Paul Downham, Author at North West End UK

22Oct

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

London

A Single Man – Park Theatre

Tonight, I had the pleasure of experiencing a near perfect night at the theatre. People, place, performances - to steal a well-known phrase, everything was coming up Zoë and I could not have been happier about it. Arriving at the brightly lit, inviting Park Theatre I was warmly greeted by the super-accommodating front of house, acquired a delightful glass of rose and found my seat. The stage is surrounded on three sides, and the front row of the audience’s knees are level with the stage. I’ve personally never been a fan of this set up, it’s always felt a bit too intimate somehow and if any of the action gets too close to you it’s a bit like being sat on the floor in a school assembly staring at teacher’s feet. Luckily, I was sucked into the action and after about 15 minutes any discomfo...

The Canterville Ghost – Southwark Playhouse

17Oct

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

London

The Canterville Ghost – Southwark Playhouse

Coming up in the lift from the underground on my way to the Southwark Playhouse (fast becoming one of my favourite theatre venues - lovely space, absolutely delightful staff, reasonably priced wine) I saw a poster advertising The Canterville Ghost which proclaimed the warning “Contains puppet profanity”. I found this a very pleasing prospect - who doesn’t like a sweary puppet - and so I went into the performance hoping for some silly, joyful giggles. Which is, happily, exactly what I got; a charming, hugely entertaining evening of slick theatre and performances delivered by a talented cast. While the show is based on the Oscar Wilde short story of the same name, the setup is very different - a play within a play if you will. A theatre group consisting of a musician/compere, a ventriloqu...

17Oct

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

London

Wormholes – The Other Palace

Dracunculus medinensis, otherwise known as the Guinea worm. After making its way into the human body, no symptoms of its presence are shown until (like many other things) it will start to eat you from the inside out. ‘Wormholes’ is a modern age, solo performance which I experienced at The Other Palace studio. It followed the story of a woman in a mental facility recalling her life and what had led her to the facility she is in now. The woman is interviewed and at first seems ordinary, regular. However, the further into this hour-long performance we experience, the more sympathetic we as an audience become. Written by Emily Jupp, this show explores the theme of domestic abuse and raises awareness to the fact that such a heinous feat could happen to anyone. After we learn what happens ...

Michael Ball to star in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Aspects of Love, reimagined for the 21st century

12Oct

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

NEWS

Michael Ball to star in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Aspects of Love, reimagined for the 21st century

Michael Ball to star in Andrew Lloyd Webber's Aspects of Love, reimagined for the 21st century and directed by Jonathan Kent. Michael Ball said: "Aspects of Love holds a very special place in my heart. I am absolutely delighted to revisit Andrew Lloyd Webber's glorious score in a re-imagined chamber production in the West End from May next year. I am so happy to be collaborating again with the brilliant director Jonathan Kent who was so inspiring when we worked together on Sweeney Todd. We are just at the start of our journey so the big question is will I be singing my favourite song Love Changes Everything – what do you think? All will be revealed soon..." With lyrics by Don Black and Charles Hart, and produced by Nica Burns, Aspects of Love will play at the Lyric...

Sparkling casting announced for The Snow Queen at Storyhouse Chester this Christmas

12Oct

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

NEWS

Sparkling casting announced for The Snow Queen at Storyhouse Chester this Christmas

Storyhouse is delighted to announce casting for its magical seasonal show The Snow Queen which will cast a spell over audiences this Christmas. The bewitching Hans Christian Anderson fairytale comes to the Storyhouse stage from 10th December to 15th January 2023 in an enchanting adaptation by Charles Way. When shards of an enchanted mirror fly into Cei's eye, he falls under its spell. He becomes cold-hearted and the Snow Queen steals him away to her far-off land where, with Cei as her helper, she has a chilling plan – to freeze the hearts of all living things and rule supreme over a world of ice and snow. Only little Gerda, Cei's childhood friend, believes he can still be rescued, and sets out on a thrilling immersive journey – for Gerda and the audience - through the changing sea...

The Importance of Being Earnest – Liverpool Playhouse

12Oct

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

North West

The Importance of Being Earnest – Liverpool Playhouse

Avant-garde, adventurous, audacious – and yes, artificial, but brilliantly witty, Oscar Wilde lives on in this hugely entertaining production. The cast introduce themselves by waltzing on, immediately conveying the merry-go-round of their lives with ever changing tableaux of laughter and posturing, voguing almost, and dance, like a visual representation of those many scintillating one liners which accurately skewer so much of Society - then and now. Its trivialities and shallowness are wonderfully exposed. This takes place chez Algernon, walls garnished with portraits, as well as frames which serve as portals and hatches, although strangely sparse when it comes to furniture, but for one elegant chaise longue (of course). We then move outside, into the garden of Ernest's country pile, an...

Stars of stage and screen to star in The Lavender Hill Mob at Theatr Clwyd this month

7Oct

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

NEWS

Stars of stage and screen to star in The Lavender Hill Mob at Theatr Clwyd this month

One of the “greatest British films of all time” (BFI) will come to Theatr Clwyd this October. Brought to life on stage by Olivier-nominated playwright Phil Porter, directed by Tony and Olivier-nominated Jeremy Sams and starring acclaimed comic actors Miles Jupp (The Durrells, Rev, The Thick Of It) and Justin Edwards (The Thick of It, 1917 and The Ferryman) The world premiere adaptation of The Lavender Hill Mob is a side-splittingly funny, fast-paced comedy that tells the story of Henry Holland, an unassuming bank clerk who dreams of stealing the van full of gold bullion he drives across London each day. When Henry learns that his new lodger makes Eiffel Tower paperweights out of lead, he devises a plan to make his dream a reality. It’s a golden opportunity to pull off the crime of the c...

World premiere stage adaptation of the Wachowskis ‘Bound’ announces lead cast and first development workshop Auto Draft

7Oct

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

NEWS

World premiere stage adaptation of the Wachowskis ‘Bound’ announces lead cast and first development workshop Auto Draft

Award winning Vertigo Theatre Productions have announced the lead cast for the world premiere stage adaptation of the acclaimed movie BOUND written by the legendary Wachowskis (The Matrix, V For Vendetta, Cloud Atlas, Sense8) and adapted to the stage by Craig Hepworth (Porno Chic, Exam, Noir). Stepping into the iconic roles of Violet and Corky (portrayed by Jennifer Tilly and Gina Gershon in the movie) will be Farrel Hegarty (Violet) and Sofia Antonia Milone (Corky). They will be joined by Ben Keenan as Caesar and Richard Allen as Johnnie (played by Joe Pantoliano and Christopher Meloni in the movie) with more casting to be announced in the next few weeks. The play will have its first lab/workshop this November 19th and 20th at The Contact Theatre in Manchester, with a try out produc...

5Oct

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

North West

Three Phantoms – Liverpool Philharmonic

Imagine every West End and Broadway musical having a full and complete orchestra to play its soundtrack and how amazing it would sound… If that is something you want to get on board with, then look no further than an evening with Three Phantoms. Comprising of Earl Carpenter, Jeremy Seacomb and Richard Woodford, along with Katie Hall and Olivia Brereton; Three Phantoms is an evening of entertainment with something for everyone to enjoy. From classic musical theatre songs to newer and more unusual show tunes, with a bit of Disney thrown in for good measure, it would be hard to leave the concert without having a smile on your face. Fresh from the UK tour of Les Misérables, Carpenter and Hall show their close friendship truly is and bring other friends along for the ride. It is clear to ...

5Oct

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

North West

Bat out of Hell – Liverpool Empire

What do you get if you cross Peter Pan, Romeo and Juliet and Gossip Girl? Sadly, it would be a mess, which is what happened when Bat out of Hell opened at the Liverpool Empire last night. The show is set in the Dystopian city of Obsidian (although this is never mentioned to the audience) and the story of Strat, who is one of ‘The Lost’ and Raven, the daughter of the city’s leader – Falco. They have seen each other briefly, but have fallen madly in love with each other, much to Falco’s disapproval. The other issue is that Strat has been frozen and will remain 18 forever, no matter how old Raven becomes. It is not just Strat that Falco disapproves of it is all of The Lost and he tries as hard as he can to remove them from the streets and subways of the city. Act one was extremely difficul...