Paul Downham, Author at North West End UK

1Jun

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

North West

Weekly Watch – Up ‘ere Productions

Up ‘ere Productions are currently holding a Weekly Watch on Zoom to keep theatre alive during the COVID-19 crisis. This week’s offering was two new short plays, Chekhov’s Gun by Anghus Houvouras and Where the Time Went by Jim Spencer Broadbent, both directed by Jordi Williams and linked by themes of mental health issues and the overwhelming feeling of reaching the end of your tether. Performed in the actor’s own homes with no set and the bare minimum in terms of props and costume, the Company deserve credit for pulling this off with what can only have been very difficult rehearsal conditions and the need to devise a whole new way of working. The first play, Chekhov’s Gun, opens with two young men, Stuart (Matthew Heywood) and Jonathan (Alan Lewis) bumping into each other outside of t...

Elizabeth Newman is keeping theatre alive in the hills

31May

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Interviews

Elizabeth Newman is keeping theatre alive in the hills

In the first of a two-part interview with Pitlochry Festival Theatre’s Elizabeth Newman our Features Editor Paul Clarke asks her about the challenges of being an artistic director in the midst of a worldwide pandemic. After eight successful years as Bolton Octagon’s Artistic Director, Elizabeth Newman moved across the border to lead the team at Pitlochry Festival Theatre, but just as she was preparing to launch a new season of productions COVID-19 struck. Elizabeth and her team at the Perthshire venue are in lockdown after scrapping that season of work. They’ve been using that time to create online work in the maelstrom of a totally unprecedented challenge for the theatre world that managed to keep the lights on even as the Luftwaffe were dropping bombs on London. There's not ...

Marisha Wallace releases glorious gospel rendition of ‘Tomorrow’ in aid of Broadway Cares and MAD Trust

29May

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NEWS

Marisha Wallace releases glorious gospel rendition of ‘Tomorrow’ in aid of Broadway Cares and MAD Trust

Marisha Wallace releases glorious gospel rendition of ‘Tomorrow’ in aid of Broadway Cares and MAD Trust Stage stars Lea Salonga, Katharine McPhee, Beverley Knight and Kerry Ellis – and many others – join Marisha in uplifting video performance of the song West End and Broadway star Marisha Wallace (Dreamgirls, Waitress, Aladdin) has released a glorious and soulful cover of the timeless ‘Tomorrow’ from the musical Annie in aid of the vital work of Broadway Cares and MAD Trust. 450100% of the funds raised from the purchase and streaming of the new single will be donated to both organisations to help theatre professionals in the US and UK who have been left out of work due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This is the first time Broadway Cares and MAD (Make A Difference) Trust has eve...

Hope Mill Theatre announces rescheduled dates for revival of RENT

29May

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

NEWS

Hope Mill Theatre announces rescheduled dates for revival of RENT

Hope Mill Theatre in Manchester has announced rescheduled dates for its production of RENT, plus full creative team. Due to the current Coronavirus outbreak, the venue has been closed since 17th March and has had to cancel or postpone all scheduled productions until further notice. RENT, directed by Luke Sheppard, was due to open in July, with rehearsals beginning in June, however the musical will now open on Friday 30th October and run until Sunday 13th December 2020. https://hopemilltheatre.co.uk/ The venue has taken the decision to reschedule the run of RENT should they be able to open later this year, which they hope to be able to do. All audience members who have already booked for the run of RENT have been contacted about exchanging tickets and refunds. Hope Mill T...

Hello, Dolly! – New production of the iconic musical is postponed

29May

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NEWS

Hello, Dolly! – New production of the iconic musical is postponed

Michael Harrison and David Ian have announced that their new production of Hello, Dolly! is postponed. Hello, Dolly! was due to begin performances at the Adelphi Theatre in London on Tuesday 11th August 2020 for a 30-week season. New season details and all further information will be announced at a later date. Ticket holders do not need to do anything. The point of purchase will be in touch with ticket holders soon about refunds. Michael Harrison and David Ian said: “Whilst we are naturally disappointed that we aren’t able to stage the show this summer, we are completely committed to Hello, Dolly! Dominic Cooke’s new production is set to have a cast of 34 and an orchestra of 18 musicians. This, coupled with Rae Smith’s stunning new designs, means we do not want to compromise the ...

Investing in our theatres is not a handout

23May

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Blogs

Investing in our theatres is not a handout

Our Yorkshire Editor Paul Clarke welcomes the theatre world asking for short term government support, not handouts. The news that Leicester Haymarket is the latest venue forced into liquidation, and a stark warning from legendary producer Sonia Friedman writing in the Telegraph that British theatre is on the ‘brink of total collapse’ has forced the industry to unite in calling for short term government support. Thankfully the narrative from the theatres is they’re not asking for a bailout, and instead calling for significant investment in a key part of our nation’s cultural offer that normally generates billions in tax revenues. Friedman points out that more than 1000 of our theatres of varying sizes may permanently close their doors as it may be this time next year before they ca...

Streaming shows is no substitute for the real thing

20May

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Blogs

Streaming shows is no substitute for the real thing

Our Yorkshire Editor Paul Clarke applauds the streaming of shows but decides it an unsatisfying experience compared to the real thing. As I sat in my home office watching the free steam of M6 Theatre Company’s A Tiger’s Tale it struck me that it was absolutely no substitute for the real thing. It makes total sense that companies have closed their doors rather than incubate the virus and are sharing their greatest hits online. They need to make some much needed cash, or just keep their work in the public consciousness, for when they return to the stage. I support streaming work as a concept, but watching three top class performers on my laptop got me thinking there’s a number of reasons that makes it such an unsatisfying experience, and here’s why: Anticipation There is somet...

15May

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NEWS

HUNCHtheatre turns 2!

HUNCHtheatre was formed by Oliver Bennett a British actor and writer of award-winning play ‘Europe After the Rain’ and Vladimir Shcherban (former director of most of the Belarus Free Theatre shows), who is based in London and works remotely with the artists in Minsk, and directs both the British and Russian plays. Their mutual belief in creating theatre without barriers is behind their name, they base their creativity on a ‘hunch’. In the space of two years, HUNCHtheatre have produced ‘A Hero of Our Time’ which was written by Mikhail Lermontov, was adapted by Bennett and Shcherban and after starting its life performing in front of 10 people in a living room in London, it received rave reviews. This show was due to tour Belarus, Czech Republic and London and has unfortunately had to be r...

Theatres need government support to survive

15May

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Blogs

Theatres need government support to survive

The news that Nuffield Southampton Theatres has gone into administration could be the harbinger of many more to come as venues and companies grimly hang on as the lockdown decimates their income. After 50 years Nuffield are the second venue to go under after Halifax’s Square Chapel, who shut their doors just as the full scale of the pandemic was becoming clear forcing theatres to close their doors to keep punters and creatives alike safe. Like most theatres Nuffield was faced with the double whammy of having no customers as well having to refund tickets with no significant income to replace it. But the virus closedown has only revealed the struggle our big and small theatres have been having before COVID-19 to keep going, especially if they’re putting on new or challenging work. E...

4May

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Interviews

Lockdown Interviews – Peter Egan

Peter Egan has been appearing on stage and screen for over 50 years. He is probably most well-known for his roles as Paul in the television sitcom Ever Decreasing Circles with Richard Briers and as Hugh “Shrimpie” MacClare, Marquess of Flintshire in Downton Abbey. Despite being known for his numerous roles in TV and film he is an award winning stage actor and has acted with both the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) and The National. I started by asking what inspired him to become an actor. “I left school at 15 with no qualifications. My prospects were pretty dismal. I did a series of jobs all of which I hated. “When I was 16, I stumbled into acting by joining an amateur group in Ladbroke Grove, West London. “I became fascinated by the process of acting by watching this group ...