North West Archives - Page 106 of 174

5Apr

By Codie WrightNo Comments

North West

Mog the Forgetful Cat – The Lowry

Bother that cat!" Finally, after 50 years of delighting readers on the page, Mog leaps off onto the stage, in a show that feels like catnip to the soul and engaged my 4 year old and 1.5 year old throughout the entire thing. Some children's book adaptations have a tendency to be a little self-indulgent. To take themselves a little too seriously and to drag a bit too much for the young ones in the audience. Thankfully, The Wardrobe Ensemble adaptation of Mog doesn't fall under that curse and is a warm celebration of children's theatre, that stays true to the Mog we know and love, but with colourful chaos and a pacy plot. We start with the classic, Mog the Forgetful cat, where Mog foils a burglar (although if I'm being picky, she gets a lot of credit for simply miaowing at the window an...

5Apr

By Jenn McKeanNo Comments

North West

When All is Said – Unity Theatre

Fuel Theatre’s When All is Said is a collection of five short plays, that are written by Black Trans people, in their own voices and performed over the phone. Each play lasts approximately 30 minutes and tells a different story about what life is like, if you are considered ‘different’ from the people around you. I heard ‘Home is where your heart is lying on the open roads’ which was written by the Curator of the pieces, Travis Alabanza and was performed by Alexis Meshida. It is a taxi journey that journeys into the past and shapes us and the places we live/are from. Meshida was able to convey compassion, empathy, anger and was able to take you on the full journey through the telling of the story. The piece was well written and made you think about your own interactions and actions. The...

5Apr

By Ezzy LaBelleNo Comments

North West

Lucrezia Borgia – Storyhouse, Chester

Oozing intrigue, darkly dramatic and set against a backdrop of 14th century Italy, English Touring Opera bring all they have to the party in this production. Composed by Gaetano Donizetti - whose opera works are often overlooked in the canon - this 1833 offering focuses on historical figure, Lucrezia Borgia. Surrounded by myth and misadventure, the opera provides an interpretation of her life. Is this femme fatale wrongly recorded in the history books? Or is she as scheming and murderous as the archives make out? Directed by Eloise Lally and conducted by Gerry Cornelius, this Lucrezia Borgia quickly absorbs the audience. The curtain rises to show what initially looks like a simple set, with a full moon in the distance and a decorative gondola in the foreground. However, you soon r...

We Wish You Long Life – Synagogue Scratch at Manchester Jewish Museum

4Apr

By Mark DavorenNo Comments

North West

We Wish You Long Life – Synagogue Scratch at Manchester Jewish Museum

Performing as part of Manchester Jewish Museum’s inaugural Synagogue Scratch season, We Wish You Long Life, written by Amy Lever and directed by Helen Parry, explores cultural integration, shared memory, and family ties, when Steven (Robin Simpson), raised Catholic, is brought begrudgingly by his wife, Mary (Orline Riley), to a Jewish house of mourning for a person he doesn’t seem to remember. Father and daughter, David (Danny Ryder) and Katie (Lever), await the arrival of the Irish Catholic side of their family whilst food caterer Karen (Tilly Sutcliffe) begins to wonder if this is the strangest event ever. A Q&A session with the writer, director, and cast followed which provided useful background on the piay which began life as a ten-minute piece as part of a short play festival ‘...

Beethoven’s Eroica – Royal Liverpool Philharmonic

2Apr

By Ezzy LaBelleNo Comments

North West

Beethoven’s Eroica – Royal Liverpool Philharmonic

The historical and the heroic meet for an evening of bold musical flavours and a mixture of melodies as the Philharmonic Orchestra take you on a journey of strife, struggle, freedom and fervour. Blending the new and the familiar, conductor Joshua Weilerstein leads the auditorium through renditions of 'Ethiopia's Shadow in America' (Florence Price), Violin Concerto (Samuel Barber) and Symphony no.3 'Eroica (Ludwig Van Beethoven). The enthusiasm for the music is clear as he steps out. Passionately describing the background to Florence Price's 1932 symphony, he tells us that she was one of the first female black composers to have their work published and played to an audience. Much of her work was lost for a long time, being rediscovered in 2009, and has therefore not been heard. ...

The Jungle Book – Altrincham Garrick Playhouse

2Apr

By Katie LeicesterNo Comments

North West

The Jungle Book – Altrincham Garrick Playhouse

The Easter holiday’s production of ‘The Jungle Book’ commenced at the Altrincham Garrick Playhouse, headed by the super talented Artistic Director Joseph Meighan. Following the success of last year’s ‘George’s Marvellous Medicine’ Ros Greenwood agreed to direct this imaginative production based on Rudyard Kipling’s eponymous collective works from 1894. Most of us remember the Walt Disney’s animated film from 1967 titled ‘The Jungle Book’ where we see Mowgli a human boy guided by the animal guardians, who is set on a journey of self-discovery whilst evading the threatening evil Shere. Ros Greenwood’s production of ‘The Jungle Book’ is that of Stuart Paterson’s adaptation where this classic is brought to life with a cast who fills the stage with the voices and bodies of all the animals...

Great Expectations – Frodsham Community Centre

30Mar

By Gill LewisNo Comments

North West

Great Expectations – Frodsham Community Centre

We’re transported to the roaring 20s in this fresh modern art deco twist of a Charles Dickens timeless classic. Directed and produced by Yvette Owen, this labour of love grasps the opportunity to be playful and creative in its presentation. Great Expectations, like most Dickensian stories, still resonate today with many adaptations through the ages. Themes include love, heartbreak, class politics and identity and this famous story doesn’t call for further expedition as there is already plenty to talk about in this multi-faceted offering from the Frodsham Players. Featuring a cast of over 30 including a four-piece band and a chorus of singers, this self-assured ensemble gave solid performances, evidently relishing every moment. The shift between the younger versions of Pip...

Cat On A Hot Tin Roof – Royal Exchange Theatre

30Mar

By Paul WilcoxNo Comments

North West

Cat On A Hot Tin Roof – Royal Exchange Theatre

Director Roy Alexander Weise brings his bold and original vision of Tennessee Williams' 1955 Pulitzer Prize winning play to the demanding environment of the spaceship stage of the Royal Exchange, resulting in a production that sheds new light on the superb writing, packing race, misogyny and sexuality into the steamy Mississippi brew. Considering it is widely regarded as Williams' defining work, 'Cat' has had surprisingly few appearances over the last twenty years, with some of his other writings gaining more exposure and subsequent critical praise. The fact he penned the play in the repressive Conservative atmosphere of 1950's America meant exploring the latent homosexuality of the central character Brick (Bayo Gbadamosi) - and the effect it has on his relationship with his spirited wi...

30Mar

By Lou SteggalsNo Comments

North West

West Side Story – Hyde Festival Theatre

It’s always a brave company that takes on a production of West Side Story. The musical that re-imagined Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet for the 20th Century, has been subject to two Oscar-winning film adaptations and a myriad of critically acclaimed revivals on Broadway and the West End. Then there’s Leonard Bernstein’s earworm-inducing score, the iconic choreography learned and copied by theatre brats of every stage school known to man, and the need to find triple-threat actors to successfully land the show’s biggest moments. It’s a musical that sets certain expectations before there’s so much as a click of fingers. Those holding tickets to Hyde Musical Society’s sold-out production can breathe a big sigh of relief. The society, under director Daniel Oliver-Grant, have once again don...

29Mar

By Hannah EsnoufNo Comments

North West

The Winston Machine – Unity Theatre

Brought to us by the critically acclaimed Kandinsky, we see a fusion of worlds decades different, but with mirrored tensions of grief, purpose and place. An awesome use of effects and controlled dialogue led to a crisp performance that I would watch again. The teamwork on stage was apparent and which led to an impressive and at times funny mode of storytelling. Unfortunately, I am unable to identify who exactly played on stage, but each performance lent itself to the quality of the work, with detail and precision used in each moment. The conviction and presence of the players was palpable. Their use of singing, swift accent changes and physical movement were again impressive. Together with an emotive soundtrack with modern flavours meant the audience were fully immersed in the performan...