North West Archives - Page 142 of 173

The Liverpool Passion Plays: This is Our Story – Anglican Cathedral, Liverpool

12Apr

By Mark DavorenNo Comments

North West

The Liverpool Passion Plays: This is Our Story – Anglican Cathedral, Liverpool

Written by Mark Lovelady and Daniel Bishop, who also directs, and produced by Nick Basson, the Liverpool Passion Plays are back with a…well yes, it’s obvious, but there was so much more to this though as using the Cathedral’s architecture and artwork as a backdrop, the audience ‘walk with Jesus’ through his story, starting as a young boy, and witnessing his entry into Jerusalem, his betrayal by Judas, and his subsequent trial and crucifixion. Congregating in the Nave of the Cathedral, Mary (Katherine Wikeley) and Joseph (John Zang) worry where their son has gone, when we meet Young Jesus (Thomas Holmes) in the temple questioning the Pharisees, before we move forward to an Adult Jesus (Tom Martin) challenging the moneylenders. In the Western Crossing, to the accompanying choir singing...

11Apr

By Donna M DayNo Comments

North West

Sunset Yellow – Hope Street Theatre

Sunset Yellow is a collection of three short, dark comedy plays, written by Jamie Pye and directed by Pye and Kieran Kidd. The first play, The Campfire, is set on the campsite of four friends who have not seen each other for a long time. It has a nostalgic feeling as the four friends tells stories around their warm campfire. It quickly becomes clear however that something is amiss as Abby tells a fun story from her childhood and Jo reacts like a petulant child throwing camping paraphernalia around in the background and pulling bored and impatient faces. She rudely interrupts Abby’s story and her friends react badly to her rudeness, but they cannot anticipate where Jo’s behaviour will escalate to. This is an interesting piece with plenty of twists and turns but could be strengthened b...

Doctor Doolittle Jr. – Rainhill Village Hall

11Apr

By Mark DavorenNo Comments

North West

Doctor Doolittle Jr. – Rainhill Village Hall

Rainhill Musical Theatre Company Youth’s latest production, under the direction of Tom Cain, is based on the original 1920 Dr Doolittle stories by Hugh Lofting, and with the assistance of Choreographer Kirsty Higgins and Musical Director Wayne Oakes, takes us on a journey from the small English village of Puddleby-on-the-Marsh to the far corners of the world. When wacky but kind Doctor Doolittle (Aaron Savage) decides he’s going to learn to talk to animals, friends Madeline Mugg (Eden Brennan) and Tommy Stubbins (Ella Andrews) are in disbelief but with parrot Polynesia (Poppy Trigwell) leading the lessons, it’s only a matter of time before he’s getting to grips with what’s ailing Jip the Dog (Marina Forshaw), Toggle the Horse (Emily Greenough), Sheila the Fox (Mandy Roberts), and Dab Da...

Madama Butterfly – Opera House, Manchester

10Apr

By Mark DavorenNo Comments

North West

Madama Butterfly – Opera House, Manchester

Madama Butterfly is a staple of the operatic repertoire, so it is hard to believe that the original two-act version was so poorly received at its premiere in 1904 at La Scala in Milan. Puccini rewrote it in three acts to great success before reverting to the two-act formula that we see performed today. Marriage broker Goro (Ruslan Pacatovici) shows US naval lieutenant Pinkerton (Vitalii Liskovetskyi) round the home he will share with his bride-to-be in Nagasaki, although American Consul Sharpless (Vladimir Dragos) warns him of the tragic consequences that may follow. The Butterfly duly lands in the form of young Japanese girl Cio-Cio-San (Elena Dee) supported by maid Suzuki (Irina Sproglis), and they are married by the Commissioner (Vitalii Cebotari). Her love makes her willing to sacri...

10Apr

By Jo TillotsonNo Comments

North West

The Jungle Book – Oldham Coliseum

If you are looking for a family-friendly show that everyone can enjoy this Easter, then look no further than this musical adaptation of Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book! Written by Jessica Swale with music by Joe Stilgoe, this production, which was first performed in 2017, is a very creative retelling of the story we all know: Mowgli, a man cub, is raised in the jungle as part of a wolf pack after his father is killed by the tiger, Shere Khan. We follow Mowgli as he grows up and learns to recognise all the wonderful things that make him unique, and then as he finds his courage to follow his true path. Performed by a cast of just seven, this musical has everything you could want, from drama and tension, to comedy and friendship. Stilgoe’s music reminds the audience of the songs from the...

10Apr

By Caroline WorswickNo Comments

North West

Carmen – Opera House, Manchester

Written by French composer Bizet and first performed in 1875, and an adaptation of Prosper Merimee’s novella Carmen, which was judged by French society to be utterly improper. This may explain why the opera was initially delayed because of fears that the themes of betrayal and murder may offend. The opera received negative press, Bizet was accused of plagiarism by Gounod whose music had a great influence on Bizet, and died aged 36, believing that his opera was a failure. Bizet was described as a child prodigy, admired by Liszt and even though Bizet himself felt that he had written something special, he did not live to see its success. In Ellen Kent’s and Opera International’s adaptation with the Ukrainian National Municipal Opera, the opening Act I reveals a set design...

Giovanni Pernice: This is Me – Bridgewater Hall

9Apr

By Hannah WildeNo Comments

North West

Giovanni Pernice: This is Me – Bridgewater Hall

For those who are not well versed in the Strictly Come Dancing universe, Giovanni Pernice is one of the most loved professional dancers on the BBC show, having started his Strictly journey in 2015 and only last year managing to win the series with Strictly’s first ever deaf contestant, Rose Ayling-Ellis. Giovanni has long been a programme and an audience favourite, with his suave good looks, his sensual dance moves, and his Italian cheeky-chappy persona. With all this in mind, I was under no illusions that Giovanni, a natural-born performer, would put on a great show - and oh, he did. From the beginning I did question the choice of venue for this production - I didn’t feel the Bridgewater Hall was able to contain the amount of energy and exuberance that a show like this would h...

9Apr

By Luke StephensonNo Comments

North West

Me & Thee – Empty Space

Salford based theatre company Farewell Theatre opened their show Me & Thee at the Empty Space Theatre last night for a two-night run. The show was written by James Ward making his writing debut with this piece. Based on true events set in a flat after a night out. One played by Ross Thompson and Two played by Reece Hallam, had come home a bit worse for wear from a few cans of larger it also appeared after a few drinks they had become involved in a fight. Now we’ve all got friends who are a bit.. well.. eccentric and that was definitely Two. Two opened up about his past and the decisions he made, he wanted to see his son again, but he had to prove he had changed by going on the straight and narrow and not get involved with scams or drugs. Whilst One gave his account of what it was like ...

8Apr

By Mark DavorenNo Comments

North West

Tosca – Opera House, Manchester

Tosca is an opera in three acts by Italian composer Puccini, structured as a through-composed work, with arias, recitative, choruses and other elements musically woven into a seamless whole. Set in Rome in June 1800, the city is threatened by the advancing army of Napoleon Bonaparte. In the inside of the church of Sant' Andrea della Villa, Cesare Angelotti (Eugeniu Ganea), former Consul and now an escaped political prisoner, has taken refuge. He hides on the arrival of a Sacristan (Valeriu Cojocaru) before the painter Mario Cavaradossi (Vitalii Liskovetskyi) appears to continue work on his portrait of Mary Magdalene, based on a blonde-haired woman who is in fact Angelotti's sister, and he compares her to his dark-haired lover, the singer Floria Tosca (Elena Dee). Cavaradossi promises...

7Apr

By Lou SteggalsNo Comments

North West

All Shook Up – Hyde Festival Theatre

“I gotta follow that dream” Elvis once crooned. Two years later than planned, Hyde Musical Society have finally realised their dream to bring All Shook Up, featuring the hits of Elvis, to the stage. The musical is a frothy 50s comedy, loosely based on Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night. ‘Bad boy’ Chad (who, thanks to the family-friendly stylings of the show, is about as dangerous as a glass of milk), swings into a small Midwestern town whose residents cower under the thumb of their very own Mary Whitehouse-type, Mayor Matilda – anything she considers immoral is banned. With less a nod, more a vigorous headbang towards the plot of Footloose, Chad’s hip-thrusting dance moves and rock and roll songs soon upset the applecart as the townsfolk are encouraged to let loose. Local ‘grease monkey’ me...