North West Archives - North West End UK

We Will Rock You – Northwich Memorial Court

21May

By Katie LeicesterNo Comments

North West

We Will Rock You – Northwich Memorial Court

We Will Rock You performed by TMTC at the Northwich Memorial Hall was an electrifying triumph from start to finish. From the moment the auditorium doors opened on opening night, there was an undeniable buzz of excitement throughout the packed venue, with audiences eagerly awaiting a night of Queen’s legendary rock anthems brought spectacularly to life. What followed was a breathtaking production that delivered visually, vocally, and emotionally on every level. Written by Ben Elton and featuring the iconic music of Queen, We Will Rock You tells the story of a dystopian future where individuality and live music have been banned by the all-powerful Globalsoft corporation. Musical instruments are forbidden, originality is crushed, and society is controlled by conformity. At t...

21May

By Paul WilcoxNo Comments

North West

Even These Things – Royal Exchange

Anniversaries are the central plank of this season at the Royal Exchange in Manchester, with both the celebration of 50 years since the theatre was established and three decades since June 1996, when the explosion of the largest bomb in mainland Britain since WWII devastated the heart of the city centre. The latter is commemorated with Even These Things, a new piece of writing by Irish Mancunian Rory Mullarkey which seeks to place the bombing within the cultural identity of Manchester’s history and explain its part in the renaissance of the modern city. As with the city it celebrates, Even These Things is a complex creation: beautiful in individual parts, but one that does not always work together as a cohesive whole. The play comprises three acts — 110 minutes without an interval — spa...

21May

By Stephanie WiswallNo Comments

North West

Sunny Afternoon – Liverpool Empire

Sunny Afternoon captures the spirit of The Kinks with grit, energy, and undeniable heart, delivering a musical that feels both raw and deeply human. Rather than presenting a polished version of the band’s rise to fame, the production leans into the tensions, frustrations, and contradictions that shaped the music, giving the show an authenticity that resonates throughout, directed by Edward Hall. What makes the musical particularly effective is how closely the songs reflect real life. Tracks such as “Waterloo Sunset,” “Days,” and “You Really Got Me” emerge naturally from the emotional struggles of Ray Davies and Dave Davies, revealing the loneliness, ambition, and family conflict beneath the swagger of the 1960s rock scene. There is something wonderfully unvarnished about the production ...

13May

By Emma WildNo Comments

North West

Spamalot – Blackburn Empire

It is always a privilege to return to beautiful, Blackburn Empire Theatre. On a Tuesday evening, sitting in the auditorium, with the footlights highlighting the plush red curtains (under the exquisite proscenium arch). The fourteen-strong band strikes up and the magic begins! Spamalot, also known as Monty Python’s Spamalot: A New Musical (lovingly) ripped off from the motion picture Monty Python and the Holy Grail, proved to be a fabulous choice of show for Blackburn Musical Theatre Company. This historic company (dating back to 1912) appears to be going from strength to strength. With an ensemble made up of over 30 people (of all different ages), this show gave every single individual the chance to shine. With sparkling dance routines, stilt walking, beautiful harmonies, hilarious ...

To Kill a Mockingbird – Liverpool Empire

13May

By Brian MaddenNo Comments

North West

To Kill a Mockingbird – Liverpool Empire

To Kill a Mockingbird at the Liverpool Empire is a powerful and emotionally charged production that proves Harper Lee’s story still has enormous relevance today. Aaron Sorkin’s adaptation brings a sharper, more contemporary edge to the novel, while Bartlett Sher’s direction balances moments of humour and warmth with the darker realities of racism, injustice and prejudice. The result is gripping theatre that feels both timeless and uncomfortably current. Set in 1930s Alabama, the story follows lawyer Atticus Finch as he defends Tom Robinson, a Black man falsely accused of assaulting a white woman. Told through the eyes of Scout, Jem and Dill, the production cleverly contrasts the innocence of childhood with the ugliness of the adult world around them. This adaptation also digs deeper int...

12May

By Katie LeicesterNo Comments

North West

Frozen – The Brindley Theatre

Disney’s Frozen, with music and lyrics by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez, was originally directed on Broadway by Michael Grandage and has become one of the most beloved modern musicals for audiences of all ages. Therefore, it was with huge excitement and great anticipation that I attended the Centenary Theatre Company’s production of Disney Frozen at the The Brindley Theatre. As one of the very first amateur productions of Frozen anywhere in the UK and the first production in the North of England, this was always going to be a special theatrical event, and the company certainly rose to the challenge magnificently. Directed by Dan Grimes, this production captured all the magic, warmth and spectacle audiences have come to love from Frozen, whilst also bringing an enormo...

The Crucible – Altrincham Garrick Playhouse

12May

By Paul WilcoxNo Comments

North West

The Crucible – Altrincham Garrick Playhouse

Since becoming artistic director of Altrincham Garrick Playhouse, Joseph Meighan has steadily transformed the venue into one of the north-west’s more adventurous amateur theatres, programming work that aims beyond easy familiarity. His production of The Crucible continues that run with intelligence and confidence, offering a reading of Arthur Miller’s drama that shifts attention away from political allegory and towards the intimate failures that allow hysteria to flourish. Miller famously wrote The Crucible as a response to McCarthyism and the anti-communist paranoia of 1950s America, and productions often lean heavily into that parallel: Salem as a warning about authoritarianism, ideological persecution and the dangers of collective fear. Meighan takes a quieter approach. Rather than f...

7May

By Alison BainesNo Comments

North West

Choir Of Man – Manchester Opera House

You don’t usually expect to step into a theatre and find audience members on stage, pint in hand, joining in the action — but here, that’s exactly the point. Welcome to The Jungle, a pub where everyone’s invited, the drinks flow freely, and the music is nothing short of sensational. If you’re expecting your typical night at the theatre, then you’ll be somewhat surprised and possibly disappointed – there are no deeply developed characters, awe-inspiring dance numbers or sweeping, emotionally driven plot arcs to carry you from curtain up to finale. Instead, Choir of Man trades convention for camaraderie, offering a stripped-back, high-energy celebration of music and the simple joy of a pint shared among friends. Choir Of Man feels like a curious mash-up of ‘Pitch Perfect’, a music revu...

6May

By Emma LambeNo Comments

North West

Rocky Horror Show – Liverpool Empire

Newly engaged preppy Brad and Janet are stranded after their car breaks down outside Dr Frank N Furter's mansion. They are greeted with his eccentric servants doing the time warp before meeting the sweet transvestite himself. Taking place over the course of one night, they are introduced to a world of seduction and lose their innocence. Camp, eccentric and utterly bonkers. As energetic of a night at the theatre than you’re going to get. There's a reason it's still a cult classic 50 years later. A massive part of the show if you didn't already know, is the audience involvement. Not only do the majority dress up as their favourite characters and boy do people really commit, but they sing along and shout lines at certain bits too. I'll admit, I didn't know these parts having only seen i...

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...