Rebecca Casey, Author at North West End UK

Jack and the Beanstalk – Everyman Theatre

21Nov

By Rebecca CaseyNo Comments

North West

Jack and the Beanstalk – Everyman Theatre

The Everyman Rock ‘N’ Roll Panto, Jack and the Beanstalk An evening of pure joy, flying fairies, giants, Beanstalks and magical escapism and unbelievable musical talent. With a cast of 8 high energy performers and 2 off stage understudies. This group is astoundingly talented. The musicians are visible throughout on a raised platform and I couldn’t believe how many instruments each performer was able to play, effortlessly interchanging from acting, to playing a flute then singing and dancing then onto guitar. Photo: Ellie Kurttz I have seen productions where the performance is lacking due to casting actors who are stronger at one of the disciplines but tonight this was not the case. Together they created a fantastic sound vocally and musically. It was also a good eclectic balanc...

The Bodyguard – Winter Gardens, Blackpool

6Oct

By Rebecca CaseyNo Comments

North West

The Bodyguard – Winter Gardens, Blackpool

An enjoyable evening at Winter Gardens, Blackpool. A very talented cast led by Sidonie Smith (Chicago, Sister Act) as the central character, vocal superstar Rachel Marron. Alongside her bodyguard, Frank Farmer, the role made famous in the movie version by Kevin Costner, this evening played by Olivier award nominated Adam Garcia (Wicked, Coyote Ugly) a man with a wealth of industry experience If anything slightly disappointing that we didn’t get to enjoy his amazing vocal, or highly skilled tap dancing. The musical based on the very popular movie starring Whitney Houston, back in the Early 90s, featuring an outstanding Musical score of power ballads and crowd pleasers. The story closely follows that of the movie, but in parts is lacking in certain elements of the storyline, I don’t...

The Wind in the Willows – Blackpool Grand

17Aug

By Rebecca CaseyNo Comments

North West

The Wind in the Willows – Blackpool Grand

A lovely evening at Blackpool Grand Theatre supporting the summer youth production, this year’s performance is ‘The Wind in the Willows.’ The Kenneth Grahame’s best-selling classic book and songs by Olivier Award-winning composers and lyricists George Stiles and Anthony Drewe. The performance was accompanied by a 9-piece live band, led by Ash Goodinson. The show was vocally and musically very clean throughout. The harmonies were tight and well-polished. The team led by the director Mykey J Young and Choreographer Holly Rostron, know exactly what they’re doing. An immersive Creative very well put together performance, with every detail thought out from the scenery and props right the way down to the accessories for the costumes. Performed entirely by young local performers, 50 of t...

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe – Winter Gardens, Blackpool

30Jul

By Rebecca CaseyNo Comments

North West

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe – Winter Gardens, Blackpool

The show is based on the classic 1950s novel by C.S. Lewis telling the tale of four siblings evacuated during the war who go on an adventure through the wardrobe and discover the magical land of Narnia. All the classic characters are there but this is a visual masterpiece, a cleverly put together evening of escapism captivating the elements of magic, imagination, nostalgia and a very talented team of creatives and performers. I am not familiar with this show, however I have seen the Narnia movies and so I knew somewhat what to expect. At the centre of the story the four siblings Joanna Adaran as a gentle, thoughtful Susan, Kudzai Mangombe as the cheerful loveable Lucy, Jesse Dunbar as a courageous Peter and Bunmi Osadolor as a mischievous Edmond. I’m going to be candid, at the ...

21May

By Rebecca CaseyNo Comments

North West

Dear Evan Hansen – Blackpool Grand

I spent my evening at Blackpool grand Theatre. ATG Productions and Gavin Kalin Productions present The Nottingham Playhouse Production of Dear Evan Hansen. This is my first time watching the show, I have never seen the movie and I’m not familiar with the music, I heard one of the songs on a televised concert during Covid, so other than a quick Google I was walking into this evening blind. The book by Stephen Levenson and Music and lyrics by Benji Pasek and Justin Paul, creators of The Greatest Showman. The show premiered in 2015 followed by a movie version in 2021, Dear Evan Hansen is the recipient of six Tony Awards. This story is an exploration of complex themes including anxiety and grief with a recommended minimum age of twelve. With a focus on mental health, the majority of o...

Shirley Valentine – Grand Theatre Blackpool

3Apr

By Rebecca CaseyNo Comments

North West

Shirley Valentine – Grand Theatre Blackpool

Octagon Theatre Bolton presents a one woman play in two halves, Directed by Lotte Wakeham. Willy Russell famous for creating Blood Brothers, Our day out and Educating Rita originally wrote Shirley Valentine in the mid-80s, it then became a film. The original version was set in Liverpool. For this touring production, the play has been reset and imagined using the actresses native accent. Having never seen the film I didn’t know what to expect and quite honestly the thought of watching one actress on stage for such a long time isn’t something I would be keen to watch, however I was pleasantly surprised. Mina Anwar returning to the role of Shirley Valentine is spectacular, with the very relatable script make her portrayal of the character likeable, she comes across as the salt of the...

11Dec

By Rebecca CaseyNo Comments

North West

Cinderella – Blackpool Grand

I spent my afternoon at The Grand theatre Blackpool, at the matinee of this year’s Christmas Pantomime Cinderella. As usual, a star studded lineup including Hayley Tamaddon as the fairy godmother. Britain’s Got Talent’s local Steve Royle as a lovable Buttons who certainly earned his money, in my opinion the funniest part of the show. It had all of the traditional pantomime aspects that one would expect, the audience participation, the good vs evil, the happy ending, even the song sheet at the end. Local talent, a very pretty Kitty Harris in the title role, direct from her recent stint as standby for the leading role in Burlesque the Musical UK Tour. A genuinely funny script, very well put together, colourful creative scenery, and a strong team. Direction by Kylie Bu...

Rocky Horror Show – Opera House, Blackpool

20Nov

By Rebecca CaseyNo Comments

North West

Rocky Horror Show – Opera House, Blackpool

I spent my evening at Blackpool Winter Gardens, as a Rocky Horror Show virgin, I cannot believe the level of commitment of some of the costuming from the audience members, one guy was literally in gold boxing shorts and a wig and heels. I have heard before of the active audience participation during this production, in fact one of the reasons why this musical is so popular is due to said participation, but it is something that needs to be seen to be believed. Another reason is the Musical score, with catchy tune such as ‘The Time Warp’ and ‘Sweet Transvestite’ which will leave you humming on your way out of the theatre. Rocky Horror also a movie from 1975 has been a cult classic for many years. With the music lyrics and book by Richard O’Brien, this melodramatic, twee, tongue in cheek p...

Sealskin – The Arts Centre, Edge Hill University

24Oct

By Rebecca CaseyNo Comments

North West

Sealskin – The Arts Centre, Edge Hill University

Sealskin is based on a fable about a group of Selkies who appear at every full moon, they peel away their skin and dance. One evening a fisherman steals the skin of one of the Selkies and takes her home. The story is about the events that follow. The piece is devised by Tmesis Theatre and directed by Elinor Randle. A creative thought provoking, mystical tale that really is a must see. A talented, skilful, energetic ensemble cast including Stephanie Greer, Samual Perez Duran and Valentine Ojochegbe Onogu who have all truly mastered their craft. The striking red head Faye McCutcheon plays the leading Selkie, injecting a mermaid likeness to the role and taking us with her on her journey learning the human ways. A stand out performance as the mother of the fisherman, an elderly...

Unfortunate: The Untold Story of Ursula the Sea Witch – Blackpool Grand

22May

By Rebecca CaseyNo Comments

North West

Unfortunate: The Untold Story of Ursula the Sea Witch – Blackpool Grand

As the title may suggest this is a modern take on the Disney classic ‘The Little Mermaid’ from the point of view of Ursula. But don’t be fooled, this is certainly not a family outing, from the offset the performance is very adult, in language and theme. It’s very crude in parts, my friend who came along actually said that it went too far on occasion. I really didn’t know what to expect this evening, as I had only watched a short trailer, but being a huge fan of Disney and the Little Mermaid I was really looking forward to it. I’m very torn about my opinion on this show, parts of it were strong and entertaining, whilst other parts were unnecessary, and I had lost interest. Throughout the evening, the balance of the sound wasn’t great, when the ensemble were performing with a leadin...