North West Archives - Page 13 of 174

Don Giovanni – Flat Pack Music at Thirsk Hall

18Aug

By Mark DavorenNo Comments

North West

Don Giovanni – Flat Pack Music at Thirsk Hall

Sarah Helsby-Hughes’ direction is inspired as we embrace La Dolce Vita of 1960’s Italy in Flat Pack Music’s ingenious and comic interpretation of one of Mozart’s most complete operas as part of the De Mowbray Music Festival in Thirsk. Don Giovanni (Richard Walshe) has seduced over two thousand women, all catalogued by servant Leporello (Hamish Garrity), and he is looking to add another name with his attempted rape of Donna Anna (Carrie-Ann Williams) that results in him killing her father, the Commendatore (George Elson), and which her fiancé Don Ottavio (Joseph Buckmaster) swears to revenge. Donna Elvira (Helsby-Hughes), an earlier conquest, has come in search of Don Giovanni, although he is now trying to seduce peasant girl Zerlina (Heather Buckmaster) on her wedding day to Mase...

The Wind in the Willows – Blackpool Grand

17Aug

By Rebecca CaseyNo Comments

North West

The Wind in the Willows – Blackpool Grand

A lovely evening at Blackpool Grand Theatre supporting the summer youth production, this year’s performance is ‘The Wind in the Willows.’ The Kenneth Grahame’s best-selling classic book and songs by Olivier Award-winning composers and lyricists George Stiles and Anthony Drewe. The performance was accompanied by a 9-piece live band, led by Ash Goodinson. The show was vocally and musically very clean throughout. The harmonies were tight and well-polished. The team led by the director Mykey J Young and Choreographer Holly Rostron, know exactly what they’re doing. An immersive Creative very well put together performance, with every detail thought out from the scenery and props right the way down to the accessories for the costumes. Performed entirely by young local performers, 50 of t...

Tina: The Tina Turner Musical – Liverpool Empire

15Aug

By Abigail PendleburyNo Comments

North West

Tina: The Tina Turner Musical – Liverpool Empire

From the opening notes of ‘Simply the Best’ and the curtain rising into the sky, you know you’re in for a rollercoaster of a night. Tina: The Tina Turner Musical delivers a powerful evening of storytelling and soul, bringing the extraordinary yet deeply intense life of Tina Turner to life. This heart-wrenching yet highly energetic performance had audiences cheering Tina on her journey from the very start. Elle Ma-Kinga N’Zuzi sensationally portrays the role of Tina, embodying her every move and likeness to a tea. Her vocal prowess is something to be rivalled; she really brought Tina’s vulnerability and powerful nature to the audience. Her ability to maintain vocal composure whilst depicting the raw and emotional scenes of the domestic violence Tina went through really allows for audienc...

School of Rock – Northwich Memorial Court

14Aug

By Dan GrimesNo Comments

North West

School of Rock – Northwich Memorial Court

It was a pleasure to be invited, along with my 13-year-old son, Sam, to Northwich on this warm August evening to see Together For Theatre's School of Rock. This was my first time watching this Andrew Lloyd Webber adaptation although, like many people, I'm a big fan of the original 2003 film that inspired it. For those not familiar, the musical tells the story of Dewey Finn, a down-on-his-luck rock musician who has been thrown out of his band and is overdue on his rent. An intercepted call meant for his flatmate, Ned Schneebly, gives him the opportunity to earn a quick buck by posing as a substitute teacher at the prestigious Horace Green School. High expectations set by Principal Rosalie Mullins fall on deaf ears and "Mr Schneebly" has every intention of putting the privileged kid...

2:22 A Ghost Story – Opera House, Manchester

14Aug

By Adam WilliamsNo Comments

North West

2:22 A Ghost Story – Opera House, Manchester

Everyone loves a ghost story. Whether it is by M R James, Edgar Allen Poe or Stephen King, we all love stories that make us jump out of our seats and scare the bejesus out of us. This show certainly did that and more! At base, this is a tremendously well-structured play which brilliantly ratchets up the tension and keeps everyone on the edge of those seats they will certainly be jumping out of. There is more, though, to this play than being a simple ghost story. It also explores ideas of rationalism, belief, control and identity whilst also being a supremely entertaining romp. It has been a phenomenally successful show, having been three years in the West End, and has been seen by over one million people in 17 different countries. I can understand why, as the play zips along faster t...

13Aug

By Brian MaddenNo Comments

North West

The Addams Family – The Lowry

Attending The Addams Family at The Lowry in Salford is a curious experience—part charming gothic comedy, part family-friendly farce—but it never quite reaches the deliciously dark heights it hints at. It’s a pleasant night out, but one that fades quickly from memory. The cast is strong across the board. Morticia (Alexandra Burke) and Gomez (Ricardo Alfonso) share an easy chemistry, with their tango being the evening’s clear highlight—sultry, stylish, and perfectly timed. Alistair David’s choreography gives the undead ensemble moments of real flair, with slick formations and physical comedy that suit the show’s eccentric world. Diego Pitarch’s set design also deserves praise: grand, shadowy, and dripping with Addams-style atmosphere. Kara Lane steals scenes as Alice Beineke, bringing ...

Picnic at Hanging Rock – Hope Street Theatre

10Aug

By Ann Marie JamesNo Comments

North West

Picnic at Hanging Rock – Hope Street Theatre

A performance which portrayed excellent acting ability, variety and characterisation. The performers (Hosanna Starkey, Juliette Collins, Lucie Rose, Lucy Hickman-Germon and Holly Lawless) certainly gave passion and energy to this production and provided us with excellent physical theatre and voice work. They were able to glide smoothly between character transitions. The set was very minimal and used mainly props and media to change scenes. The symbolism of the shoes being left on stage when the girls went missing was a clever incorporation. However, personally, I found the production quite difficult to follow, as yes, the performers switched characters and demonstrated their acting abilities well, but sometimes it was hard to ascertain who was who. Also, there was some confusion amon...

9Aug

By Anne PritchardNo Comments

North West

Footloose – Liverpool Empire

The audience whooped and cheered as the show started, and as the curtains opened, the cast bounded onto the stage. The full company started as they meant to go on with a high energy, enthusiastic rendition of ‘Footloose’/ ’On Any Sunday’ displaying excitement and commitment to their participation in the show. This all singing, all dancing production is based on the 1984 film of the same name featuring Kevin Bacon and Sarah Jessica Parker; it sparkles with the spirit of the era from the portrayal of the 1980’s outfits, use of the period’s colloquialisms and famous hit songs. Writer Dean Pitchford based the story on the town of Elmore City, Oklahoma. The town had banned dancing since it was established in 1898 in an effort to reduce the amount of heavy drinking. Because of the ban on danc...

Measure for Measure – Shakespeare North Playhouse

8Aug

By Johanna RobertsNo Comments

North West

Measure for Measure – Shakespeare North Playhouse

So, how to approach Shakespeare’s plays at time when his work is easily accessible, in written or recorded format, and when every word and nuance has been studied in depth? How to reproduce the spontaneity, the freshness of experiencing the play as if it were for the first time? The answer, according to Shake-Scene Shakespeare, is to use cue-based performance. Originally, rather than each actor having a copy of the entire play, they had only their own part and their cues, plus any direction of when to enter or leave. Reproducing this technique means actors and audience ‘discover’ the play at the same time. Does it work? Based on this production of Measure for Measure, yes. Absolutely. Briefly, the Duke of Vienna (Eugenia Lowe) has allowed the city to become corrupt, so pretends to g...

7Aug

By Codie WrightNo Comments

North West

A Squash and a Squeeze – The Lowry

Julia Donaldson is something of a third parent in our family, with her books (and Axel Scheffler’s iconic illustrations) being the bedtime story of choice most evenings. So, of course, we were not going to miss the opportunity to see their first collaboration (written in 1993!) on stage at the Lowry. The story itself is a brilliant rhyming tale, where an old lady complains that her house feels too small, and a wise old man suggests she takes her farm animals, one by one, into her home. Of course, when they are all in there, the house feels smaller than ever, but as soon as he takes them out, the old lady realises that her home has more than enough room. It’s a fable about perspective and being grateful for what you have, however the book is a quick read, and the show lasts for an hour, ...