Paul Downham, Author at North West End UK

31Dec

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

NEWS

Woyzeck – Hope Street Theatre

‘A rollercoaster journey from the heights of black comedy to the depths of Freudian despair.’ With the challenge of picking only one show, I shall stick with the first one I saw as a full preview performance on 2nd January and which, rarely for me, I returned to see again when it played at Hope Street Theatre in Liverpool in the last week of January. Step forward Old Fruit Jar Productions and their debut production, a take on Jack Thorne’s 2017 adaptation of Georg Büchner’s classic play, Woyzeck, with this its first performance since its inaugural West End run by kind permission of the writer himself. It was a delight to see this new young company grabbing the opportunity to do something different and tackle real issues – class divide; poverty; exploitation; mental health – that ...

31Dec

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

London

Uncle Vanya – BBC iPlayer

An evocative play about family resentments and tensions in a changing world. Adapted by Conor McPherson, Directed by Ian Rickson The theatre production for this Chekhov play was halted in March this year due to COVID-19 but the production was filmed in London’s Harold Pinter Theatre, released in cinemas and is now available on the BBC. What we see is an accomplished filming of a theatre production rather than a film/TV adaptation, as all the action takes place in one room and there is a distinct lack of intrusive camera work. The play is adapted by Conor McPherson and directed by Ian Rickson and with a strong cast they have managed to create an event very similar to visiting a theatre for a classic play. The set is wonderfully dark and rustic in its faded grandeur. There is a good...

29Dec

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

London

Pirates of Penzance – Palace Theatre

Of all Gilbert and Sullivan's works, Pirates of Penzance is probably the best known and one of their most popular, having been a hit since it first opened in New York in December 1879. Since then, it has been interpreted and re-interpreted - and Sasha Regan 's award-winning production is one of the very best. The "men playing women" trope has, of course, been around for many centuries, in Shakespeare and in panto. It depends on the talent of the actors to make the conceit work. And work it does, the all-male cast adding an additional layer of whimsy to what is already a marvellously funny operetta. The story hinges on its subtitle "The Slave Of Duty". After a miscommunication leads young Frederic to be indentured to the dastardly Pirates of Penzance, he delights in his freed...

25Dec

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

NEWS, NWE UK Live

A Christmas Message

To say 2020 has been a tough year for the arts is an understatement. Here at North West End UK we have been resolute in our desire to maintain our support for this amazing industry. We have continued to review throughout the pandemic covering online productions before returning, briefly to theatres when the relevant tier restrictions allowed. We also launched North West End UK LIVE in the Summer to promote the talent we have within our own team. Producing monologues written and performed by our reviewers. The most popular has been the Home Schooling series featuring our very own Yazmin Walker. To celebrate this very different Christmas period Mark Davoren has written an alternative Christmas message and we were thrilled that the Altrincham Garrick Playhouse allowed us to film on t...

24Dec

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

London

Dick Whittington – National Theatre

It’s always a courageous move to update a traditional piece of theatre but it’s especially courageous to update a pantomime when generally the audience have an ‘inkling’ of what to expect. However, this is what Jude Christian and Cariad Lloyd had in mind for their production of The National Theatres 2020 version of Dick Whittington. Having first premiered at The Lyric Hammersmith in 2018, the production had been updated for 2020. Filmed following only its fourth preview performance on 15th December this year due to Government lockdown restrictions, the National Theatre pulled off an incredible feat in filming the pantomime. With some work still in progress, their wish to share the panto for free was based on acknowledging that all components of theatres have been massively affected by t...

Prince Charming’s Christmas Cracker – Hull Truck Theatre

24Dec

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

Yorkshire & Humber

Prince Charming’s Christmas Cracker – Hull Truck Theatre

On Tuesday evening, when I hit the YouTube button at 7pm to watch the premiere of Prince Charming’s Christmas Cracker, coming from Hull Truck’s stage, I settled back, coffee in one hand, mince pie in the other, to watch live theatre - something I’d experienced little of since the dreaded coronavirus resulted in the closure of theatres nationwide. The fun began after 10 minutes of festive faves played by DJ Ratty (cast member Joanna Holden), against a video backdrop of Christmas lights in and around the city of Hull.. Ratty introduced the Prince Charming of the title, with the words “he’s handsome, he’s rich and he’s a bachelor” - as the Prince (Laurie Jamieson) took to the stage, which was bedecked by a huge Christmas tree, presents and a “Groove Machine”. A bag of nerves - this w...

A Christmas Carol – Leeds Playhouse At Home

22Dec

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

Yorkshire & Humber

A Christmas Carol – Leeds Playhouse At Home

The Playhouse’s annual festive spectacular was just one of hundreds of productions forced to switch online just before curtain was about to go up and as good as this recorded version is it will always lack the yuletide magic of gathering in a shared space. This is a reworking of a production that began at Hull Truck Theatre, going on to be a big hit last year when the theatre’s ensemble brought it to life in the pop-up theatre used when the Playhouse was refurbed. The Playhouse’s associate director Amy Leach cleverly invokes the legend that every theatre has a ghost, but she deploys a team of them as they emerge from their offstage pods. They have gathered round the traditional ghost light that burns when a theatre is dark, and once they discover a puppet of Tiny Tim they decide to d...

22Dec

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REVIEWS

The Railway Children – YouTube

E Nesbit’s The Railway Children is a lovely story of community, togetherness and unity, set against a backdrop of the dangers of prejudice and assumptions. Adapted for stage by Mike Kenny and directed by Damian Cruden, this interpretation is an exciting piece of theatre, complete with steam train rolling along the stage surrounded by the audience. From the opening choo choo, cry of “all abroad” and accompanying whistle, the world of the Railway Children is created in beautiful and immersive detail. There is no fourth wall as an adult Bobbie (Rozzi Nicholson-Lailey), Peter (Izaak Cainer) and Phyllis (Beth Lilly) directly address the audience to tell their story. Bringing to the fore the issue of unreliable narrators, the three argue about their recollections of their childhood, but all e...

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz – Creation Theatre

22Dec

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REVIEWS

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz – Creation Theatre

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is a story of imagination, friendship and family set in the surreal world of Oz. Creation Theatre have taken this up a notch in this new adaptation directed by Gari Jones, and put this extraordinary world into a retro video game plagued by a wicked witch whose loyal followers keep up with her via the messy and fickle lifestyle of an online influencer. The Company have fully utilised the online format of this show, and by using green screens and other technology, have created a show which they can present live while maintaining all social distancing guidelines to keep their cast and crew safe. The live format means that improvisation is possible, and the conspicuous absence of Toto allows the company to include some light audience participation so that th...

22Dec

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

London

December – Old Red Lion Theatre

Bag of Beard Collective in conjunction with ORL Theatre serves up this quirky, sometimes sinister but ultimately highly enjoyable show written and directed by ORL artistic director Alexander Knott. The play is basically another take on the Dickens classic A Christmas Carol but instead of Scrooge taking centre stage, Knott cleverly focuses on the ever put upon and downtrodden Bob Cratchit (Ryan Hutton). Knott imagines him taking a journey to possible futures ahead, through encounters with vagabonds, spirits and ghosts. For fans of the Dicken’s characters there is definitely some fun to be had in this inventive adaptation and even though it has its very dark and sometimes quite surreal moments (think disco sparkle flairs, Bowies Fashion and Cuban heels) you cannot deny the sheer energy...