Paul Downham, Author at North West End UK

Leeds Playhouse launch digital performances of A Christmas Carol

18Dec

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

NEWS

Leeds Playhouse launch digital performances of A Christmas Carol

As West Yorkshire stays under Tier 3 restrictions the team at Leeds Playhouse have been forced to offer A Christmas Carol as a digital screening. They’re now unable to welcome people into its Quarry Theatre to enjoy their annual festive spectacular, so they’ve teamed up with Yorkshire based company Pilot Theatre to film the production, which they were already planning to show for free in care homes, schools and hospitals across Leeds. Now tickets priced from £10 for the first Playhouse At Home event are also being made available to the general public for five special online performances from 21st – 23rd December, giving audiences wherever they are a chance to safely see this adaptation of the Dickens classic by Deborah McAndrew. “Our vivid retelling of one of the best-loved stori...

Bedknobs and Broomsticks will be the festive show at Leeds Grand in 2021

18Dec

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

NEWS

Bedknobs and Broomsticks will be the festive show at Leeds Grand in 2021

The world premiere tour of Disney’s new stage musical Bedknobs and Broomsticks, will be ‘bobbing along’ to Leeds Grand Theatre next year for a five-week Christmas run from Wednesday 8th December to Sunday 9th January 2022. This stage version of the beloved 1971 Academy Award-winning film starring Angela Lansbury and David Tomlinson, features songs from the Sherman Brothers, including Portobello Road, The Age Of Not Believing, The Beautiful Briny, with and a new book plus music and lyrics by Neil Bartram and Brian Hill. Based on the books The Magic Bedknob, or How to Become a Witch in Ten Easy Lessons and Bonfires and Broomsticks by English children's author Mary Norton, it’s the family friendly story of three orphaned children reluctantly evacuated from London to live with the myster...

The Haunting of Alice Bowles – Original Theatre Company

18Dec

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

REVIEWS

The Haunting of Alice Bowles – Original Theatre Company

The Haunting of Alice Bowles is a supernatural thriller by Philip Franks, adapted for Original Theatre Company from the M.R. James short ghost story, The Experiment: A New Year's Eve Ghost Story. This is the company’s fourth original online production since theatres were closed by the Government in March this year and it stars Tamzin Outhwaite, Max Bowden, Stephen Boxer, Jack Archer, Robert Mountford, Poppy Roe and Tim Treloar. The story follows two strands: In 1918, where the titular Alice Bowles (Tamzin Outhwaite) is a widow (seemingly due to then ongoing Spanish Flu epidemic) seeking to find the money left by her late husband Francis. The second strand is contemporary and follows YouTube urban explorers Matt and Caitlin uncovering a mysterious grave in an abandoned churchyard. Bot...

The You Play Volume Two: The Haunted Woman – 45North

18Dec

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REVIEWS

The You Play Volume Two: The Haunted Woman – 45North

An unsettling, psychological thriller with genuine tension and creepy theme from 45North and Ellie Keel Productions. Directed by Jessica Lazar. This tense, one-woman drama is performed by Olivia Williams and written by Rafaella Marcus. Appropriate for these times of closed theatres, it is an audio project from Written on the Waves and follows Marcus’ debut The You Play. The concept of the project is to put the listener at the centre of the world. It is available through SoundCloud on a donate what you consider appropriate basis. The drama begins with a woman recording a message on a Dictaphone which she hopes will be found subsequently. She tells the listener that time is running out and that he should follow a bizarre set of instructions which she gives during the course of the mess...

HUNCHtheatre’s ‘Still Life’ – Buy Art not Socks!

17Dec

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

NEWS

HUNCHtheatre’s ‘Still Life’ – Buy Art not Socks!

HUNCHtheatre celebrated their 2nd birthday earlier this year, but due to two lockdowns their creative wings have been severely clipped, which also means their income has reduced dramatically. In spite of this, during the summer they used outdoor spaces such as an abandoned outdoor swimming pool for theatrical creations, they held outdoor readings, and performed their play ‘A Hero Of Our Time’ in a West End abandoned church in typical HUNCHtheatre style. Even though they have kept busy with these outdoor shows, they have also kept in touch with their Belarus branch by utilising online resources, and this is something that they dearly wish to continue, but without any funding from the state, they need help from their supporters, i.e. YOU! Artistic Directors Oliver Benne...

Snow White in the Seven Months of Lockdown – Kings Head Theatre

17Dec

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

London

Snow White in the Seven Months of Lockdown – Kings Head Theatre

Snow White in the Seven Months of Lockdown at the Kings Head theatre in London (online) streams to our homes this month in time for Christmas. Put together by the Charles Court Opera, they throw a romping frolic through the tulips of fun with bawdy humour and all the ingredients of a great traditional pantomime with a boutique vibe, plenty of zany antics and a shake up of the usual panto story. There couldn’t be any better tonic for this year. Bright stylish costumes, bold characters with a swap of gender roles, Snow White is played in baseball boots by John Savournin who also wrote the hilarious script. The Wicked Queen is played sumptuously evil by Jennie Jacobs, it’s impossible to tell her age but she has a fantastic stage presence, her costume is amazing with a huge white fur ...

Beauty and the Beast – Theatre Royal St Helens

15Dec

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

North West

Beauty and the Beast – Theatre Royal St Helens

Last night it was nice to have some sort of normality in the theatre world. I got to review my first show in 2020 inside an actual theatre. It was nice to be back. The things that would normally annoy you in the theatre, such as people getting past you in the aisle or the rustling of crisp packets was strangely welcomed as it was just nice to have that experience again. However, I digress the reason why I was there was to review 2020 pantomime Beauty and the Beast at the St Helens Theatre Royal. The show start time was at 6pm which I was surprised at because you’d think that was to early due to audiences working even if it started at 7:30pm it would have finished before 10pm. the show itself was as flamboyant and as funny as you expect a panto to be with little hidden gems of the cast c...

15Dec

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

London

A Christmas Carol – Dominion Theatre

With just two weeks of rehearsal, the London Musical Theatre Orchestra's 24 musicians and a small, hardworking cast have created a festive fantasia for all the family against the odds. Sadly, the move of London into tier 3 means this show closes today, along with all others recently opened or reopened. There have been many adaptations of the Dickens novel of Christmas redemption, including a number of musicals. This one, composed by Alan Menken with lyrics by Lynn Ahrens and book by Mike Ockrent. It is unabashedly sentimental alongside scenes bordering on the horrific. Even in a semi-staged concert version, these elements are not neglected. Ebenezer Scrooge is played in this version by the versatile Brian Conley, a performer who captures both the sardonic monstrosity of the miser and...

14Dec

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

London

The Comeback – Noël Coward Theatre

The Comeback is a funny behind the scenes look at two double acts on their journey to fame. One double act is the warm up and the other is the main act but they’re both relying on their old sketches to impress and raise their profile with the crowd and possible producers in the audience. The duo playing both acts are very likeable and have great chemistry on stage, resulting a really naturally flowing and funny performance with regular gags and well delivered sketches. Behind the laughs and sketches is an introspective crisis regarding the double acts considering how natural their act is and if they belong or qualify for a higher tier of performances and venues to escape their ‘dead end’ city. It’s a narrative which a lot of people can connect to and engage with, both duos have lost fai...

14Dec

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

REVIEWS

The Prom – Netflix

When Coronavirus pressed pause in March of this year many key events were missed - weddings, christenings, graduations and proms. The high-school prom - a formal dance that originated in America which has gained global popularity – celebrates the start of adult life as teenagers tear up the dance floor in all of their finery following the ritual of ‘promposals’ (ever more inventive ways to ask someone to prom), corsages and limo rides. Netflix’s latest movie musical The Prom (an adaptation of Matthew Sklar, Chad Beguelin and Bob Martin’s 2016 Broadway musical) provides a heartening tale of acceptance and redemption which is well judged to entertain audiences starved of live theatre and events. In these socially distant times seeing exuberant dancers not observing a safe two met...