North West Archives - Page 146 of 178

23Apr

By Jenn McKeanNo Comments

North West

Anything Goes – Liverpool Empire

In olden days, a glimpse of stocking was looked on as something shocking, but now God knows, anything goes. Last years’ Olivier Award nominations were proof that Cole Porter’s 1934 musical hit is a timeless classic and can still please audiences today. This new touring production also shows, that with the right casting, it can raise the roof on large theatre venues. Set on the SS American, as it sets sail from New York to England, the press and passengers on board are complaining that there are no celebrities to make this trip worthwhile and worth the price of the ticket. Unbeknownst to them, there are stowaways and gangsters hiding in plain sight aboard and chaos, of course, ensues. With storylines that follow four main characters, it’s easy to think you’d get confused with the multipl...

The Addams Family – Opera House, Manchester

20Apr

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

North West

The Addams Family – Opera House, Manchester

Dinner is served this week down at the Opera House in Manchester. Hosting are the most ‘normal’ family you’ll ever hope to meet! Matthew White directs with music and lyrics from Andrew Lippa. Wednesday Addams has met the love of her life, Lucas Beineke and following their secret engagement has organised dinner to allow the two families to meet and to pick the perfect moment to reveal their news. During dinner, other secrets are revealed, and the evening does not go exactly as the young lovers planned. Scott Paige returns to the show after a short break to narrate the story as Uncle Fester. Paige owns every scene he appears in with exemplary comic timing and facial expressions. Ryan Bennett as larger than life butler Lurch takes his time on stage before captivating us all at the clima...

Desperate Scousewives 3: Howdy Neighbour – Floral Pavilion

18Apr

By Jenn McKeanNo Comments

North West

Desperate Scousewives 3: Howdy Neighbour – Floral Pavilion

The girls are back with the third instalment of Desperate Scousewives and the laughs are back with them! Trisha’s son, Luke, is turning 16 and Trisha wants the party to be perfect. She has also made it to the finals of the local karaoke contest and her life, as she knows it depends on her winning. Sue and Nessa have been sent for the cake with £280 from Trisha, but they’ve managed to get themselves ‘locked’ in the pub. Lil is not happy and will not go back to bed until she’s found where the girls are. Of course, chaos ensues and we are taken on a hysterical journey over the course of the day. Lynne Fitzgerald has once again written a piece that resonates with Merseyside audiences and has them leaving with a stomach ache from laughing so much. There was a moment where she forgot her o...

Jack and the Beanstalk – Epstein Theatre

18Apr

By Luke StephensonNo Comments

North West

Jack and the Beanstalk – Epstein Theatre

I was invited to watch the Easter pantomime at the Epstein Theatre last night, from the get-go it was full of energy, participation and pyrotechnics. Jack (Timothy Lucas) really fancied this girl called Jill (Maddie Hope Coelho) and wanted to ask her out. Jill invites Jack to her party but sadly he had school. However, she agrees to go to his school as long as he came to the party. All was not right in the land, as the Flesh Creep (Abigail Middleton) was tasked by the giant to capture the princess and something to eat. So, with this in mind she comes up with a dastardly plan to buy Jack’s old milk Cow Doddy. So that Jack could have the money to keep the farm his mum Dame Trott (Mark Two) and his brother Simple Simon (Lewis Devine) owns. Want to know more then you’ll have to see it, no spoi...

14Apr

By Mark DavorenNo Comments

North West

La Traviata (2022) – Royal Opera House

Director Bárbara Lluch’s current revival of Richard Eyre’s 1994 production delivers a truly musical feast that not only embraces and relishes its traditional 19th Century roots but whose theme continues to resonate strongly today. At its heart lies a love story which draws upon Alexandre Dumas the Younger’s real-life doomed love affair with well-known courtesan, Marie Duplessis. We open with Violetta (Pretty Yende) aided by her friend Flora (Angela Simkin) hosting a lavish party where she is introduced by Gastone (Andrés Presno) to his friend, Alfredo Germont (Stephen Costello), a fervent admirer, who is more concerned for her failing health than her escort, Baron Douphal (Germán E. Alcántara). When Alfredo declares his love for her she wonders if he could be the one amidst her desire t...

14Apr

By Rebecca CaseyNo Comments

North West

Footloose – Winter Gardens, Blackpool

This week sees the return of 1980’s screen sensation ‘Footloose.’ The Blackpool leg of the tour was due to begin on Monday 11th April, but the cast and crew have struggled to put on some performances due to Covid, they had five casting covers this evening, so that considered they did a good job putting the show on. The theatre was sadly quite empty, which has been the case on my last few visits to The Winter Gardens. A multitalented cast featuring several leads and ensemble also playing live instruments. For me the music stole the show. It’s so nice to see live musicians onstage and the timeless classics Let’s Hear it For The Boy, Holding Out For a Hero’ and of course the title track itself were highlights of the evening. Some lovely moments of comedy provided by the large e...

14Apr

By Lou SteggalsNo Comments

North West

Kinky Boots – Blackpool Grand Theatre

If Musicals bingo was a thing, Kinky Boots would surely tick every single box. Based on a true story? Check. Working class factory setting? Check. Underdog who wins the day? Well, that would be something of a spoiler, but you can guess the answer. Based on a true story, we meet Charlie Price who, following a chance meeting with a drag queen named Lola, decides to re-invigorate the shoe factory he has recently inherited from his late father, by making shoes for drag queens. Soon a prestigious trade show in Milan beckons but Lola and Charlie look set to fall out over whether the Italian critics will like the cut of their leather. With Harvey Fierstein’s devilishly funny script, adapted from Tim Firth’s original screenplay (himself no stranger to ‘beat the odds’ musicals) and a sparklin...

13Apr

By Codie WrightNo Comments

North West

SIX – Empire Theatre, Liverpool

What would happen if you took hit musical Hamilton, gave it some Eurovision cheese, some Drag Race sauce, some Little Mix girl power and some unashamedly British humour - and then made it about Henry VIII’s wives? Six of course. Less of a musical, more of a concert, this empowering 80-minute sass-fest is something completely different. With a symbolically all-female cast and all-female band (the effortlessly cool Ladies in Waiting: Musical Director / Keys - Anna Senger, Guitar - Laura Browne, Drums - Migdalia Van Der Hoven, Bass - Ashley Young) it really does feel as though you’re at a sold-out high-production pop show. We meet the six queens (Catherine of Aragon - Chlöe Hart, Anne Boleyn - Jennifer Caldwell, Jane Seymour - Casey Al-Shaqsy, Anna of Cleves - Grace Melville, Katherine ...

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...