Paul Downham, Author at North West End UK

8Feb

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

NEWS

Theatreland relocates to St Helens

The producers of stage show spectacular Theatreland regretfully announce this evening that it has become necessary for their production, due to be staged at the DriveINSIDE Theatre at the Trafford Centre this Saturday 22nd May, to be cancelled. However, they have arranged for Theatreland to be presented in the socially-distanced, Covid-safe environment of St Helens Theatre Royal at 2pm on Saturday, May 22nd. Producer of the show, Adam Curtis, says that his company has been left with no alternative but to withdraw Theatreland from the planned drive-in theatre at the Trafford Centre. “We have been liaising with the venue organizers, Beyond Theatre Limited, this week,” says Adam. “Our concerns regarding delivery of the venue infrastructure by them within a timescale capabl...

Heads or Tails by Skye Hallam – The Living Record Festival

8Feb

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REVIEWS

Heads or Tails by Skye Hallam – The Living Record Festival

Heads or Tails is a solo play written and performed by Skye Hallam for The Living Record Festival that asks us to deliberate the afterlife, our hang-ups about life (or those around our imminent death), and the decisions we make our in present ways of living. Presented as a 40-minute filmed performance that uses the free/shaky camera technique and has Skye speaking directly to the viewer, this piece makes you giggle, listen and reflect by exploring the life (and afterlife) of Steph, an actress gone in her prime who has now returned to the mortal world for one last show. By sharing candid experiences about the final years leading up to her untimely death and her encounters in heaven, particularly with God herself (please note the pronoun), Steph intends on sharing practical tips, suggesti...

Casting confirmed for the highly anticipated online concert streaming of Treason

7Feb

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NEWS

Casting confirmed for the highly anticipated online concert streaming of Treason

Casting has been confirmed for the highly anticipated online concert streaming of Treason, the exciting new musical drama based on the notorious gunpowder plot of 1605. The world premiere of this exclusive musical concert will be performed by a selection of some of the West End's most gifted performers including Lucie Jones (Legally Blonde, Waitress), Oliver Tompsett (& Juliet, Kinky Boots), Daniel Boys (Falsettos, Nativity Rocks!), Waylon Jacobs (Hamilton, Memphis), Bradley Jaden (Les Misérables, Wicked), Emmanuel Kojo (Oklahoma!, Show Boat), Rebecca LaChance (School of Rock, Beautiful), Cedric Neal (Chess, Memphis), Sharon Rose (Hamilton, Caroline Or Change), and alongside the multi-talented poet, writer and performer, Debris Stevenson (1st Luv, Poet in da Corner), as the show’s n...

This Little World – The Living Record Festival

7Feb

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REVIEWS

This Little World – The Living Record Festival

This Little World is a solo adaptation of Shakespeare’s Henry II, adapted by Owen Corey and Matthew Windham. Performed by Corey and directed by Windham, the piece utilises original body puppetry under the direction of Essie Windham to tell this story of isolation, desperation and the absolute loss of everything someone holds dear, whether that’s friends and family or the throne of England itself. Opening with Corey, playing Richard II, huddled up in his bare and dusty cell, wearing a torn tracksuit, we see him firstly engaging in desperate attempts to escape before scrawling desperately into a notebook. He pulls the camera towards him, a subtle push against the fourth wall, as he begins his first soliloquy. Using Shakespeare’s original text, Corey essentially tells the story to the a...

Ain’t No Female Romeo – The Living Record Festival

7Feb

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REVIEWS

Ain’t No Female Romeo – The Living Record Festival

Ain’t No Female Romeo, created and performed by Lita Doolan, is a surreal and disconcerting story of social media, the relationships they create and how reliant people can become on both posting and consuming content on it, and, more importantly, receiving responses, particularly “likes”. Combining snippets of poetry, selfie videos, images, quotes and hashtags, the piece exposes social technology, as Doolan travels the world looking for Peter, someone she knows through Instagram, but how well is never made clear. It’s possible that she and Peter have exchanged messages and comments, but the more disturbing possibility is that their only interaction has been liking each other’s posts. The images, quotes and hashtags which flash up on screen from time to time are often very quick, crea...

7Feb

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REVIEWS

Shook by Samuel Bailey – Papatango

Samuel Bailey’s Shook, directed by George Turvey in collaboration with James Bobin, tells the story of three young new or soon to be fathers, who are all in prison. The play won the 2019 Papatango New Writing Prize and shows the characters proceed through a series of parenting classes. The set shows a bleak, simply furnished room, with obviously faded paintwork and fold-up furniture. The play opens with Jonjo (Josef Davies) sitting on one of the fold-up chairs, with his head down as he tries to avoid Cain (Josh Finan), a loud Scouser who knows everything about everyone else and goes to great pains to maintain his own reputation. The play makes good use of the online format by including snippets of black and white CCTV recordings, emphasising the prison environment and giving the piece a...

Leeds Playhouse announce new community engagement programme

6Feb

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NEWS

Leeds Playhouse announce new community engagement programme

Leeds Playhouse have announced an extension to their Creative Engagement programme aimed at engaging with people who might feel an increased sense of isolation or vulnerability during the current lockdown. The new Playhouse Connect programme builds on work already carried out and aims to address four specific areas which are particularly critical in the current circumstances: • Isolation and Loneliness • Mental Health and Wellbeing • Reconnection and Recovery • Skills and Training for Young People All activities included in the programme are free and aimed at boosti...

Typical Film – World premiere on Soho Theatre on demand

5Feb

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NEWS

Typical Film – World premiere on Soho Theatre on demand

Soho Theatre and Nouveau Riche announce the World Premiere of Typical, the film version of the hit stage play, released exclusively on Soho Theatre On Demand from 24th February 2021. A powerful exploration of racism and how British society stereotypes Black masculinity, this urgent and important new drama is created by award-winning creative movement Nouveau Riche and Soho Theatre, London’s most vibrant producer of new theatre, comedy and cabaret. Written by award-winning playwright Ryan Calais Cameron and directed by Anastasia Osei-Kuffour, Typical uncovers the man and the humanity behind the tragic true-life events of Black British ex-serviceman Christopher Alder and the injustice that still remains twenty years since his story emerged. Inspired to write this story following his...

5Feb

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NEWS

HOTLINE – A new play by phone

HOTLINE is a new kind of theatre for a world in the midst of a pandemic where isolation is imposed, and theatres are closed. It is a playful adaptation of the first phone call to the moon with a mission to bring ‘peace and tranquillity to the earth’ using the intimacy of a phone call. Your host is Oxmo, played by Hannah Jarrett-Scott. LAPS (Ladies As Pimps) Cass Ezeji & Alicia Matthews play the All Powerful Moon Bitch, the moon herself. All other parts are played by Leonie Rae Gasson, Melanie Frances, Meghan Tyler, Nima Séne. The cast also includes teenagers and octogenarians from Platform. HOTLINE is an interactive theatre piece inspired by the legendary phone call from the White House to the moon between Richard Nixon, Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong. HOTLINE uses the structure ...

Songs For A New World on stream.theatre from 21st February

5Feb

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Songs For A New World on stream.theatre from 21st February

Lambert Jackson Productions today announces its online lockdown production of Jason Robert Brown’s Songs For A New World which will stream on stream.theatre for one week from 21st February. Filmed during the first UK lockdown, entirely in isolation and on the artists smart phones, Séimí Campbell directs Rachel John (Hamilton), Ramin Karimloo (Phantom of The Opera), Cedric Neal (Motown) and Rachel Tucker (Come From Away), and introducing Shem Omari James, with musical supervision by Adam Hoskins, musical direction from Josh Winstone and video editing by Danny Kaan. “It's about one moment. It's about hitting the wall and having to make a choice… or take a stand… or turn around and go back.” Written by Tony Award-winning composer Jason Robert Brown and sitting between musical and son...