North West Archives - Page 14 of 173

26Jul

By Lou SteggalsNo Comments

North West

Robo Bingo 2.0 – The King’s Arms

‘IT Consultants’ Lloyd Henning and Peter Sutton, better known as Foxdog Studios, have, in true IT style ‘turned it off and on again’ on one of their popular shows, Robo Bingo, rebooted as 2.0 with new wi-fi, new games and a whole lot of new coding headaches to keep both our dynamic duo and audience on their virtual toes. Mixing Flight of the Conchords musical jamming with the social awkwardness of The IT Crowd, Foxdog invite the audience to play along not only in games of bingo but also classic childhood games of Snap, Guess Who and Spot the Difference albeit constantly interrupted with a variety of pop-ups and other technological interludes. Henning and Sutton are a charming and witty duo, with quips and quick thinking as they navigate the chaos, bringing gales of laughte...

Marcus Is Alive – Manchester Jewish Museum

25Jul

By Mark DavorenNo Comments

North West

Marcus Is Alive – Manchester Jewish Museum

With direction and dramaturgy by Mark Rice-Oxley, Marcus J Freed’s solo show recounts the true story of his near-death experience and two brain surgeries following a hit-and-run incident one crazy night in LA. Add in six failed marriage proposals, a psychic detective, and a wayward rabbi and you get a glimpse of some of the surreal experiences which also follow. But never fear, as Marcus’ friend Metuka (voiced by Jill Moray Reichman) assures Marcus’ mum, Gill (voiced by Amy Wisenfeld), in the opening scene, ‘Marcus is alive.’ Coming in at just shy of ninety minutes, which, like Marcus’ accident, went by in a flash, it segues through its three acts with perfect pacing whilst serving up a much deeper exploration of the mystery as to why he survived as well as to why any of us are here...

24Jul

By Angela KellyNo Comments

North West

Soaked – The King’s Arms

As Greater Manchester Fringe makes a welcome return, The King’s Arms is appropriately in the hub of it all again! This time, directed by Peter Macqueen, the play ‘Soaked’, a La'al Marra production, is gracing its stage. Written by Emma Rydal, ‘Soaked’ it is a story that many can identify with. The writing seems effortless, and the main characters could be any one of us chatting, interacting and simply trying to juggle life. Soaked is an intelligent piece of theatre with no pretentions and a thought-provoking storyline. At times it felt like the audience were presented with potentially a challenge as to whether it was appropriate to laugh or not. There are some seriously amusing parts of the play and Emma Rydal must be applauded for interjecting humour into such a serious thread of ...

When You Die – Anthony Burgess Foundation

23Jul

By Brian MaddenNo Comments

North West

When You Die – Anthony Burgess Foundation

When You Die pitches itself as a Gothic horror comedy exploring the afterlife through the lens of undead housemates—but despite a promising concept, the show is let down by sluggish pacing, underwhelming humour, and several frustrating production choices. Finn, Yuri, Devon, and Boby are sharing a flat in death, trying to get along in the afterlife when their already turbulent dynamic is disturbed by the arrival of a mysterious briefcase. With the help of the cryptic Lazlo, they must uncover who—or what—is behind the growing sense of threat. It’s a quirky setup with potential, and the cast give it their all, but the execution falls flat. The first half drags considerably. There’s far too much time spent establishing the characters’ personalities and routines, with little dramatic ...

23Jul

By Lou SteggalsNo Comments

North West

Leeches – The King’s Arms

How far would you go for influence? Would you be prepared to use work colleagues, friends, or even family, in the name of ambition? Leeches, written by Kieran Scott and slickly directed by Thomas Bateman explores themes of insecurity, cancel culture and personal ethics, amongst others, through the eyes of three highly flawed narrators. When a protest erupts in the city centre, it results in a moment of violence that has significant repercussions for all three. Simple staging with nothing more than a crowd control barrier and a couple of chairs allows the spotlight to shine on three strong actors from the Manchester School of Theatre, who do an excellent job of showcasing Scott’s tight and compelling script, peppered with deft touches of levity, and which itself smartly exposes an...

22Jul

By Paddy Darnell-WalshNo Comments

North West

Chicago – Blackpool Opera House

Dubbed “the sexiest musical ever” (Metro), Chicago returns to Blackpool this week, with a huge sprinkle of razzle-dazzle with it! Set with the decadent backdrop of the 1920s Chicago jazz scene, the story follows Roxie Hart who murders her lover when he threatens to leave her. In a desperate attempt to avoid conviction, Hart hires renowned lawyer Billy Flynn to assist her in deceiving the media, public and rival cellmate, Velma Kelly. With show-stopping songs a plenty, the sultry, sassy, sensational Chicago is back at the Seaside with a bang. With lyrics from Fredd Ebb and music by John Kander, blasted out by a live band onstage (under the superb musical direction of Neil MacDonald), it’s easy to understand Chicago’s appeal. I must admit, having seen the show various times over the years...

20Jul

By Mark DavorenNo Comments

North West

A Grain of Sand – Unity Theatre

Commissioned by London Palestine Film Festival and supported by Liverpool Arab Arts Festival, Good Chance theatres’ A Grain of Sand, dramatised and directed by Elias Matar, is an adaptation from A Million Kites: Testimonies and Poems from the Children of Gaza by Leila Boukarim and Asaf Luzon. Taking an intimate look at war through the eyes of a child and blending Palestinian folklore with real-life testimonies from children in contemporary Gaza, we follow the fraught and dangerous journey of Renad (Sarah Agha), a young Gazan girl, who with the echoes of her grandmother’s tales and the spark of her own imagination, searches for her family and the ‘Anqaa’ – the mythical Palestinian Phoenix. Photo: Ellie Kurttz Large scale crises and the ongoing devastation like the one unfolding in Gaz...

Delusions and Grandeur – Anthony Burgess Foundation

20Jul

By Peter KinnockNo Comments

North West

Delusions and Grandeur – Anthony Burgess Foundation

The best fringe moments are discovering something unexpected and brilliant. World-renowned cellist Karen Hall’s Delusions and Grandeur is both. A thought-provoking, inventive and emotional hour of storytelling that is bursting with talent. The blurb isn’t quite clear, though. “Come for the music, stay for the existential crisis,” it suggests. Audiences are told to expect a “classical cello recital” that “plays out like a piece of performance art run by a masterly jester”. Its one of those examples of marketing that makes total sense after the event. Hall’s one-woman show is, essentially, a recital of Bach’s famous Suite No. 1, interspersed with part monologue, part audience dialogue that tells her own musical story and poses some fascinating questions. What does it reall...

20Jul

By Adam WilliamsNo Comments

North West

Almost Famous – The King’s Arms

“Escaping and pretending is better than the truth,” says Emily Benton (Jac Wheble), the hero of this one-woman show about identity, fame, and the desire to be seen, not for what you are, that’s boring. She has a thirst, a craving almost to be seen in the spotlight, out front, and famous. Benton, we find out, is living a lie from the start. Suddenly, we are taken into an examination of identity in a world where everyone is pretending. She came from Australia to the UK in the early 1970s to pursue her dream of finding fame and fortune as a performer. “Naivety gets you through,” she says as she looks back at her younger self and the pitfalls she faced in a business where more established, powerful men will take advantage of her with the promise of a record contract or a juicy part o...

Your Therapist is Clueless – The King’s Arms

19Jul

By Lou SteggalsNo Comments

North West

Your Therapist is Clueless – The King’s Arms

Holding an audience rapt for any period of time where the subject is the meaty, nuanced and personal elephant that is mental health support in the UK is a very big ask of any performer. One thinks of writers such as Adam Kay, who’s book and tour, This is Going to Hurt, vividly brought to life the warts and glory of being an NHS doctor. Or copper turned stand-up comic Alfie Moore’s It’s a Fair Cop in which, by allowing the audience to play police, he highlights the idiosyncrasies and impotencies of the criminal justice system. Tonight, performer Nathaniel Tresise shares his experiences of working for a Greater Manchester mental health charity where a dreadfully under-resourced service attracts people with all the quirks you expect, often risking those with genuine, urgent need bei...