North West Archives - Page 138 of 173

13May

By Ezzy LaBelleNo Comments

North West

The Full Monty – Gladstone Theatre

Feel good and full of laughs, The Full Monty provides a great night out for those who enjoy raw humour, a variety of on-stage approaches and acknowledgement of the audience. Based on the hit film and Broadway Musical, D&S Productions' The Full Monty brings its own stamp to the show, and all for a charitable cause. It is clear this company are having fun performing this! Content is designed for an adult or 14+ audience. There is swearing, sexual references, suicide references, racial references and nudity throughout the performance and some of the reactions of the audience are best heard by teens and above only. It’s also worth noting that the scripting, although parody in some aspects, may cause offence and must be considered within the time and context of the characters. Open...

Singin’ in the Rain – Manchester Opera House

11May

By Paul WilcoxNo Comments

North West

Singin’ in the Rain – Manchester Opera House

We all know that Manchester has a reputation for enjoying a drop of rain and we've also been known to dance on tables and belt out a few songs on an evening out. So, it came as no surprise to see the venerable old Opera House packed to the rafters on a Tuesday night, with an audience eagerly anticipating this touring version of the 'golden age' classic musical. They were not to be disappointed with the high quality production values, a great ensemble, superb leads and a beautifully orchestrated score that left me walking up Quay Street hanging off lamp posts singing 'do de do do,do de do de do do do, I'm singin' in the rain, just.......'. The plot, charting the demise of silent pictures and the rise of the 'Golden Age' of 1920's Hollywood 'talkies', is well known, less so is the fact th...

The Meaning of Zong – Liverpool Playhouse

11May

By Donna M DayNo Comments

North West

The Meaning of Zong – Liverpool Playhouse

The Meaning of Zong, written and directed by Giles Terera, is an extraordinary reflection on slavery, its effect on society then and now, and today’s climate of performative allyship, protest and privilege, and their role in today’s racism. Incorporating music, dance and unique theatrical techniques, along with traditional stagecraft and storytelling, to create a mesmerising show which shines a light into a bleak and often sanitised history, and creates a spark of hope that, while we aren’t there yet, we are moving towards a better world. Before the play opens, some members of the cast greet audience members, with each of them looking excited and hopeful. This is followed by the onstage Musical Director, Sidiki Dembele performing a brilliant drum solo with audience participatory clappin...

11May

By Louise KershawNo Comments

North West

Passion – Hope Mill Theatre

‘Die, Fosca! Die’ was the call from the auditorium in response to the first production of Stephen Sondheim’s ‘Passion’ in May 1994. Theatre trolling alive and well before the internet even existed. Who would have known? No such reaction from the audience gathered in a packed Hope Mill Theatre this evening I can assure you, but I will come back to that… Based on Tarchetti’s 1869 novel Fosca, Passion is one of the few projects that Stephen Sondheim himself conceived. When it first opened on Broadway in May 1994 it was admired by critics but not by audiences who were utterly repelled by the character of Fosca, the woman with whom Giorgio eventually falls in love. Unattractive, manipulative, obsessive, relentless in her pursuit of this younger man, audiences refused to believe that th...

11May

By Lou SteggalsNo Comments

North West

Beryl – Oldham Coliseum

For an astonishing sports career, Beryl Burton may not be quite the household name one might expect, but her achievements are the stuff of legend. At a time when women were expected to prioritise raising families and keeping house, Beryl’s unparalleled domination of the world of Cycling has created a legacy that helped push British cycling to heady heights of success and prestige. Penned by acclaimed actress Maxine Peake, this joyful and creative show gives us a whistle-stop tour of key milestones in Beryl’s life, from her early introduction to cycling from future husband Charlie, through to battles with health issues leftover from a childhood illness that led doctors to repeatedly beg her to stop competing and juggling elite competition with motherhood when her daughter Denise is born....

Jumpers for Goalposts – Altrincham Garrick Playhouse

10May

By Lou SteggalsNo Comments

North West

Jumpers for Goalposts – Altrincham Garrick Playhouse

As the football season comes to a close and trophies and league titles are fought for, one wonders if top-flight managers have ever considered ‘taunting the opposition with Enya, possibly T’Pau’ as a legitimate tactic. Jumpers for Goalposts, written by Tom Wells, and in the safe directorial hands of Joseph Meighan, follows the trials and tribulations of the comically named ‘Barely Athletic’, part of a four-team, five-a-side football LGBTQ+ league that coach Viv, kicked out from ‘Lesbian Rovers’ for being too bossy, is desperate to win. As we see her attempts to fire up her team-mates’ competitive hackles, we discover the motivations, personal battles and relationships that may be holding them back from glory. Set within the confines of our team’s locker room, Meighan has assembled...

10May

By Codie WrightNo Comments

North West

Waitress – Liverpool Empire

I’ll be honest, they had me at “all-female creative team”. I’d heard such a buzz about Waitress, but aside from some passionate warblings of “She Used to Be Mine” on many an am-dram stage, it wasn’t one I had quite gotten around to learning about, and so I was going in blind. Adapted from the film by Adrienne Shelly, the show features a heart-manipulating score by Sara Bareilles that takes the audience through a full spectrum of emotions across both acts. I will say that at times some lyrics got a little lost in the mix, which is a shame as there were some amazing laugh-out-loud moments, and real gut punches in the words that I could make out. The live band were set at the back of the stage, with members occasionally popping up elsewhere to build the story - such as a sultry cello narra...

Bigger Than Broadway – Bombed Out Church, Liverpool

9May

By Ezzy LaBelleNo Comments

North West

Bigger Than Broadway – Bombed Out Church, Liverpool

Premiering as part of the Little Theatre Festival (LTF), Bigger Than Broadway promises song and dance from the most popular musicals. Performing numbers from Les Misérables, West Side Story, Wicked, Phantom Of The Opera, We Will Rock You, The Greatest Showman and many more, it will appeal to anyone who is a fan of musicals. The content is suitable for ages 10+. Set within the ambience of St Luke’s Bombed Out Church and shared as one of the twelve new works for LTF, Bigger Than Broadway opens with a harmonising score and brief intros to each of the company. Rebecca Casey, Andrew Geater, Jake Holroyd and Michelle Terri then take the audience through a series of some of the most well-known songs from musical theatre. A performance of contrasts, there were high notes and low notes. Some ...

Just Aretha – Bombed Out Church, Liverpool

9May

By Donna M DayNo Comments

North West

Just Aretha – Bombed Out Church, Liverpool

Just Aretha, directed by Victoria Evaristo, is a semi-autobiographical one woman show about life as a Black disabled person in today’s Britain. Aretha Nortey gives an energetic and enthusiastic performance in the title role, highlighting the individuality of disability and the effect that it has on her life. Emphasising that she is not her disability, but just Aretha, this is a unique take on the disabled experience which looks at both the highs and lows of life with disability. The set is very colourful with both Ghanian and British flags and a range of other brightly printed fabrics. The play opens with Nortey entering the stage and engaging in a mock photo shoot during which she lists key facts about herself and hobbies. This soon moves onto an account of the stereotypes people assoc...

Around the World in 72 Days: The Story of Nellie Bly – Bombed Out Church, Liverpool

8May

By Donna M DayNo Comments

North West

Around the World in 72 Days: The Story of Nellie Bly – Bombed Out Church, Liverpool

Around the World in 72 Days: The Story of Nellie Bly, created and performed by Rebekah McLoughlin, is a one woman show about Nellie Bly’s infamous 72 day journey around the world, while she inadvertently “raced” with Cosmopolitan reporter, Elizabeth Bisland. The play opens with a voiceover reading Jules Verne’s Around the World in 80 Days while McLoughlin holds the book. She can hear the voiceover reading, and obviously disturbed, begins to tell the story, and Bly’s own tale, herself. Voiceovers play a key role throughout the piece, sometimes used to portray invisible characters, including Mr Bailey (Jack Bolton), with most of the voices being performed by McLoughlin herself. Mr Bailey forbids her to go on her around the world trip, because she is a woman with few language skills and, a...