North West Archives - North West End UK

1May

By Max EdenNo Comments

North West

Double Indemnity – Opera House

When you bring a classic film noir like Double Indemnity to the stage, there’s an expectation that it will be tense, gripping and full of drama. This production at the Manchester Opera House certainly looks the part but doesn’t quite deliver the thrill you might hope for. Set in 1930s America, the play follows insurance salesman Walter Huff who becomes entangled with the mysterious Phyllis Nirdlinger, with the pair plotting to murder her husband and claim the insurance money. It’s a story packed with deceit and manipulation, but here it unfolds at a more measured pace than expected, lacking some of that edge-of-your-seat tension the original story is so well known for. Ciarán Owens takes on the role of Walter with confidence, portraying the character’s descent into moral chaos wit...

Operation Mincemeat – The Regent Theatre

28Apr

By Leanne RushtonNo Comments

North West

Operation Mincemeat – The Regent Theatre

The Regent Theatre has received its orders, and Operation Mincemeat has been put on full display for the audience. Operation Mincemeat, which tells the true story of an MI5 operation during World War Two, has been wowing audiences since 2019 but properly finding its fame in 2023 when it graced the West End stage. It has won multiple awards both here and over the pond, and it’s not hard to see why. The show currently owns the title of the best-reviewed show in West End history, and quite frankly, it couldn’t deserve it any more. The show is run with military precision and the sharpest of wit. The comedy came to the actors so naturally. It was remarkable to see the actors’ ability to change roles and costumes so quickly and with such ease. The timing of the show should be studied; ever...

23Apr

By Emma LambeNo Comments

North West

Miss Saigon – Liverpool Empire

Miss Saigon is an iconic love story set in the last days of the Vietnam War. 17-year-old Kim is forced to work in a Saigon bar run by a notorious character known as The Engineer. There she meets and falls in love with an American GI named Chris, but they are torn apart by the fall of Saigon. For 3 years Kim goes on an epic journey of survival to find her way back to Chris, who has no idea he's fathered a son. There are some musicals that can stand the test of time, and this is certainly one of them. In this new and updated production of Miss Saigon, it's not so much a reinterpretation, but the same Miss Saigon fans know and love, but with a different creative approach. The role of the Engineer is played by the incredibly diverse Sean Miles Moore, stunning the audience with commanding...

23Apr

By Dan GrimesNo Comments

North West

Spamalot – Hyde Festival Theatre

I had the privilege of watching the original West End run of Spamalot over 20 years ago, starring Tim Curry and Hannah Waddingham. This was after I’d become obsessed with the original Broadway cast recording, which for many years was a loyal travelling companion. I have many happy memories of coasting down the A55, singing “I Am Not Dead Yet” at full belt. So, it’s safe to say I was very excited to come to Hyde Festival Theatre with my son, Sam, to watch this production by Hyde Musical Society. For those who haven’t seen the show—or the film from which it is “lovingly ripped off”—I’m not quite sure how best to describe it, other than as a loose retelling of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table’s search for the Holy Grail, filtered through the comedic lens of Monty Python and r...

22Apr

By Katie LeicesterNo Comments

North West

13 The Musical – Z-arts

As part of an ambitious and exciting 2026 season, Manchester Musical Youth returned to Z-arts with a vibrant, heartfelt revival of 13 The Musical, only the second time in the company’s history they have staged this beloved coming-of-age musical, with music and lyrics by Jason Robert Brown and book by Dan Elish and Robert Horn. At the heart of 13 is a story about identity, friendship, belonging, and the sometimes-painful journey of figuring out where you fit in. Set against the chaos of adolescence, the musical follows Evan Goldman (played by Jasper Holden), a young teenager uprooted from city life and dropped into the complex social ecosystem of middle school. What unfolds is far more than a story about fitting in before a Bar Mitzvah; it is a witty, honest and deeply relatable exp...

22Apr

By Helen JonesNo Comments

North West

Noughts and Crosses – The Lowry

Pilot Theatre and Northern Stage have once more brought Sabrina Mahfouz’s adaptation of Malorie Blackman’s 2001 novel out on tour, having first produced it in 2019. Set in an alternative 21st century Britain, called Albion in the books, there is fairly strict segregation. The crosses (dark-skinned people) are in control of the country, and the noughts (light-skinned people) are the oppressed and suppressed. Jasmine, the wife of the politician and Home Secretary Kamal Hadley, had employed Meggie McGregor as a nanny to her children. As such her daughter Sephy (Persephone) and Meggie’s son Callum had become friends. But as the segregation requirements get stricter an interracial friendship is not allowed, and Sephy and Callum’s friendship is forced into secrec...

22Apr

By Paul WilcoxNo Comments

North West

, Daniel Blake – HOME Mcr

Back in 2016, the political and cultural landscape of Britain felt markedly different: David Cameron was Prime Minister, the UK remained within the European Union, and Leicester City’s improbable Premier League triumph captured the national imagination. It was also the year Ken Loach secured the Palme d’Or at Cannes for I, Daniel Blake, a characteristically unflinching indictment of Britain’s welfare system. A decade on, this stage adaptation—presented by Northern Stage in collaboration with Leeds Playhouse—arrives not as a period piece, but as a grimly resonant reminder of how little has changed. Adapted by Dave Johns from Paul Lavery’s original screenplay, the production wastes little time in immersing us in the daily realities faced by its protagonist. Daniel Blake (Dave Nellist), a ...

17Apr

By Paul WilcoxNo Comments

North West

Waiting for Godot – Octagon Theatre

“Nothing happens. Nobody comes, nobody goes. It’s awful.” These eight words, spoken by Estragon, neatly distil the themes of existential stasis and quiet despair at the heart of Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot. And yet, despite the clarity of that diagnosis, and the evident skill of this production’s leading performances, I left the theatre once again unconvinced, admiring more than engaging, and respecting more than enjoying. Godot has, of course, divided opinion since its 1953 premiere. Early audiences were baffled, even hostile, and critics were scarcely kinder: Kenneth Tynan’s oft-quoted complaint that it possessed “no beginning, no middle and no end” was delivered with both frustration and reluctant admiration. In the decades since, its influence has been profound, shaping th...

15Apr

By Lou SteggalsNo Comments

North West

Ballet Black 25 – The Lowry

Ballet Black has celebrated its 25th anniversary with a compelling and ultimately uplifting double bill that showcases the company’s distinctive voice - emotionally direct, visually striking, and rooted in both classical technique and contemporary relevance. The opening piece, ‘…all towards hope’, choreographed by Hope Boykin, sets the tone with a sense of warmth and inclusivity. The egalitarian costuming—earthy reds, pinks, and browns—beautifully complements the lighting palette, creating a cohesive visual world that feels grounded and human. Boykin’s choreography is the true standout here. Electric yet nuanced, it pulses with energy while allowing space for quieter, reflective moments. Her spoken text threads gently through the work, reinforcing themes of unity and resilience witho...

10Apr

By David S ClarkeNo Comments

North West

Calendar Girls – The Forum Theatre

This is the story of an enterprising group of ladies who are members of their local Women’s Institute ( a very staid and traditional organisation), who decide to go against these traditions in an effort to raise funds to purchase a couch for the waiting room at their local hospital, where the husband of one of them is a regular visitor undergoing tests for cancer, which unfortunately turn out to be not only positive but with a terminal diagnosis. Having noticed a nude calendar in the premises of a local car mechanic, the ladies decide to attempt their own version featuring other members of the group in discretely nude poses featuring the more traditional activities of the WI, such as baking, jam making, knitting and musical activities and set about trying to convince the other members of t...