Tracey Bell, Author at North West End UK

16Dec

By Tracey BellNo Comments

Yorkshire & Humber

Beauty and the Beast – Wesley Centre

Sherlock Productions brought Beauty and the Beast, written by Joshua Clarke and Lewis Clarke to the Wesley Centre in Maltby, Rotherham. Musical Direction by Shelley Edwards, Technical by Steve Trotter, Front of House and Costume Design by Pauline Lister A night of family fun with the obligatory tongue-in-cheek humour and an all-inclusive cast steered by flair by first-time Director Jade Wilkinson. Sherlock Productions was initially established in 2022 by Shelley Edwards and Jade Wilkinson to continue his work and honour their mentor and friend Paddy Sherlock after his sudden death. Sherlock Productions prides itself on providing a secure environment where everyone is welcome, and all are allowed to take to the stage whatever their experience and ability. A real community all-incl...

Underneath a Magical Moon – Sheffield Playhouse

16Dec

By Tracey BellNo Comments

Yorkshire & Humber

Underneath a Magical Moon – Sheffield Playhouse

Tutti Frutti productions bring ‘A reimagining of Peter Pan as told by Wendy Darling’ to life at the Sheffield Playhouse. This is a children’s theatrical experience aimed at the 3+ age range. The theatre was full of children with their 'grown ups’ and Saturday morning was the perfect time for young minds to be open and not feeling too sleepy! The cast interact with the audience before the show starts, introducing themselves and developing a rapport with the children. Written by Mike Kenny with Ivan Scott as Composer the cast took on mutipule characters to re tell the story. Starting with J.M.Barrie’s original child characters of Wendy, John and Michael they transform to Peter Pan, Captain Hook, Mermaids and the ‘Clock-a dile‘. This multi-talented Cast of Rachel Hammond as Wendy, Alex ...

Little Shop of Horrors – Sheffield Crucible

13Dec

By Tracey BellNo Comments

Yorkshire & Humber

Little Shop of Horrors – Sheffield Crucible

With a sassy evening of satirical splendour, Howard Ashman (Book and Lyric) and Alan Menken's (Music) dark yet comic musical Little Shop of Horrors hit the Crucible Theatre, Sheffield. Directed by Amy Hodge, designed by Georgia Lowe and choreography by Jade Hackett, the audience are transported back to 1960's Skid Row and into the hapless interior of Mushnik Florists. Amongst the decaying plants we meet the proprietor Mushnik himself and his assistants Audrey and Seymour. With the help of the omnipresent and sparkling singing of the narrative trio - The Ronettes, we follow Seymour's meteoric rise to fortune and fame after he stumbles upon a new genus of plant, but this one has a carnivorous appetite and a mission of world domination! Photo: Manuel Harlan With new Musical orchestratio...

16Oct

By Tracey BellNo Comments

Yorkshire & Humber

Hairspray – Sheffield Lyceum

It’s Welcome to the 60’s as Hairspray sprays the Sheffield Lyceum this week and You Can’t stop the Beat with this high energy, high octave musical. With the original screenplay by John Waters and the Musical Productions book by Mark O’Donnell and Thomas Meehan, the composer and co-lyricist Marc Shaiman and lyricist Scott Wittman collectively created a modern day classic - with all the ingredients to give Hairspray the longevity and wide spread appeal is deserves. Under the direction of Paul Kerryson and Brenda Edwards with top notch choreography by Drew Mconie this current UK tour easily equals, and I think surpassed its predecessor. With minimum set (Takis) and lavish caricatured costume the vast stage of the Lyceum is filled with an incredible cast which has a heart as big as its storyli...

28Sep

By Tracey BellNo Comments

Yorkshire & Humber

A Doll’s House – Crucible Theatre

A Masterful production of a Masterpiece of Theatre. ‘All my life I have been a Doll that is taken out to play with and discarded when boredom dictates, I have no voice and I have no opinion, I am never heard, I am what you want me to be... never what I truly am… but what and who am I?’ This famous Henrik Ibsen play was originally written in 1879 and was inspired by real events. In 1878 Ibsen wrote ‘There are two kinds of moral law, two kinds of conscience, one for men and one, quite different, for women. They don’t understand each other; but in practical life, woman is judged by masculine law, as though she weren’t a woman but a man’. In this statement stands the heart of this play. Shocking as it was in its time it still now remains so, although with less poignancy but y...

26Sep

By Tracey BellNo Comments

Yorkshire & Humber

Pretty Woman – Sheffield Lyceum

With a £450 Million box office success, turning the blockbusting 1980’s film into a touring theatrical production was always going to attract curious followers and Sheffield Lyceum was no exception. I mean ‘Come on, who didn’t love the Cinderella–esque story! Pretty Woman is very much in the Pygmalion vein of down on their luck girl means the wealthy and dashing man of her dreams, this time set in Hollywood, A little old fashioned kind of theory by today’s standards?? But hey, it’s still a closeted nostalgic winner! With, to be honest, forgettable Music and Lyrics by Brian Adams and Jim Vallance and the book; which stays very close to the film; by Garry Marshall and J.F. Lawton, Director and Choreographer Jerry Mitchell works hard and does a great job of bringing the magic of the film back...

19Sep

By Tracey BellNo Comments

Yorkshire & Humber

Here You Come Again – Sheffield Lyceum

Dolly gives Sheffield a sprinkling of fabulousness as she comes to town! With 15 for Dolly Parton’s well-known songs used to offer hope and joy even if her genre of music is about tragedy! This musical is a far cry from the expected sprawling life story of the Tennesse Icon but instead is a simple heart-warming story of belief of one’s self and the magic of a ‘cup of ambition’! Written during the 2020 global pandemic and lockdown, writers Bruce Vilanch, Gabriel Barre and Tricia Padluccio (the cast’s very own Dolly Parton) mused what it would be like hunkered up at that time with Dolly Parton and thus the idea was born. Directed by Barre and primarily a two-handed piece of theatre, Kevin is a 40 something whose life is a mess, he is on an enforced ‘break’ from his partner Jeremy and subs...

Now that’s What I Call a Musical – Sheffield Lyceum

12Sep

By Tracey BellNo Comments

Yorkshire & Humber

Now that’s What I Call a Musical – Sheffield Lyceum

Now that’s what I call a…. trip down memory lane for an 80’s kid! I was smiling until my jaw ached as the now 40 year old ‘Now That’s What I Call’ music CD phenomenon blasted out the songs of my youth. The music is prominent in Now, That’s What I Call a Musical as the name implies…The production is unapologetically nostalgic and a little lacking in depth at times, but the soundtrack of a generation takes centre stage as the story underscores the songs for once. And it works a treat! Penned by comedian Pippa Evans and inspired from the screenplay ‘The Video Help Service’ by Ian W Brown, Lotte Mullan and Natalie Malla, the story starts in 2009 and thrusts us back into 1989. Cleverly directed and choreographed by Craig Revel Horwood, we are greeted by two simultaneous time eras as we se...

12Jul

By Tracey BellNo Comments

Yorkshire & Humber

Chariots of Fire – Crucible Theatre

Chariots of Fire is the stage adaptation by Mike Bartlett of the 1981 Oscar winning motion picture. This Sheffield Theatre production is cleverly directed by resident award winning Artistic Director Robert Hastie and unfortunately, his last Sheffield production in the role. Hastie with Associate Director Lilac Yosphon and Assistant Director Chantell Walker re-imagine what was first performed at the Hampstead Theatre in London in 2012. In the Olympic year of 2024, this production marks 100 years since the Paris Olympics of 1924 when this extraordinary real life story takes place and is subsequently dedicated to Sheffield Olympians past and present. It would seem the circular stage (theatre in the round) of the Sheffield Crucible is the perfect location to house a production that requires...

10Jul

By Tracey BellNo Comments

Yorkshire & Humber

Come From Away – Sheffield Lyceum

Musical Theatre does not get any better than this! It has a heart and Soul, so buckle up on the soaring flight that lands exactly where it should - in the hearts and minds of its audience. Pure Perfection! Direct from the West End this award-winning musical ‘that welcomes the world’ is written by Irene Sankoff and David Hein and Directed by Christopher Ashley, Musical Staging by Kelly Devine. With Scenic Design by Beowulf Boritt we are greeted by stage that is versatile yet warming and welcoming. With the trees aligning the wings and a wooden slatted wall upstage, the only other set is movable and mismatched tables and chairs which are manipulated by the cast with a choreographical magic to behold. The band are visible upstage left as they interact with the cast and seamlessly perform the...