Paul Downham, Author at North West End UK

5Jul

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BABA comes to Greater Manchester Fringe

Poppamost Productions are bringing their brand-new comedy play BABA to this year’s Manchester Fringe! BABA is an expansion on their short play Project Baba, part of their sellout 2021 show ‘Oomph’ and, after some sensational feedback, the company has made the choice to revive and expand the story into an hour-long play. Set in the 80s, BABA, is a comedy about a down on his luck salesman called Tommy, trying to sell military grade baby dolls designed to bring down teen pregnancies. However, he must check his priorities when his long-lost teenage goth daughter walks into his life, or risk losing everything. Add to the mix Tommy’s failing love-life, a corrupt Statesman brother, a teenage niece and her boyfriend who have a point to prove, and the madness is set for an explosive comed...

Bradford Theatres announce astounding autumn season

4Jul

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Bradford Theatres announce astounding autumn season

Bradford Theatres are delighted to announce the Autumn 2022 season which is packed with musicals, dance, music and top names in comedy and entertainment. Adam Renton, General Manager Bradford Theatres says: “It’s been wonderful to see so many of you continuing to visit our venues over the last few months. We’re now looking forward to our autumn season, which is bursting with entertaining and exciting events. There’s an array of top quality shows on offer for everybody to enjoy during the autumn months. We start with a new production of My Fair Lady which opens the season at the Alhambra Theatre in September. This is followed by a range of brand-new musicals, much-loved favourites, world-class dance, the best in stand-up comedy, intimate evening talks, music and more! I’m really...

Lizard Boy announces its UK premiere casting

2Jul

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Lizard Boy announces its UK premiere casting

The UK cast for the new indie rock musical has been announced ahead of its UK premiere at Hope Mill Theatre in Manchester from 14th - 27th July 2022. Equal parts comic book lore and coming-of-age love story, Lizard Boy is the thrilling original rock musical that’s been called "Ingenious" (San Francisco Chronicle), "Phenomenal" (San Jose Mercury News), "Ferocious & Funny"(Seattle Times). During a bizarre childhood accident, Trevor was drenched head to toe in dragon’s blood. Growing green and scaly skin, he withdrew from the world. Tonight—twenty years later—Trevor's first date with a cute guy transforms into adventure of mythic proportions. The UK cast is Anthony Rickman as Trevor, Alan Cammish as Caly and Sophie Reid as Siren, who playing alternate nights alongside the original U...

2Jul

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SIX to reign again at The Lowry

The multi award-winning musical phenomenon SIX, written by Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss, returns to The Lowry, Salford, next month. The new touring Queens include: Chlöe Hart (Catherine of Aragon), Jennifer Caldwell (Anne Boleyn), Casey Al-Shaqsy (Jane Seymour), Jessica Niles (Anna of Cleves), Jaina Brock-Patel (Katherine Howard) and Alana M Robinson (Catherine Parr). Grace Melville, Leesa Tulley and Natalie Pilkington (Dance Captain) will be joining the cast as Alternates, with Super Swing Harriet Caplan-Dean. The cast are backed by the show’s all-female band, The Ladies in Waiting. SIX follows the six wives of Henry VIII as they take to the mic to tell their own personal tales, remixing five hundred years of historical heartbreak into an 80-minute celebration of 21st century girl powe...

Casting announced for The Commitments UK & Ireland Tour

2Jul

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Casting announced for The Commitments UK & Ireland Tour

It is 35 years since The Commitments first burst from the pages of Roddy Doyle’s best-selling novel. The world's hardest working and most explosive soul band are set to return in an all-new stage production, kicking off a huge nine month tour opening in Bromley in September. The show will then tour across the country before culminating in Brighton in July 2023. This major UK and Ireland tour of the smash-hit musical will star Coronation Street legend Nigel Pivaro, who appeared in the hugely popular ITV soap between 1983 – 2012 as the lovable rogue Terry Duckworth. He will be swapping the cobbles for the stage and performing the role of ‘Da’ in this all-new production. Nigel Pivaro says: “I am thrilled to be marking my return to the stage in this production of The Commitments. It'...

23Jun

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North West End UK needs YOU!

North West End UK was created in 2015 primarily based in the Greater Manchester area before quickly expanding to cover Merseyside and parts of Yorkshire. Fast forward to today and we now cover many more locations including Glasgow, London and Birmingham, with our Edinburgh team currently preparing for our busiest Fringe season ever. We review shows from the London Palladium in the heart of the West End to church halls, both professional and amateur. You can visit us at www.northwestend.com Despite our continued success demand is outstripping our ability to provide reviews to all the performances we are invited to and need to recruit more to our regional teams. To join our volunteer team, you do not need to have had previous experience, but we will ask you to provide us with an ‘audit...

In Rehearsals With The Tina Turner Musical

22Jun

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In Rehearsals With The Tina Turner Musical

The hit production of TINA – THE TINA TURNER MUSICAL has released rehearsal images for the new Company. From 29th June 2022 Aisha Jawando and new cast member Elesha Paul Moses will share the role of Tina, with Caleb Roberts joining to play Ike. The critically acclaimed production of TINA – THE TINA TURNER MUSICAL continues at the Aldwych Theatre and is currently booking to 18th December 2022. Paula Kay joins to play Tina’s mother Zelma, Charis Alexandra joins as Tina’s sister Alline Bullock, George Jennings joins as Tina’s Manager Roger Davies, Irene Myrtle Forrester continues as Tina’s Grandmother, previous ensemble member Kelly Hampson will now play Ike and Tina’s manager Rhonda Graam, Gregory Haney will now play Tina’s father Richard Bullock, Cordell Mosteller joins as Tina’s first...

Louis Gaunt joins the cast of Mary Poppins

22Jun

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Louis Gaunt joins the cast of Mary Poppins

Disney and Cameron Mackintosh are delighted to announce that tonight (22nd June 2022) Louis Gaunt joins the cast of Mary Poppins to play the iconic role of Bert, replacing Charlie Stemp whilst he performs as Bobby in the Chichester Festival Theatre production of Crazy for You this summer. Based on the stories of P.L. Travers and the original Walt Disney film, Mary Poppins continues to play at the Prince Edward Theatre and is now on sale to 18th December 2022. Louis Gaunt made his professional stage debut at Grange Park Opera in Oklahoma! for which he won The Stage Debut Awards in 2018. His other theatre credits include Sweet Charity (Nottingham Playhouse), Kiss Me, Kate (Sheffield Crucible Theatre), Standing at the Sky's Edge (Sheffield Crucible Theatre), The Happy Prince (T...

Iconic musical Singin’ in the Rain returns to the Alhambra Theatre

21Jun

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Iconic musical Singin’ in the Rain returns to the Alhambra Theatre

A smash hit in Chichester, in the West End and most recently Sadler’s Wells, Michael Harrison and Jonathan Church present Chichester Festival Theatre and Stage Entertainment’s production of Singin’ in the Rain. Leading this glorious production are Sam Lips as Don Lockwood (Broadway and US credits include CATS, Chicago, West, Side Story, On the Town and Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. UK credits include Strictly Ballroom); Charlotte Gooch (Strictly Ballroom and Top Hat in the West End, Dirty Dancing – The Classic Story on Stage, first UK Tour and West End) as aspiring actress Kathy Selden; Ross McLaren (Sleepless, Troubadour Theatre; BIG The Musical and White Christmas at the Dominion Theatre) as Don’s slapstick sidekick Cosmo Brown and Jenny Gayner (The Girls, Chicago and Spamalot in t...

Major new exhibition at The Lowry explores popular children’s books on the page and stage

14Jun

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Major new exhibition at The Lowry explores popular children’s books on the page and stage

Picture This will run from Saturday 23rd July until Sunday 30th October 2022 The evocative world of children’s literature and theatre is being explored at a major new exhibition running from July to October 2022 at The Lowry in Salford. Picture This will feature six popular children’s books that have a strong visual identity on the page and have also been vividly brought to life on stage. Each section of the free family exhibition will include illustrations and artwork from the books – which range from much-loved modern works to iconic classics. Alongside will be filmed extracts from stage productions, with a variety of props, costumes, designs and posters. Throughout there will be interactive opportunities for visitors to draw, write, perform, read and play and even devise the...