Paul Downham, Author at North West End UK

Pitlochry Festival Theatre to reopen with exciting outdoor Summer Season

19Mar

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

NEWS

Pitlochry Festival Theatre to reopen with exciting outdoor Summer Season

• Pitlochry Festival Theatre to welcome audiences again with outdoor Summer Season of stage premieres, concerts, new adaptations, and family entertainment • 2021 will be the 70th anniversary Summer Season at Pitlochry Festival Theatre • Season to be performed in newly built 80-seater outdoor amphitheatre in the grounds of Pitlochry Festival Theatre • Season to feature Stage premiere of David Greig’s new play Adventures with the Painted People • New works from leading Scottish playwrights including a new adaptation of Jekyll and Hyde by Hannah Lavery and Jo Clifford and Lesley Orr’s new promenade production Requiem which will see the two celebrated playwrights devise a ceremony which will mourn and celebrate the lives of those lost during the pandemic and support the process of ...

It’s A Little Bit Funny at The Bowdon Rooms This Summer

18Mar

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

NEWS

It’s A Little Bit Funny at The Bowdon Rooms This Summer

Elton John: It’s A Little Bit Funny tells the incredible story of Elton John’s rise and fall (and rise again) as one of the most successful singer/songwriters ever. What would you do if you got the chance to meet your all-time hero? That’s exactly what crossed the mind of Manchester’s Martin Kaye when he found himself performing in Las Vegas at the same time as Elton John a few years go – Kaye as Jerry Lee Lewis in Million Dollar Quartet and John in his The Million Dollar Piano show. It is this concept that has formed the basis for Elton John: It’s A Little Bit Funny, a new show starring Kaye that comes to The Bowdon Rooms in Altrincham from Monday 19th - Saturday 24th July 2021. The show tells the (imagined) tale of one extraordinary night in Las Vegas when Elton superfan Kaye bu...

Sophisticated Entertainment Ltd proudly present WONDERLAND!

18Mar

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

NEWS

Sophisticated Entertainment Ltd proudly present WONDERLAND!

Sophisticated Entertainment Ltd proudly present WONDERLAND! This incredible cast of Characters will take you on an immersive journey through Wonderland from the second you arrive at the DriveInside Theatre! At The Trafford Centre in Manchester. With beautiful original music by Williams & Reynolds this is a show not to be missed! Give your family the special treat they deserve. Join the Mad Hatter at his incredibly mad tea party, take part in our super speedy caucus race, join the ever so silly Tweedle Dum & Tweedle Dee as they create mischief throughout Wonderland and help Alice find her way home with your help! A fully Covid compliant production! An all singing all dancing extravaganza! The perfect family day out that will have you up on your feet and laughing your...

Romeo and Juliet – Altrincham Garrick Playhouse

18Mar

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

North West

Romeo and Juliet – Altrincham Garrick Playhouse

"We are two worlds apart." Joseph Meighan's melding of 1990s pop culture with the 16th century tale of two tragic young lovers is a bold and innovative take on what is probably Shakespeare's best-known play. As with much of Shakespeare's work, the story of Romeo and Juliet is timelessly malleable and has been retold in countless formats, including as musicals, opera and on film, since it was written in around 1595. It has been set in any number of time periods and situations with the deep-seated hatred between the Montague and Capulet families reflecting every conflict throughout history, as the cast movingly reference at the end of the play. Everyone knows the plot: Romeo, a Montague, sneaks into a Capulet masked ball and it's love at first sight when he sees the young and bea...

Hair The Musical set to play London and Southampton this Summer

17Mar

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

NEWS

Hair The Musical set to play London and Southampton this Summer

Following a sell-out run as part of The Turbine on the Jetty season, Hair The Musical (In Concert), directed by Arlene Phillips, will now play two performances at the London Palladium on Sunday 13th June, and two performances at Southampton Mayflower Theatre on 27th June 2021. The performances were originally planned for earlier this year, but were delayed due to Covid-19 restrictions. Hair The Musical (In Concert) has book and lyrics by Gerome Ragni and James Rado, music by Galt MacDermot, musical direction by Paul Schofield, design by David Shields, lighting and video design by Andrew Exeter and sound design by Dan Samson. Hair The Musical will once again be directed by Arlene Phillips. The cast are Luke Bayer (Everybody’s Talking About Jamie), Nicole Raquel Dennis (Dear Evan Hanse...

First look at the revamped Octagon Theatre in Bolton

17Mar

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NEWS

First look at the revamped Octagon Theatre in Bolton

The creative team at Bolton’s Octagon Theatre have released the first photos of their new building revamped after a £12 million redevelopment programme. Over the last two years the town centre theatre has been completely modernised with updated performance spaces, brand-new participation facilities, improved front-of-house experience and expanded backstage facilities. Like all other theatres the space has been dark for the last year, and they will confirm a reopening date in the coming weeks following the recent announcement of the Government’s roadmap of when theatres can reopen their doors. “The reimagined Octagon benefits from more internal space, is more environmentally friendly, has vastly improved accessibility and enhanced customer and backstage facilities for everyone’...

17Mar

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

REVIEWS

Dream – Royal Shakespeare Company

What do you do if you're rehearsing a live performance of A Midsummer Night's Dream when suddenly a deadly global pandemic derails your plans? This is the highly unusual and unwelcome scenario that the Royal Shakespeare Company was faced with last year, as well as the wider question of what a virus that thrives on human interaction means for the future of live performance. It's this consideration that led to last night's production, which was unique, engaging and really rather beautiful. Dream is inspired by, rather than an adaptation of, A Midsummer Night's Dream, and is an immersive online experience that uses the technology we see in online gaming to create a virtual world that can be inhabited by both actors and audience. After waiting in the interactive lobby which acts as a kind o...

16Mar

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NEWS

Robert Lindsay to star in a brand new online comedy of The Three Musketeers

The classic tale of The Three Musketeers is brought to you by the inconceivable, unimaginable and fantastical FoolHardy Theatre… a company with questionable theatrical training, no experience and no taste. What could possibly go wrong? Audio and animation are brought together in this swashbuckling adventure. Expect sword fights, deception and a right royal romance as we take you back to the regal splendour of 17th century France in this exciting, madcap comedy. Click the image above to book. *Contains affiliate link The Three Musketeers is a new online farce written by Sydney Stevenson and starring Robert Lindsay. A percentage of profits will also be donated to the Royal Theatrical Fund. Tickets are on-sale from 10am on the 16th March and can be purchased by clicking the ima...

Strictly’s Aljaž & Janette perform a new digital dance spectacular

16Mar

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NEWS

Strictly’s Aljaž & Janette perform a new digital dance spectacular

Strictly’s Aljaž & Janette perform a new digital dance spectacular, Remembering the Oscars Streaming worldwide: Saturday 27th March – Saturday 17th April 2021. Strictly Come Dancing duo Aljaž Škorjanec and Janette Manrara will star in a new digital adaptation of their never-before-seen dance spectacular, Remembering the Oscars. Celebrating the greatest award-winning songs, films, and dance routines from the Golden Age of Hollywood to Disney family favourites, the pair are rolling out the red carpet for a breath-taking premiere production, filmed especially for streaming. The show will be available to stream online for a strictly limited season from Saturday 27th March to Saturday 17th April. Aljaž & Janette will be joined by an incredible ensemble of some of the UK’s best dan...

Back to the Future the Musical begins performances 20th August at the Adelphi Theatre

16Mar

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

NEWS

Back to the Future the Musical begins performances 20th August at the Adelphi Theatre

Producer Colin Ingram (Ghost – The Musical) and Robert Zemeckis and Bob Gale, the creators of the Back To The Future film trilogy, have announced that BACK TO THE FUTURE The Musical’s performances at the Adelphi Theatre in London’s West End will now begin on 20th August 2021. The musical’s out-of-town opening at Manchester Opera House in March 2020 received an incredible reaction from critics and the public alike, but was cut short when theatres were closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic exactly a year ago. Roger Bart and Olly Dobson will play the roles of ‘Dr Emmett Brown’ and ‘Marty McFly’ respectively. Hugh Coles performs as ‘George McFly’, Rosanna Hyland as ‘Lorraine Baines’, Cedric Neal as ‘Goldie Wilson’, Aidan Cutler as ‘Biff Tannen’, Courtney-Mae Briggs as ‘Jennifer P...