Max Eden, Author at North West End UK

Shrek the Musical – Opera House, Manchester

3Aug

By Max EdenNo Comments

North West

Shrek the Musical – Opera House, Manchester

Shrek the Musical is mesmerising extravaganza that is a great way to introduce children to the theatre and performing arts. Shrek the Musical has arrived at Manchester Opera House and is an absolute delight that brings the beloved ogre and his endearing companions to life on stage in an unforgettable theatrical experience. The cast is an absolute tour de force, with each actor embodying their iconic character with undeniable charm and flair. Shrek played by Anthony Lawrence has a warmth and energy that the audience immediately connect with and perfectly captures the grumpy yet lovable demeanour of everyone’s favourite ogre. Lawrence has a great on stage chemistry with Joanne Clifton who plays Princess Fiona with a great stage presence. Brandon Lee Sears as Donkey and James Gillan ...

28Jul

By Max EdenNo Comments

North West

Message In a Bottle – The Lowry

Based on the songs of Sting; Message in a Bottle is a breathtaking dance production that immerses its audience in a captivating narrative of hope, resilience, and human connection. It is really quite incredible! From the opening scene to the final curtain call, this show delivers an emotional rollercoaster that will leave your heart so full, following the story of one family and their three teenage children as they are uprooted and displaced by civil war and go through the harsh reality of fleeing for safety. The choreography by Kate Prince is nothing short of extraordinary. Every movement, every gesture, and every leap conveys a profound story, captivating the audience and creating a powerful visual spectacle. The dance sequences are executed flawlessly, blending contemporary ...

Greatest Days – Palace Theatre, Manchester

20May

By Max EdenNo Comments

North West

Greatest Days – Palace Theatre, Manchester

What a time to be a Take That fan! Just weeks after Take That’s incredible performance at the Coronation Concert; the bands own musical; Greatest Days arrives in Manchester, delivering a heart-warming story alongside those all important Take That hits. Greatest Days is so cleverly written by Tim Firth, it’s a story which is not only relatable, it’s emotional and moving without being far fetched or fantasy - it’s winning formula is that it’s about ordinary people, the fans and not about the stars themselves - and by doing this - you find yourself rooting for the cast throughout. Greatest Days is a refreshed version of the 2017 Musical; The Band which featured a TV contest; Let it Shine in the lead up to find the 5 boys to be in the band. This time around, it’s a different cast feat...

10Mar

By Max EdenNo Comments

North West

Opera North: Tosca – The Lowry

Opera North’s return to the Lowry this month is reason indeed to celebrate; even more so with the revival of Edwin Dick’s acclaimed production of Tosca being part of this year’s touring programme. Written over 120 years ago; Puccini’s Tosca is still just as thrilling, as captivating and gives you much more drama than anything you’d find on Netflix. The heroine is a renowned prima donna, her hero an artist, and the villain the corrupt head of the secret police. With everything from love and blackmail, to revenge and even murder… Tosca really will leave you questioning just how far you would go to save the ones you love. Giselle Allen returns as Floria Tosca alongside Ukrainian Tenor; Mykhailo Malafii as Mario Cavardossi, Both deliver powerhouse performances throughout with chemistr...

26Feb

By Max EdenNo Comments

North West

Chicago Blues Brothers – Opera House

The Blues Brothers hit movie theatres in 1980 and very soon after that, became a cult Classic; filled with feel-good blues music, iconic quotes and those recognisable black shades and trilby hats which have become a firm favourite at any fancy dress party! The insatiable fun and energy of that film has been kept alive thanks to the Chicago Blues Brothers; the group has been touring for over 30 years and their blend of high energy routines and feel good numbers has delighted thousands of audiences around the world. Their latest tour: titled ‘Cruisin for a Blues in’ is a hit filled show which takes you on a journey through the music capitals of the USA with an incredible soundtrack which has the entire Manchester audience dancing in the aisles. Chris Hindle and Gareth Davey star as ...

<strong>A Christmas Carol – Buxton Opera House</strong>

17Nov

By Max EdenNo Comments

North West

A Christmas Carol – Buxton Opera House

Charles Dicken’s famous ‘Christmas Carol’ is one of the most memorable and most loved Christmas stories of all time and the Chapterhouse Theatre’s latest touring production of Dicken’s famous festive offering is a true to the book recount. Staged inside the Smaller Pavilion Theatre at Buxton Opera House, The Chapterhouse Theatre have returned once again with their Christmas Carol Production for another year keeping true to the 19th century tale and as a result; it’s the perfect production to go and see if you’re studying Christmas Carol at school or college. It’s quite a stripped back production with quite sparse hand painted props and backdrops which may seem reminiscent of a school production, but this adaptation has real heart and the team use what props and sets they have to get ...

Fisherman’s Friends: The Musical – The Lowry

28Sep

By Max EdenNo Comments

North West

Fisherman’s Friends: The Musical – The Lowry

It’s moving, touching and filled with stirring harmonious songs; Fisherman Friends - The Musical is not your usual ‘film to stage’ production! Directed by James Grieve; the Fisherman Friends Musical follows the same plot as the popular 2019 movie - a true story about a group of Cornish fishermen who are discovered by Danny (played by Jason Langley) a former A & R man for Island records which leads to the group recording a demo and eventually onto performing on the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury. This musical tugs at your heartstrings far greater than the movie and there are moments when emotions run high and moments when it becomes quite reflective and somber. It runs at quite a fast pace and although it’s 140 minutes in length; it keeps your attention throughout and the appearance...

6Sep

By Max EdenNo Comments

North West

We Will Rock You – Palace Theatre

‘We Will Rock You’ is one of those musicals where you know exactly what you’re going to get; a musical with a set list jam-packed with singalong mega hits and bags of energy and fun, it’s a real crowd pleaser! Launched back in 2002; it has become the eleventh longest running musical of the West End and credited as one of the original ‘jukebox’ musicals, it’s popularity and longevity can be acknowledged in part by the back catalogue of Rock Legends; Queen - which make up its score; featuring a whooping 25 songs from Freddie Mercury and the band. The script although quite far-fetched and silly at times is perfectly tailored to our British humour, and writer Ben Elton has revamped and refreshed the script over the years to keep the production relevant, including a rather amusing Covid t...

The Osmonds: A New Musical – Palace Theatre

10Aug

By Max EdenNo Comments

North West

The Osmonds: A New Musical – Palace Theatre

The Osmonds were without doubt one of the biggest musical phenomenon of the 1970s; the family which become famous around the world. ‘The Osmonds: A New Musical’ tells the story of how it all started and gives us an insight into what happened during their rise to fame and what it was like to be that famous family including hardships like the impending bankruptcy ; with an albeit slightly rose-tinted viewpoint at times written by Jay Osmond - it’s a heart-warming whizz through their careers and their relationships, with a soundtrack of Osmond hits which are sure to delight fans. Directed by Shaun Kerrison; this production moves quite smoothly although can feel a bit long in places as what feels like full songs are performed back to back and some sections overrun somewhat; but it does d...

The Play That Goes Wrong – Manchester Opera House

31May

By Max EdenNo Comments

North West

The Play That Goes Wrong – Manchester Opera House

When going to the theatre, I always love to see a ‘comedy farce’ more than anything else; I enjoy a good drama as much as the next person, but I find that farce comedy just works so well in a theatre environment and there’s one company that stands out above all the rest for being masters of the farce; this is of course the Mischief Theatre Company. Set up back in 2008 by a group of talented theatre students; This company has had great success on stage and on screen and perhaps their best known production and most successful is; The Play That Goes Wrong which is without doubt the best of farce and currently back at Manchester Opera House for one week only! The production first debuted in 2012 at The Old Red Lion Theatre in London and now just over a decade later; the original cast hav...