Lou Steggals, Author at North West End UK

26Apr

By Lou SteggalsNo Comments

North West

The Dice House – St Hilda’s Church Hall

What with cast members in their undies, an unorthodox mix of gore-y horror and Carry-On slapstick, and random acts of murder, the good Lord may have wished to avert his heavenly eyes from the on-stage shenanigans arising in the innocent church hall of St Hilda’s. The Dice House, by Paul Lucas, is a very black comedy in which under the conceit of research, psychiatrist Dr Ratner, pursues ‘Dice Therapy’ – where every decision, from the clothes you eat to the people you choose to be intimate with, is based on the roll of the dice. When a rival psychiatrist, Dr Drabble, attempts to infiltrate the centre to rescue (or kidnap, depending on your point of view) his wife, with the aid of the slightly witless Matthew, all hell quickly breaks loose. What is an intriguing premise, inviting a...

23Mar

By Lou SteggalsNo Comments

North West

Buckled – 53two

It’s Wine O’Clock somewhere. Hic-Hic-Hooray. Eat, sleep, Gin, repeat. How many of us can honestly say we haven’t reached the end of a working week and our mind has turned to relaxing with friends or family and a few drinks via an alcohol-themed pun or two. But where is the line when enjoying a bevy becomes a serious problem? Helen Jeffery’s slick and thought provoking one-act play, Buckled, which she also directs, gives us a glimpse in the consequences of out-of-control drinking. A simple set of a table and two chairs is thoughtfully used and, through a mix of mono- and dialogues and ensemble speeches, delivered by three excellent actors, and a cleverly curated Britpop soundtrack, we have the opportunity to consider our own relationship with the ‘demon drink’ (and possibly feel s...

Queen Extravaganza – Manchester o2 Apollo

17Feb

By Lou SteggalsNo Comments

North West

Queen Extravaganza – Manchester o2 Apollo

50 years ago, the late, great Freddie Mercury and his fellow Queen bandmates put the finishing touches to a bombastic six-minute piece of prog rock, featuring one of the most famous moments of rock falsetto that, despite mixed critical reaction, would go on to top the UK charts not once but twice. Tonight, Queen Extravaganza, the official tribute band with members hand-picked by Roger Taylor and Brian May, roll into Manchester as part of a UK tour to celebrate Bohemian Rhapsody’s Golden Jubilee, alongside a set-list crammed with other greatest hits. To pay homage to a band like Queen is like picking low-hanging fruit, in that you are assured of a fantastic catalogue of music that weaves through hard rock, heavy metal and operatic sensibilities. Queen Extravaganza, to their cre...

The Room Where it Happens – The Grange Theatre

2Feb

By Lou SteggalsNo Comments

North West

The Room Where it Happens – The Grange Theatre

Theatregoers today have a huge range of shows to choose from and, for musical theatre theatres, it’s always a treat to get a reminder of the dazzling tapestry of pop, rock, hip-hop and opera at the heart of stories that cover themes as diverse as revolution and social equality to absurdities of everyday life. C.A.S.T productions have done just that with an eclectic and electric programme of musical theatre anthems. With the company’s inclusive ethos, we have a diverse mix of vocalists showcasing tunes from stage classics like Guys and Dolls and Gypsy, through to the modern blockbusters like Hamilton and Wicked. Photo - Rob Bentley, Mid-Cheshire Camera Club Director Louise Colohan and Michael Shneck have pulled together a smart set list that gives each cast member a chance to...

An Evening of Talking Heads – Hope Street Theatre

7Dec

By Lou SteggalsNo Comments

North West

An Evening of Talking Heads – Hope Street Theatre

When Alan Bennett wrote the play Enjoy, in which an elderly couple find themselves being packed up to become a living museum exhibit, there’s a chance he might have been seeing the future for many of his other characters. Tonight, we have three monologues from Bennett’s first series of Talking Heads, first broadcast in 1988. The series, which has become a staple of English literature syllabus’, provides a variety of perspectives on themes such as isolation, guilt, and loneliness. Pieces like these will always present a bit of a challenge to some audiences – those who remember the time-period will find warmth in evocative references to times gone by, but younger audience members may find the idea of regularly writing letters, waiting for a call on a landline, or the 1980s buying power...

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory – Northwich Memorial Court

24Oct

By Lou SteggalsNo Comments

North West

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory – Northwich Memorial Court

Ever since Gene Wilder invited us into a world of ‘Pure Imagination’ in the 1971 film, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory has been a story for the ages; a morality tale of the honest and good being (eventually) rewarded and the horrid and greedy getting their comeuppance. With the popularity of other children’s fantasies, such as Matilda, being translated to the stage, this was an obvious candidate for adaptation. For those who’ve lived in Loompaland for all their lives and haven’t discovered Roald Dahl’s long-adored story, we meet young Charlie Bucket, living in abject poverty with his hardworking mother and four bedridden grandparents. He dreams of Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory at the end of the road. Soon Wonka announces a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity – those who find one o...

Pali and Jay’s Ultimate Asian Wedding DJ Roadshow – Octagon Theatre

17Oct

By Lou SteggalsNo Comments

North West

Pali and Jay’s Ultimate Asian Wedding DJ Roadshow – Octagon Theatre

The wedding caterers may not have turned up, but Bhangra beats, Snapchat and sabotage are still on the menu of tonight’s performance. The show’s storyline is a simplistic one – DJ Pali (Jas Binag) is keen to permanently recruit his young assistant Jay (Viraj Juneja, who also wrote the show) to his Asian wedding DJ business, improve their Google rankings, and complete his LED-tile dance floor, goals that Jay seems a little reluctant to commit to. The show is described as am immersive experience, as various threats to Pali’s ambitions present themselves over the course of 75 minutes. Pali and Jay are certainly a likeable pair and the bursts of music certainly get the toes tapping but the rest is less convincing. For an energetic wedding party, it’s a slow burner that seems to only find...

Jane Eyre – Altrincham Garrick Playhouse

8Oct

By Lou SteggalsNo Comments

North West

Jane Eyre – Altrincham Garrick Playhouse

Bringing to life Charlotte Brontë’s vivid, sprawling gothic tale of love, independence and moral struggle will always be a demanding task of any theatre company, requiring evocative visuals and lighting, pace and energy and commanding performances from the leading actors. Altrincham Garrick’s production achieves all of this in spades. Carole Carr’s assured direction of Polly Teale’s adaptation, has created an engrossing account of Jane Eyre, as we go through the key moments of her life – beginning with the ill treatment she bears at the hands of her aunt and cousins, and the harsh reality of school life at a time when life expectancy can be cruelly short, through to her time at Thornfield as governess to the ward of the enigmatic Mr Rochester and the aftermath of discovering the devasta...

29Aug

By Lou SteggalsNo Comments

North West

Addams Family – Norton Priory

Supermarkets may already be loading up with Christmas specials, but against the eerie background of a twilight-lit Norton Priory, there’s a spookier vibe in the air. As the famous theme tune of the original 1960s tv show fills the air, the fabulous youth ensemble of community theatre group, A Place for Us, gather in front of us clicking their way into the roles America’s quirkiest family. In this condensed version, Wednesday Addams has fallen in love with a young man she meets in the park (wooing him with her crossbow skills) and the family has to pull together to convince her beau’s parents that they are ‘normal’, with games, misunderstandings, and Grandma’s dodgy potions on the menu of a dinner party no-one will forget. Tonight’s production is a great showcase of local talent an...

The Grill (Jokes about ovens) – The King’s Arms

14Aug

By Lou SteggalsNo Comments

North West

The Grill (Jokes about ovens) – The King’s Arms

In the small studio theatre above a Manchester pub, the pressure is on. Two chefs, drafted into a prison kitchen due to a staff strike to cook the Death Row inmates’ final meals. Welcome to The Grill where the stakes are high and the steaks are non-existent, our soon-to-be-deceased favouring garden salads and soup instead before they depart this plane of existence. Directed by Adam Cachia, our two chefs Tom and Wally filet and flambé their way through a blackly funny script that explores everything from class wars, culinary memories and how to fleece a Tesco meal deal. There are some spicy one liners, lovely wordplay, and great blocking of the two main actors that builds in some enjoyable physicality. There are a few fluffed lines here and there but both cope marvellously with the...