NEWS Archives - Page 5 of 86 - North West End UK

22Feb

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NEWS

Liverpool Improvisation Festival 2025

North West End UK are delighted to be attending, and writing about this year’s Liverpool Improvisation Festival, with shows to be held at The Unity Theatre, and improv workshops which will be held at the Joe H Makin Drama centre - LJMU. If you have never seen an ‘improv’ show or (if we can use the older word) ‘extemporisation’ show, then you are missing a treat. For those of you who are old enough, you may remember the show ‘Whose Line Is It Anyway?’ hosted by Clive Anderson, which was many people’s introduction to improv, but if you are a young thing, go to YouTube for a taster session, it’s a classic! Every show at this festival is a world premiere, no storyline is the same, and as an audience member, you are the co-creators, so your genius suggestions are the inspir...

19Feb

By Harry AltyNo Comments

NEWS, North West

Dear Evan Hansen – Palace Theatre

After debuting a decade ago, audiences are elated to see the hit modern-day musical Dear Evan Hansen finally grace the Manchester stage as part of a UK national tour. With an impressive cast, innovative staging and a host of earworm hits – it was clearly worth the wait. The musical follows Evan (Ryan Kopel) struggling to traverse his high-school days, he is an awkward outsider who struggles to form friendships in his often-cruel teenage years. In his efforts to fit in, Evan gets caught up in a web of lies that sees him finally be the one thing he had always desired – important. Over the runtime the show explores a range of topics from mental health, family roles and friendship all against the backdrop of a generation growing up completely immersed in the world of social media. Set de...

It’s all Cushty as Only Fools and Horses: The Musical comes to Leeds Grand

16Feb

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It’s all Cushty as Only Fools and Horses: The Musical comes to Leeds Grand

For fans of classic British comedy it’s all cushty as Paul Whitehouse reprises his West End starring role as lovable Grandad in the UK and Ireland tour of the smash-hit show Only Fools and Horses: The Musical. Joining The Fast Show legend at the Grand are Wicked star Sam Lupton as Cockney chancer Del Boy and Tom Major making his professional theatre debut as his daft brother Rodney. It’s all kicking off in 1989 Peckham as the yuppie invasion of London is in full swing, but love is in the air as Del Boy sets out on the rocky road to find his soul mate. Meanwhile Rodney and Cassandra prepare to say ‘I do, and even Trigger is gearing up for a date. Boycie and Marlene give parenthood one final shot as Grandad takes stock of his life, and decides the time has finally arrived to get his pi...

Scrooge comes to Leeds Playhouse for the festive season

16Feb

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NEWS

Scrooge comes to Leeds Playhouse for the festive season

Leeds Playhouse’s tradition of spectacular festive shows continues this winter with a new adaptation of A Christmas Carol by Yorkshire writer Deborah McAndrew. This version of the Charles Dickens classic written over 180 years ago is directed by Leeds Playhouse Deputy Artistic Director Amy Leach. For the few unfamiliar with the story, it begins on Christmas Eve in Victorian England as miserly Ebenezer Scrooge grumbles his way through a typical "bah humbug!" day. But as the frosty night unfolds, four ghostly spirits whisk him on a whirlwind journey through his past, present, and future, revealing to Scrooge the true meaning of Christmas. Scrooge’s journey to redemption remains a beloved ghost story that still captivates audiences of all ages, blending festive cheer, live...

Cast announced for Animal Farm at Leeds Playhouse

6Feb

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Cast announced for Animal Farm at Leeds Playhouse

Animal Farm might have been written 80 years ago, but our troubled times make it perfect for a revival as Tatty Hennessy’s innovative adaptation of George Orwell’s dystopian classic comes to Leeds Playhouse in March. Orwell’s timeless fable of how power corrupts revolves around a group of exploited animals who rebel against their human farmer-tyrant and take control of the land that they live on. They hope to create a world where they can be equal, happier and free but as power shifts and a new leader emerges things start to go badly wrong. Amy Leach directs Tianah Hodding (Clover), Shakeel Kimotho (Mollie), Robin Morrissey (Snowball), David Nellist (Benjamin), Tachia Newall (Napoleon), Gabriel Paul (Boxer), Em Prendergast (Milo), Everal A Walsh (Old Major), Farshid Rokey (Minty), Br...

Does your pet dog have what it takes to be an opera star?

28Jan

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NEWS

Does your pet dog have what it takes to be an opera star?

Has your dog got star quality? If your pet pooch is the canine equivalent of Brad Pitt or Scarlett Johansson, then they could win a place in the spotlight in the beautiful and romantic opera La Bohème, coming to the multiple venues across the UK over the next few months. Award-winning opera director and producer Ellen Kent said: “People say never work with children or animals but I love to do both. The first time was 20 years ago when my pet cat Holly Go-Lightly was in one of my productions and was an instant hit. Since then, we’ve had horses, dogs, goldfish and even a golden eagle with a 6ft wingspan on stage.” “When we last did La Bohème in 2023 we asked local people to volunteer their pets - it was a huge success. We even used a rescue dog once and found him dozens of new owner...

imitating the dog are back with All Bloods Runs Red at Leeds Playhouse

24Jan

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imitating the dog are back with All Bloods Runs Red at Leeds Playhouse

Tech wizards imitating the dog are back to tell the little known story of pioneering black fighter pilot Eugene Bullard who went onto work with iconic French dancer Josephine Baker and American jazz legend Duke Ellington. All Blood Runs Red premieres in the Courtyard Theatre at Leeds Playhouse on 14-15 February. Bullard’s extraordinary life story traces many of the 20th century’s most important moments and is named after the inscription on his World War One fighter plane. The production features imitating the dog’s brilliantly constructed stagecraft, digital wizardry and songs begins with what seems like a straightforward tale of survival, resistance and fighting for acceptance. Decades before, Bullard had made France his home, seeking acceptance after fleeing segregation in Ameri...

Shellshocked will keep audiences guessing at Leeds Playhouse

20Jan

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Shellshocked will keep audiences guessing at Leeds Playhouse

Cat and mouse thriller Shellshocked will keep audiences guessing as it launches the Spring/Summer 25 season in the Bramall Rock Void studio theatre at Leeds Playhouse. Shellshocked has a strong Leeds connection in its creative team and enjoyed a hugely successful sold-out Edinburgh Fringe Festival run, winning rave reviews in The Scotsman and Theatre Weekly. It’s set after the Second World War exploring the horrors of those who served and the horrors of those who did not. It also investigates loyalty, relationships, and the desire to make great art. “We are absolutely thrilled to be presenting Shellshocked at Leeds Playhouse,” said Leeds playwright Philip Stokes. “The play is inspired by the city and set in Morley. It’s a very Leeds-centric piece, referen...

Rita, Sue & Bob Too! UK Tour Opens Starring Jake Quickenden

10Jan

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Rita, Sue & Bob Too! UK Tour Opens Starring Jake Quickenden

The smash hit stage version of cult classic comedy Rita, Sue & Bob Too! is set to embark on a new 10-week nationwide tour, opening next month. TV favourite Jake Quickenden heads the stellar cast as Bob in the Regal Entertainments production which will visit 10 venues across the UK between Tuesday 4th February and Saturday 12th April 2025. The tour opens at St Helens Theatre Royal on Tuesday 4th February and then travels to Hunstanton, Stockport, New Brighton, Birmingham, Southport, Billingham, Rhyl and Barnstaple before ending at the Liverpool Olympia from 9th – 12th April. Over 10,000 tickets have already been sold across the tour proving its continued popularity. Andrea Dunbar’s hilarious and gritty tale of love, lust and tested friendships is based on the 1987 British fi...

8Jan

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NEWS

Exposed at Hope Street Theatre

New Year is a time of joy, but it can also be a difficult time for those who have experienced or are experiencing loss. Stagewright Theatre Company’s upcoming production of Exposed, Laura Tellwright’s debut one-woman show directed by Faye Caddick, at The Hope Street Theatre in Liverpool, explores the often-unspoken experiences that surround loss and grief and the deeply personal vulnerability that inevitably follows for so many people. When thirty-something Charlotte suddenly loses her dad to cancer, her whole life dramatically changes. Charlotte invites an audience to observe her journey through grief, heartache, crippling mental health, finding joy, and sharing secrets she’ll take to the grave, in this powerful, painful but truthful comedic monodrama that exposes grief for what it rea...