North West Archives - Page 159 of 174

Ladies Down Under – Rainhill Village Hall

15Oct

By Blathine MaguireNo Comments

North West

Ladies Down Under – Rainhill Village Hall

In May 2018, Rainhill Garrick Society brought us ‘Ladies Day’ and now, over two years later they are back with a vengeance to bring us the follow-on show “Ladies Down Under”. Written by Amanda Whittington, ‘Ladies down under’ follows the story of four unlikely friends who find themselves on the adventure of a lifetime to Australia after their big win at the races. We meet Pearl (Lynn Aconley) and Jan (Linda Saavedra) at the airport whose lifelong friendship is clear from the start. These two perform in a believable and likable fashion with Pearl “mothering” the fearful Jan as she embarks on the long journey abroad. Soon Shelley (Jo Webster) makes her elaborate entrance, followed by the more timid Linda (Jen Martindale). I particularly enjoyed Jo’s performance as we see a range of ...

What’s Love Got To Do With It? – Blackpool Winter Gardens

15Oct

By Anne PritchardNo Comments

North West

What’s Love Got To Do With It? – Blackpool Winter Gardens

The theatre was packed to capacity; ages ranged from 20+ years upwards although I did see some mums with young children aged about 8 and 10 years old. All eyes were on the stage in anticipation of the show, ‘What's Love Got to Do With It’, a joyous musical show celebrating the music of the incredible Tina Turner. The curtain rose and Elesha Paul Moses bounded onto the stage resplendent in an over-the-top blonde wig and dazzling sequinned outfit. Elesha has previously appeared on X Factor and The Voice; I had not seen her on either before and was immediately impressed. She has perfected iconic Turner’s accent and gestures along with mastering her voice’s timbre and excellence. The set was simple with raised platforms for the musicians; two guitarists, a drummer, a keybo...

15Oct

By Jan MellorNo Comments

North West

Shrek the Musical – Brindley Theatre

Well, what a stimulating night I have just had! Returning back to my favourite local theatre – the gorgeous Brindley Theatre in Runcorn- the long absence of attending live theatre has had its toll on me and to be back to see live theatre feels like Christmas has come early! To see an amateur theatre company, who I have never seen before- “D & S productions”, turn a masterpiece of theatre into a phenomenal piece of theatre and to see such amazing costumes, stage sets and pure talent on stage has been a fulfilling dream come true. “D & S Productions” is a company founded by two inspirational friends Donna Dale and Sasha Edge and as the audience slowly filled, they were around ensuring that ever last detail was met meticulously and to motivate and support their production team. ...

Out of the Narrow Place: A Ritual for Black Descendants of Slaves – Unity Theatre

15Oct

By Ezzy LaBelleNo Comments

North West

Out of the Narrow Place: A Ritual for Black Descendants of Slaves – Unity Theatre

Out of the Narrow Place is an invitation. It may not seem it from the title if you are not descended from a slave, but from start to finish the audience are invited to engage with - and celebrate - black history, black culture and black Britishness. The only pre-requisite is the ability to think. Using the ability to think is a choice. Garnering a standing ovation and very positive comments from a diverse audience, this was an evening to remember. Unity Theatre has given a gem its debut. The most striking thing about Out of the Narrow Place is it traverses being both a story and a statement; both entertainment and a lesson. If theatre is deemed an opportunity to bring people together, an opportunity for sharing, connecting and collective experience, this does it. The audience member ...

14Oct

By Scot CunninghamNo Comments

North West

Death Drop – The Lowry

Crooked guests, a cold-blooded killer and…Crispy Pancakes? Still hot from a West End run, Death Drop sashays into The Lowry for an evening of murder and mystery with a delightfully chaotic drag twist. The eccentric Lady von Fistenburg (Vinegar Strokes/Daniel Jacob) has invited several equally-madcap guests to a dinner honouring the tenth anniversary of Princess Diana and Prince Charles on Tuck Island. Before these strangers can work out exactly why their presence has been requested, though, they begin to meet grisly fates- one by one. Holly Stars’ killer script is stuffed with kitchen sink comedy and laugh-out-loud Northern humour that guarantees a trolley full of laughs: from Lambrini to Club biscuits, the jokes are punchy, contemporary and regularly redelivered to even further comi...

Farmaggedon: ‘Resurrection 2021’ – Farmer Ted’s Farm Park

14Oct

By Tracy RyanNo Comments

North West

Farmaggedon: ‘Resurrection 2021’ – Farmer Ted’s Farm Park

After 14 seasons, the award-winning interactive horror theme park Farmaggedon (the slightly twisted but ever-entertaining brainchild of Mark Edwards) is back with new experiences, additional creatures of the night, extra fairground & a ramped up Carnivalesque atmosphere. I confess that I have nothing to compare this experience to - being a middle-aged woman and a new attendee - but as a lover of horror films for over 40 years, my interest was piqued; the other hundreds of waiting participants were clearly stoked & giddy as they moved through animal pens on their way in, growing more nervous or excitable the closer they got to the entrance The first thing you notice are the cast of grotesques: a hideously botoxed-deformed and massive boob-enhanced nurse trips around menacingly...

Dracula: The Untold Story – Liverpool Playhouse

14Oct

By Carole BaldockNo Comments

North West

Dracula: The Untold Story – Liverpool Playhouse

The road to Hell is paved with good intentions, and here we are on Route 66 (or should that be 666?), since that's their year (read on...), and a young lady has just walked into a police station to confess to murder. But she says her name is Mina Harker... And goodness, can she name drop - an affair with Picasso? And literally, because many of the people she encounters hit the deck. But is she as it were victim turned vigilante, seeking to rid the world of evil? Or does Dracula actually have a hand in this, not that the title isn't a dead giveaway. Yet having slayed Dracula, she is seemingly possessed by him. Mina travels the world hunting down the people from her nightmares who are plotting some kind of uprising. The police officers are bewildered by the murder of unknowns (keep rea...

Grease the Musical – Manchester Opera House

13Oct

By Hannah WildeNo Comments

North West

Grease the Musical – Manchester Opera House

If, like me, you’re a lifelong fan of the 1978 titular film Grease, then the touring production of Grease the Musical is not to be missed. Like its namesake, this production is as slick as you like. It has got everything a good show should have: a toe-tapping soundtrack, mesmerising choreography, and - quite literally - an all-singing, all-dancing cast. The performance I had the pleasure of attending starred Dan Partridge as the leading man Danny Zuko, and understudy Ellie Kingdon as his leading lady, Sandy. I was a bit apprehensive to see an understudy in such a prominent role - especially one who is making their professional debut in this show - but I needn’t have worried: Kingdon was incredible. Far from being “oh so scared and unsure” like her wallflower character Sandy, Kingd...

13Oct

By Jo TillotsonNo Comments

North West

Ballet Black: Double Bill – The Lowry

Dance is often referred to as the performing art that provides a form of communication when words are no longer enough. However, this double bill from Ballet Black is performed to a soundtrack of poetry, spoken word performance, and songs with lyrics. Initially, this took a little getting used to; I am not used to ballet being performed to this kind of soundscape and, if I’m honest, I did find it difficult at the start to decide what to focus on: the meaning of the words or the movement... However, when I relaxed and watched these two pieces as a whole, they really were extremely impressive. The words and the choreography, at times underscored by music, ebbed and flowed and became beautifully complementary. Despite the company comprising only eight dancers, they had such a great presenc...

Priscilla Queen of the Desert – Manchester Palace Theatre

12Oct

By Lou SteggalsNo Comments

North West

Priscilla Queen of the Desert – Manchester Palace Theatre

The world’s most flamboyant road trip has rolled into Manchester as we’re invited to step aboard a ‘Budget Barbie Camper’ named Priscilla and lip-sync our way through a jukebox of disco hits with the best of them. Based on the cult 1994 film, and co-produced by its original West End star, Jason Donovan, tonight’s show takes us deep into the Australian outback as we join drag queens Tick/Mitzi (Edwin Ray), and Adam/Felicia (Nick Hayes) and transgender Bernadette (Miles Western) on their trip from suburban Sydney to Alice Springs. Our ‘ladies’ are set to perform at a local casino as a distraction from their current woes. Unbeknownst to Adam and Bernadette, it will also give Tick the chance to meet his son, Benji. Along the way they tackle weighty issues of grief, bigotry and what it...