North West Archives - Page 168 of 174

12 – The Rainbow Monologues – Bombed Out Church

21Jul

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

North West

12 – The Rainbow Monologues – Bombed Out Church

Grin Theatre Company presented this unique and varied showcase of new LGBTQ writing at the closing night of the very successful little Liverpool Theatre Festival produced by Bill Elms. This was a beautiful evening of twelve new monologues that covered many areas of what it means to be LGBTQ and the superb cast (Holly Murphy, Alan Harbottle, Taylor Illingworth, Pam Ashton and Terence Conchie) invested lots of imagination, sensitivity and energy throughout. The show which was directed with great flair and detail by Dan Scott provided the audience with 12 characters in 70 minutes and there wasn’t a dull moment. I would love to see this come back to the stage because more people should definitely see this lovely piece of live theatre. I was particularly moved by the monologue St P...

20Jul

By Lou SteggalsNo Comments

North West

Chatroom – Altrincham Garrick Playhouse

What would you imagine to be on the agenda for teenagers chatting online? Rating current romantic crushes? How mean mum and dad are for not letting them out past 10? Whether the fat German kid would be more likely to win Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory over Charlie Bucket might not feature on your list, but it is the first vignette of conversation we’re presented with as we join our six teen stars of Enda Walsh’s one-act play Chatroom. Described as a chilling, blackly comic tale, Chatroom looks at themes of online manipulation, cyberbullying and teenage depression, as relatively innocent conversations dissecting children’s literature and pop music are punctured by the arrival of Jim, a young man struggling with suicidal thoughts. This show marks the first production by the Garric...

18Jul

By Donna M DayNo Comments

North West

Tea Time – Bombed Out Church

G&J Productions’ Tea Time, written by Graham Edgington and directed by James Edgington, is a surreal dramatic comedy about three northern women on an apparently normal day, where the most important thing is getting tea cooked on time. The play takes place in Joan’s cluttered kitchen and opens with Joan (Denice Hope) reading a very upsetting letter from the courts. Her daughter April (Elise Carman) is having serious problems at work and when Joan’s friend Sharon (Samantha Power) comes around for a chat, Joan reluctantly tells her everything, with the repeated refrain that she really cannot say anything more. Sharon listens enraptured by April’s story, while steadily eating grapes as though they were popcorn, and drinking mug after mug of water which smells suspiciously like wine. ...

16Jul

By Kiefer WilliamsNo Comments

North West

This Skin of Mine – Bombed Out Church

As part of the little LTF (Liverpool Theatre Festival) season of new works for the stage Kai Jolley’s This Skin of Mine is a charming two hander that deals with a variety of issues including transgender equality, race, domestic abuse and care within a family unit. The subjects covered in this short play can be quite overwhelming and deep in context, but Jolley’s script has a light, intelligent and highly likable touch, veering as it does between outright high drama and dark comic camp. The two actors (Eden Jodie and Janelle Thompson) convey a deep understanding of their characters throughout and instantly connect with the audience. They both give clear and concise performances as the estranged siblings attending to an ailing mother in the family home. It is revealed during the...

15Jul

By Donna M DayNo Comments

North West

Twice Nightly – Bombed Out Church

Twice Nightly, written, directed by and starring Maria Lovelady and Michael Alan Bailey, is a fun comedy which explores the world of variety entertainment in 1931 and the impact of film on the theatre industry. Don (Bailey) and Madge (Lovelady) are down on their luck cabaret performers who are frustrated with their underappreciative employer and not being hailed as the superstars they deserve to be. Opening with a synchronised song and dance number, both Bailey and Lovelady demonstrate excellent musical theatre skills throughout the piece. Live music is provided by musical director, Jessica Dives, with fun accordion melodies giving the piece a feeling of the 1930s music hall. A mischievous song about being criminal masterminds is surprisingly followed by the arrival of a policeman (R...

A Brief Conversation about the Inevitability of Love – Bombed Out Church

14Jul

By Donna M DayNo Comments

North West

A Brief Conversation about the Inevitability of Love – Bombed Out Church

Ian Salmon’s A Brief Conversation about the Inevitability of Love, directed by Mikee Dickinson, is a sweet romance about the almosts and what might have beens that everyone has buried in their memories. Mark (Thomas Galashan) and Cathy (Samantha Alton) are discussing their past relationships. Mark’s ex-wife Suzanne hates all of his friends, and he hates hers, while Cathy’s relationship with Philip was plagued by his serial infidelity. Both Galashan and Alton are dressed casually, with a similar colour scheme, which brings them together as characters. Cool blue light warms up to medium pink giving the play an eerie, dreamlike quality. The piece is very funny throughout with tongue in cheek humour as the characters make fun of each other. Height is cleverly used as the actors move f...

12Jul

By Johanna RobertsNo Comments

North West

Under the Mask – Liverpool Playhouse

With the possibility of restrictions being lifted and mask wearing no longer being compulsory, Under the Mask is a timely and poignant reminder of the situation 18 months ago when Covid first hit our shores and our health service. An audio play by Shaan Sahota, herself a doctor, it tracks the first days of newly qualified doctor, Jaskaran (Aysha Kala), as she tries to navigate her way around a new job, a new hospital, and a new virus combining an almost documentary, prosaic tone with personal stories. If judged by conventional standards, it is by no means perfect, but as an experience reflecting a current social crisis that has affected us all, it is an important piece of theatre. As a theatrical experience, it differs from simply listening to a play on the radio. The audience ...

8Jul

By Luke StephensonNo Comments

North West

Ellen & Rigby – Royal Court

I always get excited when I’m reviewing at the Liverpool's Royal Court Theatre because the experience is always second to none. This time was no exception. Ellen & Rigby by Gerry Linford the show synopsis is as follows “Lucky in life, unlucky in love, Ellen has been looking for a man. Now, thanks to the organisational power of the NHS, Joe Rigby has been dropped in her lap! A rock star who nearly made it in 1985, Joe has been living alone for so long that he didn’t realise that he was unhappy so it’s a good job Ellen arrived to let him know. He needs taking in hand (not like that, you dirty ticket) and Ellen is quite the catch. She was Miss Old Swan in 1991 and that kind of beauty doesn’t fade away no matter how many years are heaped on top of it. After 12 months alone, the...

Something about Simon – Altrincham Garrick Playhouse

8Jul

By Lou SteggalsNo Comments

North West

Something about Simon – Altrincham Garrick Playhouse

“Hello darkness, my old friend” Never was a refrain such a perfect welcome to a show, as audiences slowly start to return to theatres. As the house lights go down, an unassuming figure strolls out, picks up his guitar and brings the full attention of the audience centre-stage, as he plucks out the iconic strains of ‘Sound of Silence’. In this one-man show, singer-songwriter Gary Edward Jones takes the audience on a journey through the catalogue and life story of Paul Simon, known to the majority as one half of folk megastars, Simon and Garfunkel, as well as in his own right as a solo artist. In just shy of 90 minutes, we are treated to some of the biggest songs of a generation, allowing the audience to rediscover much loved classics, as well as some hidden gems from the star troub...

2Jul

By Rebecca CaseyNo Comments

North West

Swan Song – Unity Theatre

I have just returned home from Liverpool’s Unity Theatre, or for the purposes of this evening a high school back in 1997. Swan song is a metaphorical phrase for a final gesture, effort, or performance given just before death or retirement all I can say is that I truly hope that this is not Andrew Lancel’s swan song because he is outstanding in this role. I don’t quite know what I was expecting tonight but Lancel’s portrayal of the character was the polar opposite to any role you may have seen him in previously. Andrew has had a celebrated career including several leading roles in television. I personally can’t look at him without picturing his character from Coronation Street. I also saw him in the national tour of The Sound of Music last year in Blackpool. The guy seems to be able t...