Reece Sibbald) who needed a Brain...

<strong>Scouse Jack and the Beanstalk – Liverpool’s Royal Court</strong>

17Nov

By Luke StephensonNo Comments

North West

Scouse Jack and the Beanstalk – Liverpool’s Royal Court

It’s the beginning of the pantomime season up and down the country and I’m pleased to be welcomed back at the Royal Court Theatre in Liverpool to review this year’s pantomime of Scouse Jack and the Beanstalk written by Kevin Fearon and directed by Stephen Fletcher. Deep in Crosby Jack Jones (Micheal Fletcher) is a lazy lad he gets high and wants to find treasure on an adventure, his mum Mrs Jones (Lindzi Germain) is fewmin. The bills are sky high and the milk from daisy the cow (Jake Abraham) is barely enough to cover the rising costs. So, she sends Jack out to get a job. So, he goes off to the Greatie Market. The council have their share of problems to as the city is broke there is no money and the mayor (Liam Tobin) has to make drastic cuts to make the big Eon in the sky happy, with t...

<strong>The Mousetrap – Liverpool Empire</strong>

9Nov

By Luke StephensonNo Comments

North West

The Mousetrap – Liverpool Empire

There's been a murder within the community. Now when you think of murder mystery shows you either get a 3-course meal or your gathered around a Cluedo board wondering if it was Colonel Mustard in the billiard room with the knife. But this, however, was a full-scale production at the Liverpool Empire theatre. Agatha Christie's The Mousetrap directed by Ian Talbot OBE and Denise Silvey. A new guest house has opened, and the hosts Mollie Ralston (Joelle Dyson) and Giles Ralston (Laurence Pears) are ready and waiting to welcome their guests. However, all is not as it seems, a murder has been committed by someone in a long coat, light scarf and a velvet hat. Everyone is a suspect. The first guest to arrive is Christopher Wren (Elliot Clay) an architect who loves to cook and find every person...