Paul Downham, Author at North West End UK

All-star cast for The Picture of Dorian Gray at Bolton Octagon

21Feb

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

NEWS

All-star cast for The Picture of Dorian Gray at Bolton Octagon

Russell Tovey, Stephen Fry and Joanna Lumley head an all-star cast for a digital production of The Picture of Dorian Gray at Bolton Octagon. They’ve joined forces with Barn Theatre in Cirencester, the Lawrence Batley Theatre in Huddersfield and the New Wolsey Theatre in Ipswich will co-produce The Picture of Dorian Gray with Theatr Clwyd in Mold and the Oxford Playhouse in Oxfordshire to offer the production as co-producers. Fionn Whitehead is in the title role, are Alfred Enoch as Harry Wooton, Lumley as Lady Narborough, Emma McDonald as Sibyl Vane and Tovey as Basil Hallward with Fry as the Interviewer. From the creative team behind the critically acclaimed What a Carve Up!, the belov...

The Secret Society of Leading Ladies! – Barn Theatre

21Feb

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REVIEWS

The Secret Society of Leading Ladies! – Barn Theatre

Ready, player one? In a concept devised by Ryan Carter, an eclectic roster of musical theatre’s best-loved female personalities unites for a unique character select screen-style production. For each of the five ‘levels’, a trio of leading ladies and their song titles are displayed, and it’s up to the viewer to pick who takes to the stage. This is a really fun opportunity to relive some of your favourite musical tunes or experience something completely new. If it’s too difficult to decide, though, an automatic selection is made after 45 seconds. Exploring the mysterious venue she has been invited into, the first performer then breaks into song. This might well be Jarnéia Richard-Noel who gives an attention-grabbing rendition of ‘I Didn’t Plan It’ as Waitress’ Janet. Her smooth voice c...

Short Form Scratch Night – Reflex Theatre

21Feb

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REVIEWS

Short Form Scratch Night – Reflex Theatre

Scratch nights give new writers, directors and performers the opportunity to explore and test works-in-progress. This is often a collaborative process, audience feedback helping the further development of the work. Reflex Theatre have taken this concept to a new level, with online short plays under the tagline "First page, last page - we do the rest". In other words, the first and last pages are scripted with the cast improvising the part in between. This unique idea works remarkably well, especially in the hands of this talented ensemble, giving an airing to new works and providing splendidly enjoyable, though occasionally scary, performances. Part of the Living Record Festival, four short stories make up this presentation, with the overarching theme of hopes and dreams resolving in un...

Songs for a New World – Lambert Jackson Productions

21Feb

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REVIEWS

Songs for a New World – Lambert Jackson Productions

Recorded remotely in June 2020, this abstract musical is a breath of fresh air in this confined lockdown. Jason Robert Brown’s song cycle captures the feeling of transitioning as we explore the effects of “one moment” of change. The piece opens with footage of closed theatres and soundbites of the news. The uncharacteristically empty theatre districts are accompanied by the words of hope in “A New World”. The show premiered in 1995 but, as with this song, the whole show’s premise feels especially poignant in this time. Almost instantly I had goosebumps and there was many more of that to come. The idea of a moment igniting change couldn’t be more significant when thinking of last year’s Black Lives Matter protests. The footage of Windrush and street art of George Floyd gave even more ...

Barnes’ People: Rosa – Perfectly Normal Productions

18Feb

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REVIEWS

Barnes’ People: Rosa – Perfectly Normal Productions

Dr Rosa Hamilton is a specialist in geriatrics. Sitting in her office dictating into a voice recorder, she is charged with assessing the elderly for council residential care. She's overworked, jaded after 20 years of trying to make a difference, frustrated by a system of what she sees as institutionalised injustice against the "undeserving poor" of London's East End. Yet her professionalism constrains her to continue referring elderly people to care homes that they believe will be an improvement on the conditions they are living in and remove the burden on their families. But Rosa recognises that the care homes are simply "waiting rooms for death", rather than the havens her patients expect. Rosa is a desperate, totally believable character full of self-doubt. She fears that, over the year...

Barnes’ People: Losing Myself – Perfectly Normal Productions

18Feb

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REVIEWS

Barnes’ People: Losing Myself – Perfectly Normal Productions

Adams is a man who feels he has lost everything, himself, his faith, his hope. He sits on a bench in a dilapidated cemetery that is about to be redeveloped, contemplating his life and chatting to the deceased Maurice as he tries to come to terms with who he has become. He used to be a trusted and dedicated doctor but, somewhere along the way, he realised that his ability to care was a sham and his concern for others was condescension. So he walked away from that life and became a cemetery attendant. This is a play about guilt and self-judgement, loss and rediscovery. The vastly under-rated Matthew Kelly is wonderful as the introspective Adams. He's haggard but still smartly dressed, a man who "never thought there was anything serious enough in the world to care about." In talking ...

18Feb

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East Midlands

The Color Purple – Curve@Home

Based on the seminal prize winning novel by Alice Walker and later filmed by Steven Spielberg, Curve@Home in association with Birmingham Hippodrome presents this theatre in the round version of the award winning production. The Color Purple is a sprawling story about friendship and personal triumph through adversity as the main character Celie (played by the amazing T’Shan Williams) makes the journey from the dark heart of abuse and misery to the glories of personal fulfilment, kindness and love. In short, the story is about change and the power that it gives to the individual. It’s also a story about connection and the importance of community and family. This musical version (book by Marsha Norman with music by the fabulous Brenda Russell, Allee Willis & Stephen Bray) cleverly m...

“Save A Seat” Raises Funds For Birmingham Repertory Theatre and Birmingham Royal Ballet

17Feb

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NEWS

“Save A Seat” Raises Funds For Birmingham Repertory Theatre and Birmingham Royal Ballet

This past festive season, audiences were asked to Save A Seat as part of a new fundraising campaign by Birmingham Repertory Theatre and Birmingham Royal Ballet. Today, both Birmingham cultural institutions are pleased to announce that over £15,000 in donations were raised thanks to the generosity of audiences and the incredible support of match-funders, global law firm DLA Piper in Birmingham. The fundraising initiative aimed to help cover the lost income from some of the seats left empty during the run of The Nutcracker at The REP after performances in front of socially-distanced live audiences were cancelled due to local tier restrictions. All proceeds will be split equally between The REP and Birmingham Royal Ballet. Audiences now have the opportunity to watch another extraordinar...

17Feb

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Yorkshire & Humber

Jane Eyre – Hull Truck Theatre

Written by Charlotte Brontë, the classic that is Jane Eyre never fails to impress audiences - whether on film, TV or in the theatre. I viewed this particular performance (a world premiere) online - a necessity in these Covid lockdown times - and it wasn’t until the final words were uttered in the final scene, and I lifted my head from my computer, that I realised I had become totally and utterly engrossed in what I had witnessed on my 13ins screen. Filmed in Bracknell last November, it was originally scheduled to grace Hull Truck Theatre’s stage in March 2020, but the coronavirus put paid to that. So, settling down on my sofa at home, coffee and snacks at the ready and my husband promising not to utter a sound, I entered the fascinating world of the well-known orphan, Jane Eyre. ...

all on her own – MZG Theatre Productions

16Feb

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REVIEWS

all on her own – MZG Theatre Productions

Rosemary (Janie Dee) comes home from a London party near midnight. Alone in the living room where her husband died, she begins talking to him, breaking the silence on her emotions and guilt at his passing and, possibly, communicating with him one last time. This short play was written by Terence Rattigan, a great and undeservedly neglected British playwright who once wrote for Laurence Olivier and Marilyn Monroe and is still the only playwright to have notched more than 1000 performances for two separate plays, namely, French Without Tears and While the Sun Shines. In these Covid-times many plays are being performed for the (laptop) screen, ostensibly still as a play. In the case of All On Her Own, this is in many ways a return home as the play, performed on stage at the Overgrou...