Mark Davoren, Author at North West End UK

Noga Ritter Trio – Manchester Jewish Museum

21Oct

By Mark DavorenNo Comments

North West

Noga Ritter Trio – Manchester Jewish Museum

Noga Ritter made her inaugural performance as part of Manchester Jewish Museum’s Synagogue Nights autumn 2022 season, delighting the audience with a fusion of diverse musical influences from around the world, in particular Africa, South America and the Middle East. Joined by Tomer Eldor on Piano and Giuliano Osella on percussion, the trio took us on an eclectic journey informed as much by Ritter’s upbringing in Israel as her experiences of other cultures including taking Hebrew back to its original nomadic context. The opening song, Falling In Love In The Middle Of Lockdown, had an infectious rhythm with poetic lyrics, whilst Horizon that followed drew on Ritter’s time in Haifa near the sea and reflected strong emotions reinforced by a bluesy piano providing a richer, deeper and hope...

The Day They Kidnapped The Pope – Rainhill Village Hall

15Oct

By Mark DavorenNo Comments

North West

The Day They Kidnapped The Pope – Rainhill Village Hall

Rainhill Garrick Society start their 80th birthday celebrations with a bang with this startling and surreal comedy whose improbable events become all too believable through the magic of the theatre. Written in 1979 by Joao Bethencourt, a celebrated Hungarian actor, playwright and director, it was well received throughout Europe including a rave review when presented in Rome. On a visit to New York, the Pope (Rick Young) mistakenly gets into a taxi and is immediately kidnapped by its driver, Samuel Leibowitz (George Lowe) who takes him to his Brooklyn home much to the surprise of his wife Sara (Tracey Duffy) and daughters Esther (Sophie Brogan) and Miriam (Lucy Whitfield). As events outside unfold through TV media (Angela Vose; Tom Nevitt), the demands of the ransom become clear: a day o...

A Midsummer Night’s Dream – Shakespeare North Playhouse

28Sep

By Mark DavorenNo Comments

North West

A Midsummer Night’s Dream – Shakespeare North Playhouse

One of Shakespeare’s most popular comedies was chosen to formally launch the main theatre at Shakespeare North Playhouse although more tragically it was to crash into more than one self-inflicted iceberg on the night. As we meet the Duke (David Nellist), and his newly conquered betrothed, Hippolyta (Yazmin Kayani), Egeus (Tia-Bella Easton) interrupts proceedings to complain about her daughter, Hermia (Rebecca Hesketh Smith), who loves Lysander (William Grint) despite her father’s preferred match of Demetrius (Tyler Dobbs), who in turn is unwelcomingly pursued by Helena (Kate James). Hermia’s choice is clear: follow your father’s wishes or face either death or life as a nun. She steals away with Lysander in the night through the forest, rapidly pursued by Demetrius and Helena. Also pr...

The Importance of Being Earnest – Cambridge Arts Theatre

26Sep

By Mark DavorenNo Comments

South East

The Importance of Being Earnest – Cambridge Arts Theatre

The challenge of Oscar Wilde is not in the words but ensuring the performance does them justice. There were no such fears with director Denzel Westley-Sanderson’s laugh-out loud production which delights from the off. As butler Lane (Valentine Hanson) prepares tea at the London home of dandy Algernon Moncrief (Abiola Owokoniran), the delicately balanced glasses cleverly hint at the challenges to come when his friend John Worthing (Justice Ritchie) arrives, explaining that when he tires of life in the country looking after his teenage ward, he escapes to enjoy the high life of the city under the guise of seeing his wayward brother, ‘Ernest’. Algernon, in turn, regales him with his exploits of escaping the city in reverse fashion. Algernon’s aunt, Lady Bracknell (Daniel Jacob), arrives wi...

The Producers – Theatre Royal, St Helens

23Sep

By Mark DavorenNo Comments

North West

The Producers – Theatre Royal, St Helens

Mel Brooks’ 2001 musical is everything you could hope for and more with political incorrectness littered throughout – taking it to the stage is another challenge and in spite of a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic, Pilkington Musical Theatre Company’s production under the direction of James Kirby was a masterclass in song, dance, and comic timing. An out of luck Broadway producer Max Bialystock (Andrew Marsh) and his accountant Leo Bloom (Adam Hurst) stumble upon Franz Leibkind’s (Ben Greenall) ‘Springtime for Hitler’ and realise that producing the worst musical ever will make their fortune, but just to be sure they select the campest directing team possible led by the magnificent Roger Debris (Seb Farrell) and assistant Carmen (Andrew Rauer). Throw in Swedish seductress Ulla (Sarah J...

Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra Season Opening Concert – Liverpool Philharmonic Hall

20Sep

By Mark DavorenNo Comments

North West

Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra Season Opening Concert – Liverpool Philharmonic Hall

Domingo Hindoyan’s second season as Chief Conductor started in fine style with a programme of Central European masterpieces, with Janáček’s mighty orchestral Sinfonietta paired with Mahler’s heavenly song-symphony to herald – with trumpets and sleighbells respectively – the musical delights to come, including the Liverpool debut of the brilliant Czech soprano, Kateřina Kněžíková. Leoš Janáček (1854-1928) composed his Sinfonietta in 1926 with its first performance on 26th June of that year in Prague. A passionate and deeply patriotic Czech, he was thrilled when his homeland achieved independence at the end of World War I and dedicated the piece to the new Czech Army in celebration of ‘contemporary free man, his spiritual beauty and joy, his strength, courage, and determination to fight f...

Truus’ Children – Manchester Jewish Museum

13Sep

By Mark DavorenNo Comments

North West

Truus’ Children – Manchester Jewish Museum

Special Eyes Productions documentary tells the extraordinary story of the largely unknown Dutch resistance heroine Truus Wijsmuller (1896-1978), who managed to rescue more than 10.000 people from the hands of the Nazis in the years immediately before and during the Second World War thanks to her unprecedented perseverance, tact, and courage. Most of them were between 2 and 18 years old. This September, as part of European Days of Jewish Culture and Heritage 2022, in cooperation with Margaret and Richard Jacobi, and with the support of the Dutch Embassy in the United Kingdom, the story of a remarkable lady who did what everybody could have done, but nobody did, is being shown. This improbable story, hidden for almost 80 years, comes to life in great detail in ‘Truus’ Children’. When f...

Twopence To Cross The Mersey – Floral Pavilion

13Sep

By Mark DavorenNo Comments

North West

Twopence To Cross The Mersey – Floral Pavilion

Adapted by Rob Fennah from Helen Forrester’s million-selling book and directed by Gareth Tudor Price, Twopence To Cross The Mersey is a period drama set in the early 1930’s during the Great Depression. Helen’s (Jenny Murphy) spendthrift father (Mark Moraghan) has been declared bankrupt forcing the family to leave behind the nannies, servants, and beautiful middle-class home in the south of England. With little more than the clothes they stand up in, the family take the train to Liverpool where they hope to rebuild their shattered lives, although mother (Lynn Francis) is plagued by other doubts, but it is not the wealthy port that used to exist as the city too has changed and fallen on harder times. With the parents looking for work, Helen is taken out of school to look after her sibl...

The Crucible – Woolton Drama Group at St James’ Hall, Woolton

19Aug

By Mark DavorenNo Comments

North West

The Crucible – Woolton Drama Group at St James’ Hall, Woolton

Whilst Arthur Miller’s 1953 play dramatises the true story of the horrific with hunts in Salem, Massachusetts at the end of the 17th century, at its time of writing it was an allegory of the anti-Communist persecutions in post-World War 2 McCarthy era USA. That it remains an accurate reflection of the fashion and fad culture of today reinforces the idiom that rather than learn from history we continue to make the same mistakes. Act I sets the background to the play and to the mischief which will become frenzy as the sanity of this God-fearing community is broken down with the upright Reverend Pariss (Andrew Parsons) and the Putnams (Curtis McGuinness and Georgina Anwyl) waiting expectantly on his afflicted daughter Betty (Razz Cadman). The arrival of Giles Corey (Zoran Blackie), Reveren...

3Aug

By Mark DavorenNo Comments

REVIEWS

Roped In – United Wolves Productions

Roped In from screenwriter Dylan Cullum – based on Rope by Ane Skarvǿy – is a short film from United Wolves Productions under the direction of Michael Wolf with cinematographic support from Nadia Parpova, who also edits, and sound from Tennur Daud. Filmed in a single location, Ben (Dan Kralev) appears to be in control of the situation with Selma (Zori Dragiyska) but is all as it really seems? Psychologically gripping, it’s dark on the drama and heavy on the intrigue with a healthy dose of black humour coursing through it to keep you guessing at what may be unravelling in front of your eyes. Kralev captures the hope and hopelessness of Ben perfectly whilst Dragiyska is captivating as the alluring femme fatale, and with both providing strong, believable performances and the action subt...