Paul Downham, Author at North West End UK

6Oct

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

London

Il Trovatore – Royal Opera House (2017)

Verdi wrote Il Trovatore (The Troubadour) – with libretto largely written by Salvadore Cammarano – hot on the heels of Rigoletto, with its premiere in 1853 a mere two months before that of La Traviata. German director David Bösch made his UK debut with his original production at the Royal Opera House in 2016 with this revival in 2017 overseen by Julia Burbach. The Count di Luna (Vitaliy Bilyy) loves Leonora (Lianna Haroutounian), but she loves Manrico (Gregory Kunde), the Count’s military enemy. Manrico’s mother Azucena (Anita Rachvelishvili) tells him how her mother was burnt to death for supposed witchcraft against the Count’s baby brother. Azucena intended to throw the baby onto the fire – but blinded by revenge she lost her own child to the flames. The Count captures Manrico and ...

5Oct

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

NEWS

Alty Fringe brings live theatre back to Manchester

Live Theatre returns to Manchester next month with a new Covid-Secure live arts event staged at the Altrincham Garrick Theatre. The #AltyFringe will showcase the amazing talent from our region and beyond, with everything from live theatre, dance, comedy, and live music staged from Monday 23rd to Sunday 29th November. Event Organiser Max Eden has been working with the Altrincham Garrick Theatre to bring live theatre and the arts back safely to the community by staging a week-long ‘Fringe Style’ series of events. They have been working together to create a great re-introduction programme to theatre for the local community following its temporary closure earlier in the year; putting in place a number of Covid safety measures which include - reduced socially distanced capacity in ...

Imitating the dog are the first company to get back on the road

5Oct

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

Interviews, NEWS

Imitating the dog are the first company to get back on the road

If you had to put your money on any company having the balls to get back on the road in the midst of a pandemic a strong favourite would be imitating the dog. Over the last 20 years they have never been afraid of a challenge and they have been busy devising a new outdoor show Dr Blood’s Old Travelling Show that kicks off a national tour at Leeds Playhouse. Co-Artistic Director Pete Brooks is hard at work with the cast at the Playhouse but says that a company famed for their innovative use of technology are taking inspiration from an ancient theatrical tradition for their latest adventure. “It’s not set in mediaeval times, but it’s a sort of mediaeval morality tale when groups of traveling players told stories,” says Pete in a break from final rehearsals. “The idea is that there is...

5Oct

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

REVIEWS

Wait For Me – Online

In the week that we are told that arts jobs are “not viable”, I was introduced to a unique dance musical that brings together creativity and impassioned storytelling. It’s a traditional love story; two lovers meet, go through hardship, and come back together. But not every romance adds spirits and singing inner voices into the mix. The two guardian angels, unbeknownst to their human counterparts, are guiding and influencing them in their movements, as in their life. When the characters’ emotions are elevated, the singers add another layer to convey their feelings. It is a very clever concept from writer, Sam Cassidy, and one that culminates in a full-circle romantic ending. The lovechild of Cassidy and Ainsley Ricketts (choreographer, director and performer in the piece) was mean...

North West End UK set to go LIVE in rescheduled Covid secure concert

4Oct

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

NEWS, NWE UK Live

North West End UK set to go LIVE in rescheduled Covid secure concert

We are thrilled to announce that we are performing as part of the inaugural Alty Fringe which is to be staged at the Altrincham Garrick Playhouse from the 12th - 28th March 2021. The show, and festival has been rescheduled from November 2020. Alty Fringe has teamed up with the Altrincham Garrick to produce a 17 day long festival of Covid secure theatre designed to appeal to all tastes with comedy, dance, drama and music all featuring during an action packed month. North West End UK go LIVE with an exciting concert celebrating musical theatre on the 21st March at 7:30pm. Featuring three of the very best female vocalists in the North West, all award winning performers, we'll serve you up a mixture of old and new musical theatre anthems. Full details and casting for the show, as ...

Tonight at the London Coliseum: Cassidy Janson

3Oct

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

London

Tonight at the London Coliseum: Cassidy Janson

The most recent acoustic concert in the Tonight at the London Coliseum series features the star of Beautiful: the Carole King Musical and & Juliet, Cassidy Janson. Having already watched her livestream from her house earlier in the year, and seen her live in the intimate setting of the Coliseum’s Balcony Bar back in February, I have become familiar with her choice of songs, and this concert very much focuses on the crowd-pleasers and big-hitters. It remains a sad feeling to see any show broadcast from an empty space where an audience should be, however large or small. The beautiful Coliseum auditorium is lit up in reds, golds, and blues but without an audience there is a lack of energy and atmosphere. Janson, however, is a likeable and perceptive performer, and brings warmth to the ...

Michael Ball: Past & Present Tour – The Shows Must Go On

3Oct

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

REVIEWS

Michael Ball: Past & Present Tour – The Shows Must Go On

It is no secret that I have and always have had since I can remember, a massive crush on Michael Ball and I have seen him in concert before and I would love nothing than to see him live again, but this will have to do.. However, he never ceases to amaze me with how he enthrals, energises and entertains his audience with his stories, wit and cheeky smile. This particular concert is to mark 25-year career of a lovely, cheeky man who is a genuinely, down to earth, loveable guy obviously humbled by the praise he was receiving. Michael was joined on stage by 5 guest vocalists: Adrian Hansal, Ben James Ellis, Emma Williams, Louise Clare Marshall and Louise Dearman and we were privileged to hear so much talent on one stage. The set was simple but effective with blue & ...

3Oct

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

London

Romeo & Juliet – Shakespeare’s Globe

Romeo & Juliet is a favourite for school examiners, and we see it re-appearing onto the curriculum at regular intervals. The Globe have joined with Deutsche Bank, who for the last 10 years have funded online resources for their youth engagement programme, to enhance their ‘Playing Shakespeare with Deutsche Bank’ project. Each year 20,000 free tickets are given to schools for shows that have been specially created for students to introduce and nurture a greater understanding of Shakespeare and the performance of his plays. This exceedingly useful resource offers students a chance to come to the home of the Bard to experience the thrill of live performance. This experience undoubtedly helps the words to leapfrog from the page into their young minds, to help to vis...

Leeds City Varieties makes early announcement of panto for 2021

3Oct

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

NEWS

Leeds City Varieties makes early announcement of panto for 2021

Leeds City Varieties Music Hall have made a very early announcement that Beauty and the Beast will be its Rock ‘n’ Roll Panto for 2021. The historic city centre venue closed its doors on March 17th and like most venues were forced to cancel their 2020 panto which in their case is now the hugely popular Rock ‘n’ Panto where the cast do all the classic slapstick for the kids, and innuendos for the adults, but also pick up their instruments to play a lively set of classic pop tunes too. “Like so many other theatres across the country, we are absolutely devastated that this year’s panto won’t be going ahead, but we’re thrilled to be able to bring Beauty and the Beast, a brand new production from the enchanted pen of Peter Rowe, to The Varieties in 2021,” says Varieties General Manager Ia...

Wake the Dragon – St Luke’s Bombed Out Church

28Sep

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

North West

Wake the Dragon – St Luke’s Bombed Out Church

Wake the Dragon was a free event and part of Liverpool Ignitus Festival of Performing Arts and the event managed in partnership with St Luke’s Bombed Out Church, Bring the Fire Project, and Zest Event Management, and with funding from Culture Liverpool’s Without Walls scheme. With a focus on wellbeing, the event was a platform for some of Liverpool’s finest performing artists and organisations to flex their creative muscle and do what they do best: perform and connect with their audience, this time with the added constraint of social distancing. There were three specific acts listed, opening with international theatre company Teatro Pomodoro who also served as MC for the night. Our bubble of four (two couples in case you’re wondering), all of whom met at the celebrated École Phillipe...