North West Archives - Page 166 of 180

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...

11Oct

By Blathine MaguireNo Comments

North West

Lantern Lites – The Casa Theatre

Lantern Lites are a writing group based in Liverpool who meet on a weekly basis and tonight they showcase some of their latest pieces at The Casa Theatre, Liverpool. Lantern writers aim to produce new and exciting work on a regular basis by supporting one another through the writing development process. The first play showcased tonight was ‘Child’s Play’ written and directed by Mark Davoren. This is a comedy abstract from a full play where we meet a very young Mark who faces the challenge of growing up with two devious sisters. The writing is very unique in that it covers themes we don’t often see on stage. It was great to see drama which moves away from typical themes of love, soul seeking and big quests! This piece felt very light and made for easy watching. For future developme...

A Midsummer Night’s Dream – Hope Mill Theatre

9Oct

By Peter RuddickNo Comments

North West

A Midsummer Night’s Dream – Hope Mill Theatre

What is Shakespeare’s best comedy? Although plenty of people would vote for A Midsummer Night’s Dream it is, in truth, an impossible question to answer. Why? Because the Bard’s plays exist to be performed and any humour in the script is only conveyed to the audience with great direction. With a good director at the helm, Dream is hilarious, fast-paced and emotional. With a poor director in charge, it can feel turgid, long and devoid of comedy. This production has an excellent director in charge. It’s hard to walk out of the theatre thinking anything other than Dream is the best Shakespeare comedy and this must be one of the very, very best telling’s of this timeless tale. All Female Shakespeare does exactly what it says on the tin. Created by Unseemly Women, HER Productions and Girl Gan...

9Oct

By Tracy RyanNo Comments

North West

Good Grief – Unity Theatre

A leg protrudes from a jagged gravestone adorned with neon pink ‘RIP’ lettering; a sort of Tracey Emin meets Anthony Gormley start to a frenetic, pumped-up and kinetic sixty minutes of clowning, slapstick, techno & recorded interview excerpts from Liverpool-based company Ugly Bucket, Using minimal props and costume accoutrements, the best gift this youthful and award winning physical theatre company possess is a seeming electric current running through them; five bodies juddering, jumping, gyrating & jerking into life, but each with their own style and skill set – as they perform their terminally ill friend & mentor’s wish, a play about death for his memorial. The show could have been macabre, intrusive and even offensive, but in Ugly Bucket’s hands, the show is energised...

8Oct

By Ezzy LaBelleNo Comments

North West

Sirens, Men & Crabs – Unity Theatre

With a title like ‘Sirens, Men and Crabs’ it was hard to know what to expect from the award-winning Teatro Pomodoro and their unique take on Greek tragedy. Would it be funny? How true to ancient myth is it? And how on earth do crabs feature? Prepare to go on a journey like never before. Describing itself as “creating thought provoking, playful theatre for audiences internationally” Sirens did not disappoint Directed by Mark Bell (The Play That Goes Wrong) and produced by the notable RJ Lloyd, this reimagining of a renowned classic story is exceptionally creative and accessible to all. Based in Liverpool but brought together in Paris at Ecole Philippe Gaulier, the company create an environment that makes audience participation feel both edgy and safe. It’s not funny, it’s hilarious. ...

7Oct

By Kiefer WilliamsNo Comments

North West

Leaving – Hope Street Theatre

This was the second night of a quartet of new plays written by Liverpool Scriptshop playwrights. Selected from many scripts submitted, Scriptshop wanted to present four of these new pieces as part of the exciting Liverpool Fringe Theatre Festival 2021. The theme, like the previous pair of plays, was all about leaving in one form or another. The third play in this quartet is Left Behind written and directed by Tom McLennan and centred around a couple Margie (Sarah Wood and Mick (Tommy Tyler Morgan) trying to come to some sort of agreement during a family crisis. The couple’s discussions alluding to both Brexit and the UK political landscape was quite sparky and their differing opinions and thoughts made for some good solid drama. We see their marriage unravel as the days lead up to...

7Oct

By Anne PritchardNo Comments

North West

Rock of Ages – Manchester Opera House

We were asked for proof of COVID vaccinations as we entered the theatre; those who couldn’t produce them were asked to take a temperature check at the side entrance. All theatre staff were wearing masks. The theatre was two thirds full: mostly with a 23-35 year old age group with a sprinkling of older theatre-goers. There was an air of anticipation as we waited for the curtain to go up. Once it did, two lone guitarists appeared beneath projected images of USA; the set was a nightclub, The Bourbon Room, with a small stage and a bar with tables and chairs. Rock of Ages doesn’t have much of a story, but for what there is, it is a typical love story, well three love stories really but the main story concerns a small town girl, Sherrie (Rhiannon Chesterman), who relocate...