FEATURES Archives - Page 10 of 12

Spotlight on Lucie Jones – Treason The Musical

10Mar

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

Interviews

Spotlight on Lucie Jones – Treason The Musical

We were delighted to catch up with Lucie Jones ahead of the online filmed concert of ‘Treason The Musical’ which runs from 12th March to 14th March 2021. Follow the link to buy tickets https://treasonthemusical.com/ The gunpowder plot and its celebratory derivative Bonfire Night is so popular in Britain. Can you tell us about your character Martha Percy and how she fits into the overall gunpowder plot? Martha is the wife of Thomas, one of the plotters. She is a simple woman who wants nothing more than to live a humble Catholic life with her husband and children. Martha doesn’t recognise Thomas when he returns from a trip to London (when the plot was hatched) and we see her battle with her emotions about this and her husband’s new ‘gang’, led by Catesby. ‘Tr...

Spotlight on Ricky Allan, Composer and Co-writer of Treason The Musical

9Mar

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

Interviews

Spotlight on Ricky Allan, Composer and Co-writer of Treason The Musical

Remember, remember the 5th of November, for its gunpowder, treason, and plot We're here to tell you the rest of the tale, the one that history books forgot Guy Fawkes remains an anonymous figure, we have more to bring to the table It's time to meet the rest of the plotters, in our fiery musical fable We caught up with Ricky Allan to find out more about his new musical ‘Treason The Musical’. Filmed at Cadogan Hall, this concert version is available to watch from 12th March to 14th March 2021. To buy tickets go to https://treasonthemusical.com/ What inspired you to write/compose ‘Treason The Musical’? I have always been fascinated by the story and felt it had a natural theatrical flair to it which deserved to be explored. Whilst working on the Strand...

14Feb

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

NWE UK Live

Home Schooling 7 – Lockdown Love

She is back! Our very own Yazmin continues to assist others during lockdown, this time helping to try and spread a little romance. Does she succeed? Find out below! Written by Mark Davoren, performed by Yazmin Walker and edited by Paul Downham, you can view the previous 6 monologues in our North West End UK Live section on this site. https://www.youtube.com/embed/4z4ccEKCGSQ

Daniel Bye takes to the road with a new play about running and freedom

19Jan

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

Interviews

Daniel Bye takes to the road with a new play about running and freedom

Daniel Bye made his name with a series of challenging interactive works he wrote and appeared in, but now he’s teamed up with musician Boff Whalley to create These Hill Are Ours that’s nominally about their shared love of running. Daniel and the former Chumbawamba songwriter are also using songs and words to explore who should own the land they run on, and thanks to the virus they’ve been waiting for a year to perform it in front an audience. The idea began life when they were working together on projects around the country. “We go for a run from wherever we were out of the town, or city, towards the peak overlooking the place and that kind of grew into a project,” recalls Daniel about a work that developed as they put the hard miles in over the last three years. “But as we rep...

25Dec

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

NEWS, NWE UK Live

A Christmas Message

To say 2020 has been a tough year for the arts is an understatement. Here at North West End UK we have been resolute in our desire to maintain our support for this amazing industry. We have continued to review throughout the pandemic covering online productions before returning, briefly to theatres when the relevant tier restrictions allowed. We also launched North West End UK LIVE in the Summer to promote the talent we have within our own team. Producing monologues written and performed by our reviewers. The most popular has been the Home Schooling series featuring our very own Yazmin Walker. To celebrate this very different Christmas period Mark Davoren has written an alternative Christmas message and we were thrilled that the Altrincham Garrick Playhouse allowed us to film on t...

23Nov

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

Interviews

My Voice Was Heard But It Was Ignored

Nana-Kofi Kufuor discusses his debut play My Voice Was Heard But It Was Ignored Fair play to Nana-Kofi Kufuor who has decided to take on an interrogation of black identify in modern Britain for his debut play. My Voice Was Heard But It Was Ignored began life during a year-long writing commission for Manchester based Box of Tricks. Misha Duncan-Barry is teacher Gillian who finds herself in a tricky situation with student Reece played by Jelani D’Augilar. “It sounds a bit heavy, but to me the themes are race, gender, black masculinity black femininity, toxic masculinity” says Nana-Kofi. “It’s a two hander about a teacher and student, both black, and she sees the student stopped and searched outside of work. “He calls for her to help, and she doesn’t, so the next day with al...

Dreamgirls and Hairspray star Marisha Wallace releases her debut album

22Nov

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

Interviews

Dreamgirls and Hairspray star Marisha Wallace releases her debut album

One of the staples of musical theatre is the rags to riches story and Marisha Wallace is living proof of that making her way from a rural farm in North Carolina to starring in the West End. Then when she was recovering from COVID-19 her home recorded version of Tomorrow went viral and Decca Records signed her to make an album. But her first really big break came in this country after she’d just finished Something Rotten on Broadway when she was asked to understudy Effie White in the West End version of Dreamgirls. “I had five days to rehearse and go on for the role because Amber Riley had gotten pneumonia,” recalls Marisha. “You know, usually when Effie comes out everyone goes ‘Yeah’ and my first night they go ‘oh’ as they didn’t know who I was. I'm telling you ever...

31Oct

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

NEWS, NWE UK Live

Fireworks – Yazmin Walker

She's back! Our very own Yazmin tells us why this year's Halloween and Bonfire celebrations being cancelled may not be a bad thing after all! https://youtu.be/-HPwZpdVZzk

Casting Announced for North West End UK Live at The Garrick

7Oct

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

NEWS, NWE UK Live

Casting Announced for North West End UK Live at The Garrick

North West End UK are thrilled to announce casting for our one night only concert which concludes the first week of the inaugural Alty Festival taking place at the Altrincham Garrick Playhouse on the 29th November 2020. Since our creation North West End UK has championed amateur theatre on the same platform as their professional counterparts, and this concert cements our belief that both genres are equal in every way. We have brought together three sensational multi award winning vocalists for a very special evening of musical theatre. Featuring some of the most memorable show tunes from productions including Ghost, Miss Saigon, Annie, Jekyll & Hyde, Matilda, We Will Rock You, Waitress and SIX, Bethany Heywood (Wedding Singer – PAP Productions), Sophie Lord (Little Shop of Ho...

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...