Paul Downham, Author at North West End UK

<strong>There’s a New Doc in Town!</strong>

31Jan

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

NEWS

There’s a New Doc in Town!

Lead producer Colin Ingram, together with Robert Zemeckis and Bob Gale, the creators of the Back To The Future film trilogy, are delighted to announce that celebrated theatre actor, Cory English, will join the cast of BACK TO THE FUTURE The Musical at the Adelphi Theatre, playing the role of ‘Doctor Emmett Brown’. The show will also extend its booking period until Sunday 22nd October 2023. Tickets for the new booking period are on sale now. The critically acclaimed Olivier, WhatsOnStage and Broadway World Award-winning Best New Musical had its opening night in London on Monday 13th September 2021 and recently broke box office records at the Adelphi Theatre for the highest gross sales in one week. BACK TO THE FUTURE The Musical is nominated for three WhatsOnStage Awards in 2023 including...

The National Lottery’s Big Night of Musicals Returns to Manchester

25Jan

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

NEWS

The National Lottery’s Big Night of Musicals Returns to Manchester

For the second year running, The National Lottery is shining a light on the magic of musical theatre by hosting a musical extravaganza at the AO Arena, Manchester, on Monday 27th February. Hosted by Jason Manford, The National Lottery’s Big Night of Musicals will feature performances from best-selling West End musicals and touring shows including We Will Rock You the Musical, Wicked, The Royal Shakespeare Company’s Matilda The Musical and Aspects of Love featuring Michael Ball The show serves as a special thank you to National Lottery players who have helped tens of thousands of arts projects across the UK and supported over 2,000 theatres through the Covid crisis After the huge success of its first musicals extravaganza last year, on Monday 27th February The National Lottery is o...

<strong>First major revival in 20 years of Neil Labute’s The Shape of Things</strong>

24Jan

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

NEWS

First major revival in 20 years of Neil Labute’s The Shape of Things

Trish Wadley Productions, in association with Park Theatre, today announce a major revival of Neil LaBute’s acclaimed play The Shape of Things in Park200. Nicky Allpress directs, with set and costume design by Peter Butler. Casting is to be announced. The production opens on 30 May, with previews from 24th May, and runs until 1st July. From the producers of Clybourne Park, this will be the first major revival of The Shape of Things since 2004 – a dark comedy about the drama of human relationships and the nature of love and art. How far would you go for love? For art? What would you be willing to change? What price might you pay? Adam, a geeky young student, works part-time in an art museum and video store to pay his way through college. When he meets post-grad art student Evelyn, his...

<strong>Voice over artists announced for Idiots Assemble – Spitting Image Saves the World at Birmingham Rep</strong>

24Jan

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

NEWS

Voice over artists announced for Idiots Assemble – Spitting Image Saves the World at Birmingham Rep

Twelve voice-over artists, a mix of actors, impressionists and comedians have just started work on recording voices for over one hundred Spitting Image characters for the World Premiere of the stage show, Idiots Assemble: Spitting Image Saves the World which previews at Birmingham Rep from 1st February. They are: Al Murray (The Royal Variety Performance, Al Murray’s Happy Hour, Why Does Everyone Hate the English? We Have Ways of Making You Talk), Debra Stephenson (The Impressions Show, Dead Ringers, Rich Hall’s Election Breakdown, Newzoids, Coronation Street and Bad Girls), Jess Robinson (Spitting Image, The Last Leg, Stars in Their Ears, and The Rise and Fall of Little Voice and Britain’s Got Talent, Jojo Lin (Spitting Image Puppeteer), Jason Forbes (The Tracy Ullman Show, The Ma...

<strong>Coming of age tale Pick n Mix gets London Premiere at Pleasance Islington</strong>

16Jan

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NEWS

Coming of age tale Pick n Mix gets London Premiere at Pleasance Islington

Pick n Mix is a coming of age story of sisterhood, sex ed, sanitary pads and the fierce friendship between teenagers in Bradford making its London debut at Pleasance Islington. It’s the raucous and moving debut play from Kat Rose-Martin, who is a Kay Mellor Fellow, and comes to London after a sold out run across West Yorkshire later last year. Olivia, her sister Kim, and best friend Alisha all fall for the same lad, and not surprisingly chaos ensues as lies are told and their lifelong friendships are on the verge of breakdown. The young women’s Lives are about to change forever as Rose-Martin muses on just how much you can mess up before your mates hate you, and how exactly do you put a condom on one-handed? Pick n Mix is a frank and funny work touching sensitively on issues inclu...

<strong>Rebecca Ferrin comes back home as Les Mis comes to Leeds Grand</strong>

23Nov

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

Interviews

Rebecca Ferrin comes back home as Les Mis comes to Leeds Grand

Les Misérables is a musical juggernaut smashing record after record for more three decades and now the UK tour of this epic tale of betrayal, obsession, revolution, and redemption is heading to Leeds Grand Theatre. Rebecca Ferrin first trod the boards at the Grands as a child and how she’s coming back to her hometown theatre in an epic tale of the battle between Jean Valjean and his nemesis Javert that has played to over 130 million people worldwide. Ferrin who trained at Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts battled her way through one of the toughest auditions for any show and tells our Features Editor Paul Clarke why winning a place onstage is a dream come true. Is this the full West End version that's coming to Leeds? Yes, it's almost identical in every single aspect. We've had...

15Nov

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

North West

This Charming Man – unity Theatre

Sian Davies’s show, part of Liverpool’s Homotopia Festival, was warmly received by a home crowd, keen to proudly welcome the Edinburgh Fringe Comedy Award winning stand up back to her Liverpool home. This Charming Man tells the story of Davies’s life to date and her experiences of the male role models in her life, punctuated by her vast knowledge and significant love of The Smiths. As that famous Johnny Marr guitar intro hit the auditorium, the crowd were clearly ready for a night of entertaining banter, thought provoking observations and candid opinions of the world that has brought Davies to this point in her life. Arming everyone the crowd with a kazoo, to be used every time they spotted a Smiths lyric, allowed the Smithspotters amongst us to finally get a return on those teenage yea...

Christmas cheer comes to Runcorn next week

11Nov

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NEWS

Christmas cheer comes to Runcorn next week

Centenary Theatre Company are about to move into the Brindley Theatre in Runcorn to present their latest production Elf the Musical which opens next week. North West End UK sat down with their musical director, Simon Pickup to find out how the company choses, rehearses and ultimately stages such a big production. Centenary Theatre Company was formed in 1901 and has showcased theatrical talent in Warrington and the surrounding areas ever since. When did you first become involved with the company? I was invited to musically direct CTC’s production of “Annie Get Your Gun” in 2013, and following that show I joined as a member and have now MD’d 7 shows for them, and appeared in 3. Your show this year is Elf the Musical being staged at the glorious Brindley Theatre in Runcorn, tell us h...

Aphra Behn – spy, writer and female libertine – a one-woman show

31Oct

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NEWS

Aphra Behn – spy, writer and female libertine – a one-woman show

It's 1677 and an audience getting ready to watch Aphra Behn’s The Rover are in for a surprise. For the show has been cancelled and, in its place, Aphra herself recounts the extraordinary tale of her time as a spy for King Charles II in the Dutch Wars, and how she became the first professional female writer. Complete with excerpts from Behn’s letters, poetry and plays, this vivid and thought-provoking one-woman show brings one of theatre's most brilliant raconteurs back to life. The A is for Aphra campaign is currently fundraising for a statue of Aphra Behn, attracting attention from the BBC and national press. To aid these efforts we’re bringing back our successful show about Aphra, which premiered at the Women and War Festival prior to going on a national tour, taking in regional th...

You are invited to a dinner like no other at Sale Waterside with Junior Stage 80

29Oct

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

Interviews

You are invited to a dinner like no other at Sale Waterside with Junior Stage 80

A family like no other are moving into Sale Waterside next month to host a dinner like no other which changes lives forever, and you are all invited. Junior Stage 80 (JS80) are back after a Covid enforced absence following their critically acclaimed, sold-out production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat way back in 2019. JS80 is a Jewish society with a mixed membership of all ages from those at primary school year 5 onwards with no upper age limit. Our very own editor Paul Downham is once again directing The Addams Family following his 2019 directorial debut with the same show at The Met in Bury which gained multiple NODA and ACT Nominations and awards. We sat down with Paul to discuss all things Addams ahead of next month’s opening night. What has made you return to di...