Paddy Darnell-Walsh, Author at North West End UK

6Apr

By Paddy Darnell-WalshNo Comments

North West

FADE – The Lowry

There is something beautiful and rather tribal in sibling relationships. Through good times and bad, the unconditional love and unity that conquers all ‘just because’ is difficult for us to explain, but a feeling many of us have for our brothers and sisters. The sibling relationship between Cassie and Rubin, following the death of their mother, forms the basis for Alice Christina-Corrigan’s one act play as the past and present collide. Exploring themes including mental health, death, grief, suggested parental abuse and suicide, this world premiere production of FADE is hard-hitting and extremely emotive. Christina-Corrigan’s script was beautiful and raw in equal measure. It introduces two characters, at different stages of their lives, navigating their way through the hardships of both ...

Bouncers – Blackpool Grand

If your name’s not on the list, you’re not coming in… Bouncers is back in Blackpool with a bang! Named as one of The National Theatre’s ‘Plays of the Century’, John Godber’s classic is at the Grand Theatre for a very limited run. With a contemporary introduction for a 2024 audience, Bouncers quickly returns to its roots. Keeping faith with Godber’s original script, packed with humour and nostalgia, this new production takes us back to the 1980s when disco was king, and everyone lived for the weekend. Les, Ralph, Judd and Lucky Eric (played wonderfully by George Reid, Tom Whittaker, Nick Figgis and Frazer Hammill respectively) take us on the journey back to relive a night in nightclub “Mr Cinders”. With an exhilarating, toe-tapping 80s soundtrack, this production is as fantastic for its ...

The Full Monty – Winter Gardens, Blackpool

A classic from 1997, The Full Monty is ranked as one of the best British films of the 20th century by The British Film Institute. It tells the tale of six recently unemployed men from Sheffield, all with different stories to tell, desperate to make ends meet in a post-Thatcher Britain. For various reasons, the men have lost hope but unite in the most unlikely of ways to forge themselves a better future… by taking their kit off! I was very pleasantly surprised with Simon Beaufoy’s adaptation of his film script. Celebrating the film’s 25th Anniversary with this tour, the play remains faithful to the film, whilst making it appropriate for the stage. Despite being very funny, it deals with many of the original hard-hitting themes such as depression, body image, sexual equality, homosexualit...