North West Archives - Page 156 of 173

27Oct

By Rachel FosterNo Comments

North West

Fred – The Kings Arms

Trish and Danny are getting divorced and are having couples counselling to finalise the finer details such as who gets custody of Fred and the couples’ assets, it’s never going to be plain sailing. Their Counsellor Marc has disappeared out of the blue, so they get another counsellor Ellie at the last minute played by Louise Wilson. Louise has appeared in Coronation St as Nurse Lingard. She takes a brilliant part as the slightly unhinged replacement therapist who turns out to be Marc’s partner. Complicated? Yes. The dialogue is carefully concocted to reflect real life woes. Themes of jealousy, infidelity and conflict in relationships are brought to life in a sparklingly realistic way. The gender divide is comically highlighted with seething dialogue as the couple lock horns and take s...

27Oct

By Alison BainesNo Comments

North West

The Good Life – The Lowry

Modern society is fascinated with the idea of sustainable, eco-friendly living - rightly so, when the threat of mother nature and climate change are knocking on your door. So, its oddly fitting that the 70’s British sitcom, The Good Life, should focus on ecological living. The TV show was enjoyed by millions when it premiered way back when, in 1975. The show was adapted by Jeremy Sams and it now hits stages for the first time, before heading to the West End. It features Tom and Barbara, as we join them on Tom’s 40th Birthday. In the midst of what Barbara describes as a midlife crisis, Tom quits his job as a designer of plastic toys for cereal boxes and the couple decide to commit to a new lifestyle, in a hope to make for a more interesting life. They set off on their quest to become eco...

26Oct

By Kiefer WilliamsNo Comments

North West

Sessions – Unity Theatre

Ifeyinwa Frederick’s eloquent and captivating meditation on masculinity and mental health is brought to vibrant life in this touring production from theatre company Paines Plough. Tunde (Joseph Black) is fast approaching his thirtieth birthday and somehow, he feels his life is unravelling. His relationships both with himself and other people seem fragile and fractured, so he seeks help from his unseen therapist in one-to-one sessions to alleviate his anxieties and try to look forward with renewed confidence. It’s not an easy journey for Tunde as the piece reveals. This one-man performance is a fairly simple construct and much depends on both Fredericks writing and Black’s performance but what could appear to be a simply framed set of monologues morphs into something a lot mo...

26Oct

By Paul WilcoxNo Comments

North West

The Cat and the Canary – Opera House

With Halloween upon us and the clocks going back at the weekend, our thoughts turn to entertainment of the scary variety, therefore an old-fashioned thriller set in a creepy house should be just what is required as the nights draw in. Unfortunately, the production of 'The Cat and the Canary' which began its week-long run at the Manchester Opera House this evening was a huge disappointment. As a thriller it wasn't scary, as a comedy it wasn't funny, and it wasn't camp enough to be interesting as a pastiche of the genre. Based on the 1921 play by John Willard and adapted by Carl Grose, the production wore its 100 years heavily, with the usual tropes that one would associate with a thriller of this vintage. Creepy old mansion - check; assortment of characters assembled and trapped against ...

The Little Mermaid – Altrincham Garrick Playhouse

26Oct

By Hannah WildeNo Comments

North West

The Little Mermaid – Altrincham Garrick Playhouse

Even if you’re not a Disney aficionado, everyone knows the story of The Little Mermaid: Girl meets boy, girl can’t be with boy, chaos ensues, true love prevails. It’s a true Disney classic. However, love story aside, I was very intrigued to see how a story that predominantly occurs underwater would be portrayed onstage, so when the chance arose to see The Little Mermaid at Altrincham Garrick Playhouse, I naturally had to see it for myself. And am I glad I did! With a dream-team of talent spearheading the dressing rooms – from renowned stage director Joseph Meighan, musical director Mark Goggins, and lesser-known at the Garrick (but still utterly fantastic) choreographer Koda Holland-Smith – it’s no wonder this show was a delight from start to finish. Photo: Martin Ogden Whilst ...

25Oct

By Donna M DayNo Comments

North West

How to Kill a Rose – Unity Theatre

Transcend Theatre’s How to Kill a Rose, written by Felix Mufti-Wright and directed by Ailis Lord, is an exploration of domestic abuse within the transgender community. Terrifying realistic and heartrendingly hopeful, this bittersweet drama raises awareness of a vital issue affecting far too many people, while making you laugh with some clever humour. The performance is presented with subtitles and BSL interpretation throughout. The set shows a simple home, with a sofa and tables, and hints towards the creativity of the characters with the presence of a keyboard and easel with paints. The characters are sixteen year old “Me” (Felix Mufti-Wright) and 23 year old “Him” (Tony Fox). At the outset of the piece their relationship seems to be sweet and tender as they mime domestic bliss, watchi...

Jack and the Beanstalk – St Helens Theatre Royal

24Oct

By Anne PritchardNo Comments

North West

Jack and the Beanstalk – St Helens Theatre Royal

Christmas pantomimes at St Helens Theatre Royal are a traditional treat and now half-term pantos are a firm favourite as they coincide with local school holidays; children and families can attend a show and enjoy retro slapstick and sing along to musical chart hits whilst enjoying the dancing and singing on stage. As you walk into St Helens Theatre Royal, it’s rather like stepping back in time. The small, old- fashioned theatre entices theatregoers to buy sweets and ice cream from the kiosk and the corner counter is twinkling with fairy lights from the colourful swords and fairy wands it sells which all the children clamour to buy. The theatre was full, and all eyes were on the stage as youngsters with their parents and grandparents waited for the curtain to rise. When it did, ...

24Oct

By Donna M DayNo Comments

North West

The Chair – Theatre at the Casa

The Chair, presented by the Bridewell Production Company, is a new play written by Vinny Ferguson and Tony Kelly, based on the aftermath of the Cameo Murders which happened in Liverpool in 1949. Focusing on the experience of Tommy (Ted Grant), a petty criminal and prison barber, the play depicts DCI Balmer (Mike Lockley), a crooked and manipulative senior police officer, using his power to pressure Tommy into breaking the confidentiality that exists in the seat of the prison barber’s chair in order to ensure his preferred suspects, George Kelly and Charlie Connolly (Tony Jefferies) are found guilty of the murders. The play opens with Tommy arguing with his partner, Maggie (Andrea Neary) after being out all night “working”. Exhausted and cagey, it quickly becomes clear that Tommy is hidi...

24Oct

By Ezzy LaBelleNo Comments

North West

First Time – Unity Theatre

Raw. Funny. Honest. Tonight, we met Nathaniel J Hall in all his glory and left the theatre better for it. Known for his role in Russell T Davies ‘It’s A Sin’ Hall has already established himself as an actor to watch. With First Time he is also establishing himself as a writer to watch. First Time manages to fit jokes, a re-enacted prom, silly string, and a quiz into the running time without it becoming farcical or cheesy; much of it is delivered with the light-hearted naivety of youth, providing a contrast to the sudden crash into the adult world Hall found himself confronted with. Opening up a topic that doesn’t often reach the mainstream warrants recognition. Doing it in a way that connects and engages a wide audience is to be even more commended. When did you last see a mainstr...

Do You Hear the People Sing? – Northwich Memorial Court

22Oct

By Angela KellyNo Comments

North West

Do You Hear the People Sing? – Northwich Memorial Court

It’s clear to see that theatres are delighted to open their doors again all over the country and the award-winning Knutsford Musical Theatre Company (KMTC) are one company who demonstrate this as they welcome audiences back to Northwich Memorial Court this week. This is KMTCs first concert since lockdown and in an evening that provides a wide array of songs from musicals, it was obvious that the intent of the evening was certainly to be an evening of celebration. There could be no denying from the opening number of Clare Moorhouse’s performance of ‘Tell me it’s not True,’ with the KMTC from the fabulous ‘Blood Brothers’ that the quality of the entire evening was going to be exceptional. As the evening unravelled it was hard to believe that this was amateur theatre as the energy from ...