Paul Downham, Author at North West End UK

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

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

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

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

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...

29Oct

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

NEWS

MJ The Musical heading to the West End

Producers Lia Vollack Productions and The Michael Jackson Estate announce today that the multiple Tony Award® winning Broadway musical MJ will open in the U.K. at the Prince Edward Theatre, London from March 2024. For more information and to be first in line for tickets, go to www.mjthemusical.com Tickets will go on sale in Spring 2023. Full booking details will be announced in due course. He is one of the greatest entertainers of all time. Now, Michael Jackson's unique and unparalleled artistry is heading to the West End in the Tony Award®-winning new musical. Centred around the making of his 1992 Dangerous World Tour, MJ goes beyond the singular moves and signature sound of the star, offering a rare look at the creative mind and collaborative spirit that catapulted Jackson into ...

Heathers the Musical is back on the road

29Oct

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

NEWS

Heathers the Musical is back on the road

Following two record-breaking seasons at London's The Other Palace and West End transfer to the Theatre Royal Haymarket in 2018 and having won the WhatsOnStage 2019 award for 'BEST NEW MUSICAL', Heathers the Musical will embark on a highly anticipated UK tour from 2023. Produced by Bill Kenwright and Paul Taylor-Mills, this high octane, black comedy, rock musical based on one of the greatest cult teen films of all-time starred Winona Ryder and Christian Slater, is back with a bang! The 2023 Class of Westerberg High and the full tour timetable will be announced shortly. Greetings and salutations! Welcome to Westerberg High, where popularity is so very a matter of life and death, and Veronica Sawyer is just another of the nobodies dreaming of a better day. Photo: Pamela Raith ...

The Beauty Queen of Leenane – Theatre by the Lake

27Oct

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

North West

The Beauty Queen of Leenane – Theatre by the Lake

The wind and rain of an autumn evening in Cumbria sets the scene perfectly for Theatre by the Lake's new production of The Beauty Queen of Leenane - a tragedy that unfolds in a small rural community in Ireland, writes Karen Morley-Chesworth. The setting of an isolated cottage overshadowed by the mountain range behind captures the claustrophobic existence of Maureen played by Elizabeth Appleby, a 40-something virgin, reluctantly the 'carer' for her controlling mother, Mag played by Susan Twist. Twist is a brilliant character actor who brings this woman to life. No one in the audience would want to be trapped in that room with Mag - but also no one in the audience could fail to laugh and cry with and for her as the relationship between mother and daughter reaches breaking point. App...

A Strange Tale to be told at Shakespeare North Playhouse

27Oct

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NEWS

A Strange Tale to be told at Shakespeare North Playhouse

Imaginarium Theatre is thrilled to be staging Strange Tale; the second full length play in the opening season of the Cockpit Stage at Shakespeare North Playhouse this 2nd – 5th November. Drawing on factual historical research, with lashings of artistic license, and an abundance of fun, this zany and fabulously funny new play from Rob Brannen invents an exciting new mythos of Prescot and its historic connection to the Bard. Imaginarium Theatre present this new comic play that explores Shakespeare’s links to Prescot through a time-travelling adventure that blows apart the myths, the man and the missing years. Will Shakespeare is in Prescot, but who knows why or how. His Tudor days seem far away from the here and now. He needs the help of locals, as time is running out – his memo...

First look at new West End cast of Mamma Mia!

25Oct

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

NEWS

First look at new West End cast of Mamma Mia!

Producer Judy Craymer is delighted to announce the new cast of the global smash hit musical MAMMA MIA! from Monday 10th October 2022 and the extension of its booking period to Saturday 30th September 2023 at London’s Novello Theatre, with ticket prices frozen and now on sale. The London cast will continue to star Mazz Murray as Donna, Josie Benson as Tanya, Gemma Goggin as Rosie and Stephen Beckett as Bill. They will be joined on Monday 10th October by Norman Bowman (Marius in Les Misérables, Sky Masterson in Guys & Dolls and Pat Denning in 42nd Street in the West End) as Sam, Christopher Dickins (Witness for the Prosecution, Oklahoma! at Chichester Festival Theatre) as Harry, Meg Hateley (making her West End debut) as Sophie, Miles Henderson (making his West End debut) as Sky, Nata...

24Oct

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

London

Musical Con – ExCel Centre

London’s first ever musical convention opened at the ExCel Centre this weekend. Shanay Holmes not only organised the whole event but impressively hosted the main stage for the whole day. Musical Con was truly for the fans with spaces for fans to perform and show off their creativity with their cosplaying skills! The queue entertainment from West End Musical Choir set the tone for the day with a huge sing-a-long of some favourite musicals. The opening show was great with students accompanying the West End guests. Anyone with VIP passes was allowed near the stage which meant that you did not have to stay at the stage to hold a good spot for the day. There were plenty of photo opportunities throughout the venue. From a musical con sign, to the Delorian from Back to the Future. It was al...