Luke Stephenson, Author at North West End UK

8Jul

By Luke StephensonNo Comments

North West

Ellen & Rigby – Royal Court

I always get excited when I’m reviewing at the Liverpool's Royal Court Theatre because the experience is always second to none. This time was no exception. Ellen & Rigby by Gerry Linford the show synopsis is as follows “Lucky in life, unlucky in love, Ellen has been looking for a man. Now, thanks to the organisational power of the NHS, Joe Rigby has been dropped in her lap! A rock star who nearly made it in 1985, Joe has been living alone for so long that he didn’t realise that he was unhappy so it’s a good job Ellen arrived to let him know. He needs taking in hand (not like that, you dirty ticket) and Ellen is quite the catch. She was Miss Old Swan in 1991 and that kind of beauty doesn’t fade away no matter how many years are heaped on top of it. After 12 months alone, the...

18Jun

By Luke StephensonNo Comments

North West

Electric Dreams – Norton Priory Museum

Imagine this setting, your sat on a garden chair eating a picnic and you pop open the champagne. As you relax the sun sets in front of you and the odd plane flies past above your head. You can’t help but fall in love with the relaxing setting. It was a perfect evening to watch the opening night of Electric Dreams a musical adaption of Midsummer Nights Dream (by William Shakespeare) at Norton Priory Museum and Gardens. In a creative partnership with A Place for us. A short synopsis in case you don’t know, Its Midsummer Night in 1980s Athens, four young lovers and a group of workmen 'wannabe' actors find themselves entranced and entrapped in an enchanted forest where Rock Diva Fairies rule and a mischievous sprite is hell bent on causing havoc…what could possibly go wrong? The show...

For The Grace of You Go I – Theatr Clwyd

15Jun

By Luke StephensonNo Comments

Wales

For The Grace of You Go I – Theatr Clwyd

Last night was the opening night at Theatr Clwyd’s latest production of ‘For the grace of you go I’ the synopsis of the show is stated as “Adding meats to pizzas, Jim’s life is going nowhere. But watching I Hired A Contract Killer, he finds a solution – he will just put out a hit on himself. What could possibly go wrong?” A darkly funny new comedy. The show lasted 80 mins in duration. From the moment you walk in you feel immersed. The visual effects were eye-catching and your drawn into the performance. I felt that the performance was tense and resonated with how society can perceive disability. Both in and out of the workplace. It resonated with me personally. As I have been subjected to some of the ridicule shown within the peace. I found it to be thought provoking and it was ni...

31May

By Luke StephensonNo Comments

North West

Sleeping Beauty – M&S Bank Arena

Live theatre is back after over. A year of wanting and hoping it was amazing to be in an auditorium waiting for the curtain to rise. Sleeping Beauty at the M&S Bank auditorium until the 6th of June. The show had Gareth Gates (Les Miserable and Pop Idol), Bippo who is the comedy relief in the show, and Emma Grace Arends as Beauty amongst a small chorus. The show is approx. 2 hours long with one interval. Watching the show I felt it was rather flat, it’s opening weekend energy is meant to be high but I just felt underwhelmed. The music over shadowed the microphones so some parts of the vocals were lost. Moving on some lines were muddled up and Gareth Gates entered too early for his scene. Bippo however, rescued it well. It came to a point where it was a live rehearsal not an opening w...

19Apr

By Luke StephensonNo Comments

REVIEWS

Private Peaceful – Barn Theatre

Last night I had the chance to review one of my favourite books Private Peaceful as performed by Boxless Theatre productions and Barn Theatre. The production was directed by Alexander Knott and Zoe Grain. Micheal Morpurgo’s book Private Peaceful is set in Devon during World War One. It is told from the perspective of Tommo Peaceful, played by Emily Costello. Who is the first female actress to play Tommo. Her performance that was described by Michael Morpurgo as “extraordinary.” Barn theatre say that “Private Peaceful tells the story of Private Tommo Peaceful, who looks back on his upbringing, his romance with childhood sweetheart, Molly and the terrible events that saw him taken from this idyllic setting and into the horrors of war”. Throughout the show it jumps between the pa...