Paul Downham, Author at North West End UK

Welcome to the Café – The Theatre Channel

20Jan

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

London

Welcome to the Café – The Theatre Channel

At the beginning of October in 2020, The Theatre Café released the first episode of their new series, The Theatre Channel, presented by Adam Blanshay Productions. Rallying together some of the West End’s top performers, viewers are treated to fantastically produced musical numbers directed by Bill Deamer. Each episode has its own unique theme, and so fittingly, the first one introduces and welcomes us to the café itself. Opening with ‘Coffee (In a Cardboard Cup)’ from And the World Goes Round, featuring series regulars ‘The Café Four’ (Alyn Hawke, Emily Langham, Sadie-Jean Shirley and Alex Woodward), we instantly get a taste for the energetic, perfected and stagey songs we’re in for. Deamer also lends his tight, upbeat choreography to the series, and it’s evident in this fun first numbe...

Daniel Bye takes to the road with a new play about running and freedom

19Jan

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

Interviews

Daniel Bye takes to the road with a new play about running and freedom

Daniel Bye made his name with a series of challenging interactive works he wrote and appeared in, but now he’s teamed up with musician Boff Whalley to create These Hill Are Ours that’s nominally about their shared love of running. Daniel and the former Chumbawamba songwriter are also using songs and words to explore who should own the land they run on, and thanks to the virus they’ve been waiting for a year to perform it in front an audience. The idea began life when they were working together on projects around the country. “We go for a run from wherever we were out of the town, or city, towards the peak overlooking the place and that kind of grew into a project,” recalls Daniel about a work that developed as they put the hard miles in over the last three years. “But as we rep...

Oops!… I Streamed It Again – Thespie Online

19Jan

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

REVIEWS

Oops!… I Streamed It Again – Thespie Online

In this online concert launched by theatre streaming platform Thespie, the stars of hit West End musical &Juliet reunited for a truly memorable performance. From hit pop songs from the likes of Britney to legendary show tunes from musical favourites such as Wicked, the show was the perfect mix of pop, ballads and musical theatre. Five brilliant &Juliet cast members took centre stage – Oliver Tompsett, Grace Mouat, Jordan Luke Gage, Tim Mahendran and 2020 Olivier Award Winner Cassidy Janson. The concert began with a soulful short version of Britney classic “Oops!... I Did It Again” performed by Janson and Tompsett, rather fitting with the name of the show. With their beautiful harmonies that just blend so perfectly it was a solid opening and I was reminded of their great...

18Jan

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

REVIEWS

Girl Power – Thespie Online

In this new addition to the streaming website, Thespie, the SEVEN original cast-members of SIX, the West End musical, give some incredible FIVE-star performances. With FOUR glamourous costume changes, the audience is swept through the decades of classic THREE-minute pop songs by female collaborators. Surprisingly, the group has only put on TWO concerts, but it’s clear that this ONE is a hit. Yes, I enjoyed myself creating that countdown introduction. But not as much as I enjoyed watching this show. Starting off with the Andrews Sisters, (a surprising choice) the show pushes on to the likes of TLC and Little Mix. The concert aims to get the audience dancing along in their living rooms to some female anthems. And it succeeded. Their harmonies are ridiculously good. There’s not one song of...

16Jan

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

REVIEWS

Together Again – Thespie Online

During lockdown, like most, I’ve been desperately missing all things theatre. So, I took it upon myself to listen to as many new cast albums as I possibly could, and I frankly fell head over heels for the Heathers soundtrack. I love Laurence O’Keefe, as it is, as Legally Blonde reigns supreme in this theatre fans heart. But, during 2020 Heathers was my most played album on Spotify. I loved the UK cast recording; the setup, the voices and the raw emotion that came across in every song. So, when I saw that the UK’s iconic trio were reuniting for a concert, I jumped at the chance to watch it. The concert opens with the ladies singing ‘One Night Only’ from Dreamgirls and T’Shan took the lead on this. She has such a soulful and sublime voice. The vocal blend in this sound is just stunning. I...

16Jan

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

London

Rosegold – Online@TheSpaceUK

Donna Kay Yarborough’s monologue, Rosegold, is a startling story of alcohol addiction which starts as a regular testament at a Zoom meeting of what seems to be a religious group for those with some sort of baggage but takes a slowly disturbing turn as the story progresses. Jamie is speaking from her porch, outside her home. Other than briefly introducing “Carrie”, who doesn’t speak and wears a mask to remind us of our current pandemic, she is on her own, sharing a story so bleak and horrifying it toys with the tropes we recognise from both the traditional Christmas ghost story and the type of horror film that includes “found footage”. Far from being a simple tale of abusing the bottle, Jamie’s tightly wound personality takes us into a crime scene where she was the only survivor. A cr...

16Jan

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

London

Happily Ever After – Online@theSpaceUK

Better Day Productions’ Happily Ever After from @theSpaceUK’s new season of online shows explores the story of bride to be Jasmin as she plans her special day with the help of Wedding Planners Frank and Gary. Written in a mockumentary style, the show begins by focusing on couple Frank (James Coare) and Gary (Perry Pullman) who were inspired by their own dreamy Disney-themed wedding to create their own wedding planning company. The light-hearted banter between Frank and Gary is definitely a highlight of the show. Filled with plenty of energy and hilarious one-liners, Coare’s performance as Frank was a standout for me. My favourite line was when we first meet the couple. Frank describes Gary as “the missing part of my Polo mint”, simple but performed perfectly and it really made me laugh....

Join Leeds Playhouse’s Young Leaders Project

16Jan

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

NEWS

Join Leeds Playhouse’s Young Leaders Project

Leeds Playhouse’s Young Leaders are looking for six new people to join their free course supporting 18- to 25-year-olds to become the next generation of arts facilitators. Six aspiring arts professionals are already working in partnership with Chapel FM, DAZL, Geraldine Connor Foundation, Mind the Gap and Leeds Libraries & Studio 12 to develop their creative community practice. The course will help those selected to: • Develop leadership skills • Support and manage a team • Make events happen The course runs from February to December 2021, and to apply complete the online form, or send a video or audio file (no longer than 5 minutes) by 10am on 29th January. Photography by Anthony Robling The Playhouse team is interested in hearing from people ...

Thespie presents: Unlimited – The Songs Of Stephen Schwartz

16Jan

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

REVIEWS

Thespie presents: Unlimited – The Songs Of Stephen Schwartz

It’s a sad fact that theatre is suffering greatly during these strange days so it is always welcoming when companies like Thespie can produce live performance streaming of such calibre. Stephen Schwartz is probably one of the most underrated of musical theatre talents and certainly (in my opinion) up there with the Lloyd Webbers and Sondheim’s of this world. From the sublime “Pippin” to the dazzling “Wicked” his music and lyrics positively shine through and it’s to Thespie’s credit that they have produced a superlative showcase of his songs featuring nine excellent West End performers – Nikki Bentley, Sophie Evans, Alice Fearn, Alexia Khadime, Melanie La Barrie, Carl Man, Dianne Pilkington, Liam Tamne and Oliver Tompsett. The concert starts with the wonderful “Magic To Do” from “P...

Mark Ravenhill’s new play is the highlight of Sound Stage

14Jan

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

NEWS

Mark Ravenhill’s new play is the highlight of Sound Stage

Pitlochry Festival Theatre, The Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh in collaboration with Naked Productions have created Sound Stage featuring a new play by Mark Ravenhill. This new immersive audio digital theatre experience has hit the jackpot with the world premiere of Ravenhill’s, Angela, as he offers his first autobiographical play exploring the way culture high and low impacted his mother’s life and that of his family. The season kicking off on 26th March will premiere eight new co-productions from Pitlochry Festival Theatre and Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh written by Roy Williams, Timberlake Wertenbaker, and Tutti Frutti writer John Byrne. “The original idea came from my experience last year making the audio premiere of Adventures with the Painted People with David, Polly, and ...