North West Archives - Page 16 of 183

13Oct

By Brian MaddenNo Comments

North West

Snake in the Grass – Octagon Theatre

Would Snake in the Grass go with a bump, a bang, or a flop? Definitely not the latter. The Octagon Theatre Bolton’s gripping production of Alan Ayckbourn’s darkly comic thriller delivers a night of theatre that is equal parts chilling, suspenseful, and wickedly funny. Performed in the Octagon’s intimate space, the audience is drawn straight into the heart of a decaying family garden where secrets fester and ghosts real or imagined seem to lurk in every shadow. The story centres on Annabel Chester (Sue Cleaver), who returns home after her abusive father’s death. She’s physically and emotionally fragile, her father’s cruelty still haunting her. But her uneasy homecoming takes a sinister turn when her father’s former nurse, Alice (Lisa Zahra), arrives with a blackmail scheme, claiming ...

10Oct

By Katie LeicesterNo Comments

North West

Finding Nemo Jr – Z-Arts

It’s time for the Apprentices to shine! Manchester Musical Youth’s (MMY) latest production, Finding Nemo Jr, swam onto the Z-arts stage this week and what a splash it made. With a 34-strong cast of young performers, this vibrant musical adaptation of Disney and Pixar’s beloved underwater adventure truly showcased the depth of talent within MMY’s apprentices. Directed by Shannon Holland with Sarah Barron as Assistant Director and produced by the ever-fabulous Kimberly and Dave Holden, the production captured the heart and humour of the original film while allowing every performer to sparkle. Finding Nemo Jr features music and lyrics by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez, and a book adapted by Lindsay Anderson. The story follows Marlin, an anxious clownfish father who embarks ...

10Oct

By Paul WilcoxNo Comments

North West

Orphans – King’s Arms Theatre

Over the last few years, Lisa and Colin Connor have quietly built something special in the small pub theatre above the King’s Arms on Bloom Street. As the area rapidly succumbs to gentrification all around it, this beacon of Salfordian working-class culture continues to produce exciting and interesting work, giving voice and opportunity for local creative stage talent to shine. This superb run of form continues with a blistering new production of ‘Orphans’, the 2009 piece by Dennis Kelly exploring urban violence and the moral quandaries that family obligations place us under. Helen (Hollie-Jay Bowes) and Danny (Ryan Clayton) have managed to unload their five-year-old son Shane onto Danny’s mum for the evening and are relaxing into a well-deserved date night together, Helen has discovere...

10Oct

By Paul ClarkeNo Comments

North West

Black Sabbath The Ballet – The Lowry

When you think about a rock band to soundtrack a ballet it's probable rock gods Black Sabbath wouldn’t be the first name that comes to mind. But when Birmingham Royal Ballet’s Director Carlos Acosta was looking for inspiration to commission locally based work, he was drawn to the doomy riffs created by four working class lads from the Black Country who basically invented Heavy Metal as a genre. Acsota clearly felt their huge riffs not only captured the long gone industrial might of Brum, where Sabbath members spent their teens, but also offered the dancers a broad palate to work with. Backed by the Birmingham Sinfonia this three-act show tries to encapsulate the band’s tempestuous five decade long career, and is a million miles away from the lighter music ballets are often performed ...

The Tempest – Shakespeare North Playhouse

9Oct

By Stephanie WiswallNo Comments

North West

The Tempest – Shakespeare North Playhouse

Monsters, sprites, humans, love and angst, sound like a delightful mix of intrigue and mystery. When in fact, you’re witnessing one of Shakespeare's works of art, produced by Tom Dixon and Will Orton. The Handlebards, a group of inspiring thespians who have made it their mission to bring environmentally friendly theatre on a journey to make it accessible for all. The Tempest has a simple set (Ellie Light) which doubles up as different staging props when needed and the group use comedic and creative ways to adapt their scenes and surroundings. The set also has the main protagonist Prospero all over it symbolising his monopolisation of the island and all who inhabit. The music and sound (Guy Hughes) within this production are beautiful and magical, also, a large portion of the music...

8Oct

By Paul WilcoxNo Comments

North West

Power Cut – Olympus Fish & Chips

For one night only, ‘On The Go Theatre Company’ bring their production of “Power Cut’, a new play by Josie Byrne and Lynda Gray, to the salubrious surroundings of Olympus Fish & Chips in downtown Bolton. Unfortunately, what aspired to be a character-based situation comedy with a political edge proved to be more of a broad 1970s farce with a muddled script, both poorly staged and executed. I have often visited ‘thOlympus’ in Bolton before reviewing at the nearby Octagon, revelling in its camp glory. The bright and spacious Dining Room is complete with potted palms and a dinner jacketed pianist playing show tunes on a grand piano, whilst delicious food is served to pensioners by speedy teenagers in smart black uniforms; I always leave smiling. Their decision to convert the restaur...

Chisato Minamimura: Mark of a Woman – The Lowry

6Oct

By Helen JonesNo Comments

North West

Chisato Minamimura: Mark of a Woman – The Lowry

At the start of the performance Chisato Minamimura introduces herself as a deaf Japanese woman. She is also a beautiful contemporary dancer and mime artist. Using dance, mime and sign language (with a pre-recorded audio) she explores and celebrates the history of women and tattooing. The show also uses something called woojer straps, a vibrating belt designed to offer an additional sensory experience. While the reviewer did not partake, her companion did and has offered their thoughts. During the performance Minamimura looks at various historic and often personal accounts of female tattooing. Starting with the Japanese practice of hajichi, a hand tattooing done by the Ryukyuan women on Okinawa island. Initially done as a rite of passage into adu...

The Bodyguard – Winter Gardens, Blackpool

6Oct

By Rebecca CaseyNo Comments

North West

The Bodyguard – Winter Gardens, Blackpool

An enjoyable evening at Winter Gardens, Blackpool. A very talented cast led by Sidonie Smith (Chicago, Sister Act) as the central character, vocal superstar Rachel Marron. Alongside her bodyguard, Frank Farmer, the role made famous in the movie version by Kevin Costner, this evening played by Olivier award nominated Adam Garcia (Wicked, Coyote Ugly) a man with a wealth of industry experience If anything slightly disappointing that we didn’t get to enjoy his amazing vocal, or highly skilled tap dancing. The musical based on the very popular movie starring Whitney Houston, back in the Early 90s, featuring an outstanding Musical score of power ballads and crowd pleasers. The story closely follows that of the movie, but in parts is lacking in certain elements of the storyline, I don’t...

A Waltz on the Edge: RLPO’s Dance Through Darkness and Disquiet – Philharmonic Hall Liverpool

6Oct

By Mark HumphreysNo Comments

North West

A Waltz on the Edge: RLPO’s Dance Through Darkness and Disquiet – Philharmonic Hall Liverpool

On a wet and blustery autumnal evening, the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, under the baton of Alpesh Chauhan, delivered a programme rich in colour, rhythm and emotional depth. Yet despite the brilliance of individual works and performances, the evening’s structure felt somewhat episodic — a sequence of vivid tableaux rather than a unified narrative. One couldn’t help but wish for a meaty Romantic symphony to provide a longer-form canvas for Chauhan’s storytelling instincts. Chauhan himself was a compelling presence on the podium — energetic, light-footed, and physically expressive. In La Valse, he launched himself from the handrail with a heel-toe-leap flourish that mirrored the music’s swirling intensity. His command of rhythm and texture was evident throughout, and his rappor...

Britannia Waves The Rules – Hope Street Theatre

5Oct

By Mark DavorenNo Comments

North West

Britannia Waves The Rules – Hope Street Theatre

Gareth Farr’s 2011 Bruntwood Prize winning play is a brutal and gritty account of a young man’s journey from the cold, wet beaches of Blackpool to the dry, burning deserts of Afghanistan and it takes no prisoners along the way. It’s a tough but important story to listen to and a sad reflection on society that its message still resonates so strongly some fifteen years on. It's grim up north and nowhere more so than Blackpool which only has rose-tinted memories of bygone days to fall back on for its older residents, whereas for young Carl Jackson (Jim Kelly) it is a place to run away from, whether that be from family members or mock-Mancs. It really has nothing to offer – even the girl next door doesn’t want to know. Only the army offers a way out and a trip around the world after ...