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Friday, April 11

Author: Paul Clarke

Wrongsemble take the ugly sisters to the people
21Mar By Paul ClarkeNo Comments
Interviews

Wrongsemble take the ugly sisters to the people

Wrongsemble take the ugly sisters to the people Traditionally the ugly sisters have been the perennial villains in Cinderella but maybe it’s so quite so simple is the idea behind a new show from Wrongsemble The Leeds based company set themselves up to make work for families, and The Not So Ugly Sisters takes a look at the classic fairy tale from their perspective for the very first time. Written and directed by their founder Elvi Piper, sisters Dolly and Barb are in their northern hair salon as kid sister Cindy prepares to marry her prince charming, but they’ve not been invited to the wedding. This bittersweet musical retelling of a story familiar to every child (and adult) aims to make us think about the sisters in a very different way. The two hander with a new cast is headin...
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RENT – Carriageworks Theatre
14Mar By Paul ClarkeNo Comments
Yorkshire & Humber

RENT – Carriageworks Theatre

It’s a tribute to Jonathan Larson’s genius that his quirky offbeat rock musical about a bunch of New York outsiders is the eleventh highest grossing Broadway show of all time and this is a pretty faithful recreation. The claim that it’s a reworking of Puccini’s opera La Bohème has always seemed to be a bit overblown, but it remains a powerful ode to artists as outsiders based on Larson’s own experiences when he was struggling to get work made. The narrative and dizzying array of musical styles is held together by aspiring director Mark making a gonzo documentary about his friends living in and around a New York squat, many of whom have AIDS when that for many was still a death sentence. Paul Lonsdale’s Mark is a touch on the mature side, but he sings and acts well. Rent continues ...
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Musical director Harry Blake talks about Say Yes to Tess at Leeds Playhouse
11Mar By Paul ClarkeNo Comments
Interviews

Musical director Harry Blake talks about Say Yes to Tess at Leeds Playhouse

One of the first-time candidates in the 2017 general election was Tess Seddon who stood for the Yorkshire Party in Leeds North East. Not surprisingly given it is a safe Labour safe this political novice didn’t win with her 303 votes, but she has now turned her experiences as a candidate into a musical comedy, Say Yes to Tess. Unexpectedly thrust into the political maelstrom Tess takes her newly formed party’s passion for Yorkshire devolution to the streets, but with the election day looming her play follows the candidate as she starts to question whether she’s doing the right thing. Our Yorkshire Editor Paul Clarke caught up with the show’s musical director Harry Blake to find out more about a show that attempts to make politics fun, and maybe just a bit more accessible. Tell m...
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Transform Festival is back with a series of UK and World Premieres in Leeds
9Mar By Paul ClarkeNo Comments
NEWS

Transform Festival is back with a series of UK and World Premieres in Leeds

Transform has established itself as one of the UK’s most innovative platforms for emerging talent and the delayed final wave of their 21-22 programme in April offers a series of world and UK premieres. Once again, the team offer productions taking place in iconic venues in Leeds with many in unusual and disused spaces that offer trailblazing co-curators a chance to create special events and experiences. The festival invites audiences from across Leeds and beyond to rediscover and explore the city and to connect with bold, brave, vivid and socially conscious performance by artists from across the globe. Leeds based artist Jamal Gerald made his name with Idol in Transform 19 and this year he presents the world Premiere of Jumbie he describes as a ritual for our sickened times. It’s ...
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Macbeth – Leeds Playhouse
9Mar By Paul ClarkeNo Comments
Yorkshire & Humber

Macbeth – Leeds Playhouse

As the three witches circulate around the massive drawbridge that dominates the stark stage it's clear that Amy Leach’s latest attempt to make Shakespeare accessible will focus on the intrigue, blood and ultimately madness in arguably his most dynamic drama. Power couple the Macbeths are introduced as they mourn their dead child before the ambitious warrior muscularly played by Tachia Newall meets the witches who inform him he’s to be the King of Scotland despite the weak Duncan still being on the throne. Egged on by his wife, the brave general becomes the cowardly assassin as he takes the throne before turning on everyone around him as his hubris brings about his downfall. There is a subtle subtext of dynasty and lineage as Lady Macbeth loses another child, which helps explain he...
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Hedwig brings angry inch to Leeds Playhouse and HOME Manchester
3Mar By Paul ClarkeNo Comments
NEWS

Hedwig brings angry inch to Leeds Playhouse and HOME Manchester

Cult musical Hedwig and the Angry Inch comes to Leeds Playhouse and HOME Manchester starring RuPaul’s Drag Race UK icon Divina De Campo De Campo plays the hedonistic genderqueer anti-heroine seemingly hellbent on destruction who embarks on a journey of self-discovery with her husband and roadie Yitzhak, played by Elijah Ferreira.     They are joined on stage by their live rock band ‘The Angry Inch’ led by Music Supervisor and Musical Director Alex Beetschen on keys with Frances Bolley on lead guitar, Isis Dunthorne on drums and Jess Williams on bass.     This production explores the origin of love, gender identity, resilience, and the freedom to be whoever you want to be.     “As a queer and trans director I’ve been wanting to pu...
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Federico Bonelli is Northern Ballet’s new Artistic Director
21Feb By Paul ClarkeNo Comments
NEWS

Federico Bonelli is Northern Ballet’s new Artistic Director

Royal Ballet principal dancer Federico Bonelli is Northern Ballet’s new Artistic Director succeeding long serving predecessor David Nixon. Bonelli has danced the Royal Ballet’s leading roles since joining in 2003 after training at the Turin Dance Academy and dancing with Zürich Ballet and Dutch National Ballet. In 2019 he graduated from the Clore Leadership Programme and he is a non-executive director and member of the Board of Parents and Carers in Performing Arts.   He has curated the programme for The Royal Ballet activities in Doncaster as part of the Doncaster Creates festival, prior to its pandemic postponement and has coached Royal Ballet repertory, helping to nurture and develop the high standards of the company’s dancers.   Federico Bonelli Bonelli who tak...
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The Sh*t hits the stage at Leeds Playhouse
21Feb By Paul ClarkeNo Comments
NEWS

The Sh*t hits the stage at Leeds Playhouse

The Sh*t which premieres at Leeds Playhouse in March asks what happens when you have just one hour a week to save a life? This new two hander takes us into one of the thousands of forgotten youth centres across the country, where Eric has a single hour each week to break Daniel out of his spiral towards jail or the grave. Created by The Working Party Theatre Company, and produced by Matthew Schmolle Productions, it’s an honest, unflinching examination of the relationship between those at the margins of society and the people employed to help them. The Sh*t is written by BAFTA-nominated writer Kenny Emson in consultation with youth workers and young people in London and Leeds. The artists and producers in The Working Party, who originally commissioned the play have worked with m...
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World premiere of Marvellous at New Vic Theatre
19Feb By Paul ClarkeNo Comments
NEWS

World premiere of Marvellous at New Vic Theatre

Staffordshire’s New Vic Theatre will stage the world premiere of Marvellous telling the almost unbelievable story of Stoke City FC kit man, clown and all-round local hero, Neil ‘Nello’ Baldwin. It is a wild ride through Baldwin’s colourful life filled with football stars, comedians, bishops, circus acts, budgies and even the Queen who awarded him a B.E.M. From the moment he was born, Baldwin knew he was destined to do wonderful things and so that is what he did. He joined a church choir then appeared on Songs of Praise, he hitchhiked across the country then became a famous clown, he went to see his local football team then became their kit man and this was a man who left school at 14 with no qualifications then received an honorary degree from Keele University. Credit: Andrew Bill...
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Charlie Bucket comes to Leeds Playhouse this Christmas
11Feb By Paul ClarkeNo Comments
NEWS

Charlie Bucket comes to Leeds Playhouse this Christmas

Over the last few years Leeds Playhouse have staged on a series of family festive extravaganzas and this year they’re staging the musical version of the beloved Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Their reinvention of the West End and Broadway hit will be directed by their Artistic Director James Brining, adapted from Roald Dahl’s classic children’s novel by David Greig, with music by Marc Shaiman and lyrics by Shaiman and Scott Wittman. Generations of fans have loved the magical tale as young golden ticket winner Charlie Bucket ventures into a strange factor run by eccentric confectionary wizard Willy Wonka with five other winners for a wild ride through the imagination “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is such a special story, loved by generations of children and their parent...
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