Paul Clarke, Author at North West End UK

War Horse star Matthew Trevannion takes on two major roles at Pitlochry Festival Theatre

31May

By Paul ClarkeNo Comments

Interviews

War Horse star Matthew Trevannion takes on two major roles at Pitlochry Festival Theatre

Matthew Trevannion was one of the stars of the National Theatre’s War Horse and now he takes on two iconic roles as part of a season long acting ensemble at Pitlochry Festival Theatre. It’s rare that theatres take a gamble on hiring an ensemble for a whole season, and it’s the brainchild of the Perthshire theatre’s artistic director Elizabeth Newman. It means Matthew will be leading in two very different roles as the brutal Stanley Kowalski in A Streetcar Named Desire, and then repressed commuter Alec in Brief Encounter. Our Features Editor Paul Clarke caught up with Matthew to find how he is making sense of what seem to be opposing characters, and if being part of an ensemble is informing his work. Stanley in A Streetcar Called Desire offers one of the iconic roles for any ...

26May

By Paul ClarkeNo Comments

Yorkshire & Humber

A Passionate Woman – Leeds Playhouse

Your child’s wedding day is one of most stressful events for any parent, but in Betty Derbyshire’s case it has brought all her regrets into sharp focus as she totally melts down barricading herself in the loft while her son frantically tries to save his big day. Middle aged Leeds housewife Betty is battling with empty nest syndrome as her only son starts a new life, living a lie in a loveless marriage, hiding some age old secrets, and being joined in the loft by the ghost of her long dead lover, who may or may not be in her head. It’s thirty years since Leeds writing legend Kay Mellor’s debut play was performed in this theatre, and her sharp ear for how working class people speak and think means it very much stands the test of time. One woman in the audience reflecting on this bitter...

The creatives behind The Beekeeper of Aleppo discuss its power and truth as it buzzes into Leeds Playhouse

22May

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Interviews

The creatives behind The Beekeeper of Aleppo discuss its power and truth as it buzzes into Leeds Playhouse

The Beekeeper of Aleppo was a surprise hit novel but the stage version on its way to Leeds Playhouse began with just a feeling and a Facebook post. After volunteering at a refugee centre in Athens in 2016 – a decision prompted by her own experiences as a daughter of Cypriot refugees – bestselling author Christy Lefteri wrote on her Facebook page: ‘You wouldn’t believe what’s going on here.’ Leferi was too overwhelmed with her volunteering work to post again, but the seeds of the novel had been sown, and the hard graft of writing it down would soon begin. Despite the tales of devastation and destruction she had heard, the first scene that Lefteri wrote was one of hope - a man salvaging a pomegranate for his wife among a pile of rotting fruit. “Just from that one scene,” r...

Tess Seddon talks about staging Kay Mellor’s first hit play, A Passionate Woman, at Leeds Playhouse

16May

By Paul ClarkeNo Comments

Interviews

Tess Seddon talks about staging Kay Mellor’s first hit play, A Passionate Woman, at Leeds Playhouse

30 years ago Leeds Playhouse staged A Passionate Woman by local playwright Kay Mellor who went onto pen massive TV hits like Band of Gold and Fat Friends. The play is set in the 1990s with glimpses back into the 1950s as Leeds woman Betty reconsiders the decisions she’s made, and the roads she’s left untravelled. Now this troubled woman at the heart of the play is returning to the same stage – the Courtyard – in memory of the much-missed writer who died a year ago. It’s directed by Tess Seddon, who lives in Leeds, trained at Leeds Playhouse and runs her own company, TheatreState, in the city. Tess Seddon explains why A Passionate Woman, with Emmerdale star Katherine Dow Blyton as Betty, is making a comeback three decades on. Why choose this play to direct? Kay was such an ic...

10May

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Yorkshire & Humber

An Inspector Calls – Alhambra Bradford

A few hundred feet from this theatre stands a statue of Bradford’s favourite son J B Priestley, so it was fitting this perfectly realised revival of his enduring drama was coming home after becoming a worldwide hit. On one level it is a clever thriller with a smart twist, but on a deeper level it remains a searing condemnation of the cult of the individual - which is the essence of capitalism - written by a lifelong socialist who survived the horrors of the trenches in the First World War. Some theatre goers might find the political undercurrent a turnoff, so can just enjoy a mysterious police inspector calling on the well to do Birling family in their mansion where he strips bare their Edwardian hypocrisy as he reveals their culpability in the suicide of a destitute young working-cl...

Fancy being Oliver or the Dodger at Leeds Playhouse?

5May

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NEWS

Fancy being Oliver or the Dodger at Leeds Playhouse?

Leeds Playhouse has launched an open casting call to find young actors to star in the leading roles of Oliver and Dodger as well as the Children’s Ensemble in its new staging of Oliver! that opens in Leeds this November. The Playhouse is working with leading casting directors Keston & Keston, who supported the theatre’s search for Charlie Bucket as part of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory – The Musical, which is currently on tour across the UK. Open auditions will be held on 27th and 28th May to find Oliver, Dodger and members of the Children's Ensemble. All young people who meet the casting criteria and who register by 17th May will be seen by the team. They must be 9-12 years old, under 5ft tall and live within an hour’s commute of Leeds city centre. This is a paid role,...

5May

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Yorkshire & Humber

Wish You Were Dead – Leeds Grand

One of the less appealing gigs for critics was watching creaky touring versions of Agatha Christie novels, so thank god best-selling crime author Peter James spotted a gap in the middle market for stage versions of his work. Wish You Were Dead features his most famous creation, the deep-thinking Brighton detective Roy Grace, and many of the audience will have been attracted by the popular ITV series. This play is based on a quick read novel as Grace takes a much-needed break in France with his pathologist wife Cleo and baby son Noah. Along with their American nanny Kaitlynn they tip up at a run-down French chateau to be met by a surly maid and there's a missing copper. As is tradition in crime capers nothing is as it seems, so can the wily Grace talk his way out of some se...

3May

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Yorkshire & Humber

Julius Caesar – Alhambra Bradford

Many moons ago the RSC came to my small northern town putting on a production of Henry IV, Part One which blew my teenage mind, and one can only hope that the school group waiting patiently in the foyer to see this challenging version tale of the price of power would have the same transformative experience. It’s a coup for the Alhambra to bring this production from Strafford as Atri Banerjee is one of the new breed of RSC directors determined to make the Bard’s words resonate with new audiences, so no togas or laurel wreaths as the big cast wander around in dress shirts, vests and sweatpants. This version which takes some risks has divided audiences, which all good theatre should do. The long first half starts with the cast moving as one to symbolise the mob that will ultimately decide ...

Artistic Director Elizabeth Newman talks about the new season at Pitlochry Festival Theatre

27Apr

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Interviews

Artistic Director Elizabeth Newman talks about the new season at Pitlochry Festival Theatre

Since taking over at Pitlochry Festival Theatre Elizabeth Newman has delivered some really exciting work as their Artistic Director, as well as working round a multi-million pounds refurbishment of the Perthshire venue. The new look theatre now has a main auditorium, a studio space where they can try out new work and even an outdoor amphitheatre where customers take a punt on the Scottish weather. They've recruited a 20 strong ensemble of actors for their new season, which includes a world premiere of a new Peter Arnott play, A Streetcar Named Desire, Noel Coward's Brief Encounter and a long awaited revival of Broadway classic Gypsy in May. Our Features Editor Paul Clarke spoke to Elizabeth Newman ahead of the new season. Astonishingly it's been 20 years since there's been a produ...

Pride & Prejudice *(*sort of) – Leeds Grand Theatre

25Apr

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Yorkshire & Humber

Pride & Prejudice (sort of) – Leeds Grand Theatre

There have been plenty of versions in every medium of Jane Austen’s biting satire on the absurd manners in 19th century England, but none quite like this irrelevant romp through one of the greatest novels ever written. This is a world where women had less rights than children, sadly still true in some parts of the world, but Austen lays down a subtle challenge to that established order. That’s the trigger for a hard-working, five strong female cast to let rip as the ludicrous Mrs Bennet ruthlessly tries to marry off one of her five daughters before they end up in the poor house, as none of them can legally inherit their father’s estate. The distinctive thing about this part farce, part panto, but always on point, production is we hear from the servants who are bit players in the nove...