North West Archives - Page 105 of 128

8Feb

By Mark DavorenNo Comments

North West

Ellen Kent: Carmen – Floral Pavilion

Carmen is a four-act opera by French composer Georges Bizet, first performed in Paris on 3rd March 1875 with audiences initially objecting to the wild and immoral behaviour on view. Sadly, Bizet's sudden death in June meant he did not get to see its resounding success in Vienna later that year and its subsequent international acclaim. It is now one of the most popular and frequently performed operas. Set in Seville, Spain around 1820, Carmen tells the story of the downfall of Don José (Sorin Lupu) a naïve corporal who falls head over heels in love with Carmen (Katerina Timbaliuk), a seductive, free-spirited gypsy girl. The infatuated Don José abandons his childhood sweetheart, Micaela (Alyona Kistenyova), and neglects his military duties much to the annoyance of his senior officer Zunig...

8Feb

By Clare ChandlerNo Comments

North West

8 Hours There and Back – Unity Theatre

The latest production from All Things Considered is a collaborative verbatim piece exploring the stories of children affected by parental imprisonment in the UK. The show (co-created by Time Matters UK and the Unity Theatre) has the usual warmth, humour and pathos of All Things Considered as Michael Irvine-Hall, Alivia Yemm and Adebola Olayinka creatively and energetically share testimonies from children who have had a parent sent to prison. Indeed, at one point Yemm was so enthusiastic in her performance that she added a dramatic fall to the proceedings – a moment that she quickly incorporated into the show for comedic effect as she informed Olayinka “no you go, I’m injured!” (Thankfully she appeared to make a quick recovery). 8 Hours There and Back is intended for social workers,...

4Feb

By Damian RiverolNo Comments

North West

Flashdance – Grange Theatre

After months of hard work and a 3 month delay due to Covid restrictions, Zodiac Musical Theatre have managed to bring the North-West premier of Flashdance the Musical to sold out audiences at the Grange Theatre in Hartford. Flashdance the Musical is adapted from the 1983 Paramount Pictures musical film which follows the story of Alex, an 18-year-old welder by day and ‘flashdancer’ by night, and her dreams of attending a prestigious Dance Academy. Director and Choreographer, Jessica Martin, had her work cut out to bring together this marathon of a show and she did it so well with a sharp vision and brilliant choreography, very fitting with the era, magnificent work. Craig Price as Musical Director has once again worked his magic to assist the cast in delivering killer vocals and tight...

Constellations – Altrincham Garrick Playhouse

2Feb

By Paul WilcoxNo Comments

North West

Constellations – Altrincham Garrick Playhouse

The idea of a multiverse of alternate realities, each offering slightly different versions of our existence has become a very familiar trope in film and theatre. The Marvel Studios blockbuster superhero capers are the most successful recent iteration of this oeuvre, but classic movies (It's a Wonderful Life, A Matter of Life and Death), comedies (Back to the Future, Groundhog Day) and less auspicious examples (I'm looking at you 'Sliding Doors'), all play with the idea of how small decisions in life can change outcomes in a big way. In 2012, writer Nick Payne took the premise of a chance meeting of a Beekeeper and a String Theory scientist at a barbecue and created 'Constellations' for the Royal Court Theatre. Weaving a fantastical tale of 'if', 'but' and 'maybe' which is both hilarious...

April in Paris – Birkenhead Little Theatre

2Feb

By Ezzy LaBelleNo Comments

North West

April in Paris – Birkenhead Little Theatre

Imagine winning a prize that whisks you away from the humdrum of life and the everyday. The kind of prize that offers excitement, opportunity and escapism with a bit of romance thrown in. That’s exactly what happens to lead characters Bet and Al in April in Paris. Entrenched in the monotony of existence, we join them as they inadvertently expand their horizons thanks to Bet winning in a ‘Romantics Breaks’ competition. Bet enters them for ‘a new life’. Al was sure she wouldn’t win. John Godber’s short observational play is layered with juxtapositions the audience can identify with - humour and depression, love and loathing, hope and pessimism – making the show a thought-provoking watch. With bags packed and contrasting enthusiasm, Bet and Al head to Paris for their first experience ab...

The Hound of the Baskervilles – The Lowry

2Feb

By Adam WilliamsNo Comments

North West

The Hound of the Baskervilles – The Lowry

Arthur Conan-Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes stories lend themselves to comedy because they are often quite fantastical. Over the years many a comedian has used the brilliant detective and his sidekick, Dr Watson, in order to get a laugh. The characters are so recognisable all you need is a meerschaum pipe and a deerstalker hat and everyone knows who you are. This production of Hound of the Baskervilles, a faintly ridiculous tale in itself when you break it down, was really entertaining and great fun to watch. It was performed with great verve, energy and pace by three very talented comic performers who played all the parts. A perfect pick-me-up on a cold night in Salford. Photographer: Pamela Raith If you go to see this play expecting a serious dramatisation of the Conan-Doyle classic, t...

1Feb

By Max EdenNo Comments

North West

The Play What I Wrote – The Lowry

Morecombe & Wise are without doubt a British institution, with their Christmas specials drawing in over 20 million viewers in their day; delivering shows packed with laughter and jokes a plenty. To write a stage production on them must be a daunting task, but one which writers; Hamish McColl, Sean Foley and Eddie Braben have excelled at in this new play; The Play What I Wrote. With a cast of just three (well actually four but we’ll get to that), this isn’t a biographical piece about the famous duo, far from it. This is original, but yet still just as dynamic and very very funny! The story follows two performers; Dennis played by Dennis Herdman & Thom played by Thom Tuck. Dennis wants to do a play about the famous duo for the potential money, whilst Thom aspires to write serio...

30Jan

By Blathine MaguireNo Comments

North West

Jersey Boys – Empire Theatre

‘Jersey Boys’ is touring the UK at the moment and tonight it’s the opportunity of the Empire, Liverpool to host the famous four as we watch the story of Frankie Valli & the four seasons unfold live on stage! This jukebox musical, which was written in 2004, celebrates the group that took the world and the music industry by storm in the 1960s and the 1970s. The story is quite basic compared to other musicals but perhaps this is because it’s much closer to the truth than most musicals. It starts at the beginning where a young Tommy DeVito (Dalton Wood) is in and out of trouble and trying to make a break in the music industry. He takes a young Frankie Valli (Luke Suri) under his wing and alongside Nick Massi (Norton James), they make a band. They are on the lookout for a fourth member a...

19Jan

By Katie LeicesterNo Comments

North West

Looking Good Dead – The Lowry

The absolute stunning Lowry Theatre hosted Peter James’ stage adaptation of ‘Looking Good Dead’ starring Adam Woodyatt and Gaynor Faye as Mr and Mrs Bryce a family caught up in this crime and thriller script. Peter James is a best-selling author best known for his crime fiction novels and the creator of the much loved Detective Superintendent Roy Grace, he has achieved global book sales of over 21 million copies which have been translated into almost 40 languages. Peter James was born in 1948 in Brighton, so it seems fitting that his script location is that of his hometown. I must be honest I have not read any of the books in the Roy Grace series or watched his two feature-length film adaptations ‘Grace’ on television which seemingly attracted over seven million viewers, so my review...

Frankenstein – Altrincham Garrick Playhouse

18Jan

By Paul WilcoxNo Comments

North West

Frankenstein – Altrincham Garrick Playhouse

These are interesting times at the Garrick Playhouse in the leafy south Manchester suburb of Altrincham. Under the aegis of Artistic Director Joseph Meighan, their programming is broadening its appeal beyond the traditional light comedy and murder mystery, into edgier and darker territory. So, we find 2022 kicking off with an absolutely cracking adaptation of the Mary Shelley gothic masterpiece, both chilling and thought provoking and with a simply stunning central performance. Those patrons expecting a hoary old 'Boris Karloff with a bolt through the neck' rendition, would have been disappointed. With Direction and Set Design in the capable hands of Barry J C Purves, this was always going to be a more delicate study on the nature of humanity. By using Nick Dear's 2011 National Theatre ...