North West Archives - Page 17 of 177

9Aug

By Anne PritchardNo Comments

North West

Footloose – Liverpool Empire

The audience whooped and cheered as the show started, and as the curtains opened, the cast bounded onto the stage. The full company started as they meant to go on with a high energy, enthusiastic rendition of ‘Footloose’/ ’On Any Sunday’ displaying excitement and commitment to their participation in the show. This all singing, all dancing production is based on the 1984 film of the same name featuring Kevin Bacon and Sarah Jessica Parker; it sparkles with the spirit of the era from the portrayal of the 1980’s outfits, use of the period’s colloquialisms and famous hit songs. Writer Dean Pitchford based the story on the town of Elmore City, Oklahoma. The town had banned dancing since it was established in 1898 in an effort to reduce the amount of heavy drinking. Because of the ban on danc...

Measure for Measure – Shakespeare North Playhouse

8Aug

By Johanna RobertsNo Comments

North West

Measure for Measure – Shakespeare North Playhouse

So, how to approach Shakespeare’s plays at time when his work is easily accessible, in written or recorded format, and when every word and nuance has been studied in depth? How to reproduce the spontaneity, the freshness of experiencing the play as if it were for the first time? The answer, according to Shake-Scene Shakespeare, is to use cue-based performance. Originally, rather than each actor having a copy of the entire play, they had only their own part and their cues, plus any direction of when to enter or leave. Reproducing this technique means actors and audience ‘discover’ the play at the same time. Does it work? Based on this production of Measure for Measure, yes. Absolutely. Briefly, the Duke of Vienna (Eugenia Lowe) has allowed the city to become corrupt, so pretends to g...

7Aug

By Codie WrightNo Comments

North West

A Squash and a Squeeze – The Lowry

Julia Donaldson is something of a third parent in our family, with her books (and Axel Scheffler’s iconic illustrations) being the bedtime story of choice most evenings. So, of course, we were not going to miss the opportunity to see their first collaboration (written in 1993!) on stage at the Lowry. The story itself is a brilliant rhyming tale, where an old lady complains that her house feels too small, and a wise old man suggests she takes her farm animals, one by one, into her home. Of course, when they are all in there, the house feels smaller than ever, but as soon as he takes them out, the old lady realises that her home has more than enough room. It’s a fable about perspective and being grateful for what you have, however the book is a quick read, and the show lasts for an hour, ...

7Aug

By Paul WilcoxNo Comments

North West

By Royal Appointment – The Lowry

The month of August in the world of theatre traditionally tends to be quiet, with eyes turned towards Edinburgh and the delights of the Festival and Fringe. It was therefore a surprise to see ‘By Royal Appointment’ drop into my inbox for review this month; a show with a stellar cast; fantastic director and written by a prominent television writer making her first foray into work on the stage. Unfortunately, the combined efforts of such talent merely result in a pedestrian, obvious and lacklustre production which reminded me of the description of the camel as ‘a horse designed by a committee’. Daisy Goodwin is no stranger to writing about the private lives of the Royal family, her ITV series ‘Victoria’ was a huge worldwide success, and she has chosen familiar ground with her first produc...

Robin Hood – The Pantaloons at Speke Hall

4Aug

By Mark DavorenNo Comments

North West

Robin Hood – The Pantaloons at Speke Hall

The man. The myth. The legend. All was finally revealed as The Pantaloons landed at Speke Hall with this original and entertaining take from writer and director Mark Heyward, as we met the outlaw with a penchant for doing good to the accompaniment of silly skits, super songs, and groan as much as you like gags. Prince John (Cameron Baker-Stewart) and the Sheriff of Nottingham (Heyward) have concocted a cunning plan with the assistance of Madame Double Entendre (Paula Gilmour) to lure Robin Hood (Baker-Stewart) and Little John (Heyward) into a trap and defeat them once and for all. But with Maid Marian (Gilmour) on the inside, Friar Tuck (Gilmour) with the intel, and some Merry Men – modest Will Scarlet (Heyward), musical Alan Adale (Baker-Stewart), and misunderstood Much (Gilmour) – on ...

Hamlet – Sir Ken Dodd Performance Garden, Shakespeare North Playhouse

2Aug

By Mark DavorenNo Comments

North West

Hamlet – Sir Ken Dodd Performance Garden, Shakespeare North Playhouse

Director Steve Purcell is to be praised for his heavily abridged adaptation which, coming in at less than half the length of the full text, focuses on the family drama at the heart of the play, bringing a humanity to its protagonist that is rarely seen. Prince Hamlet (Richard Lessen), accompanied by his good friend Horatio (Laura Cooper-Jones), is consumed by grief and anger following the death of his father and his mother Gertrude’s (Tamsin Lynes) hasty marriage to his uncle, Claudius (Martin Gibbons), who then becomes king. He encounters the ghost of his father who reveals he was murdered by Claudius and demands revenge. Hamlet feigns madness to investigate the claim and plan his revenge which causes consternation at the court, whilst his relationship with Ophelia (Lynes), daughter of...

2Aug

By Harry AltyNo Comments

North West

Worn Out – The Lowry

Filling the stage of the Quays Theatre is a stellar cast of gifted young performers and musicians, presenting Worn Out, a new musical brought to stage with the help of British Youth Music Theatre. This one-act musical tells the story of the fictional kingdom of Zloriv, based on Eastern European countries of the 18th century, that is unjustly ruled by King Kasimir who is more likely to look out for himself over his people. When not ruling, King Kasimir struggles to keep on top of his twelve rebellious Princess daughters, who act as the protagonists of this story. But when one of their regular outings into the local village reveals the truth of life for the local townspeople under their father’s rule – how will they support their fellow villagers? Our show is centred around a band of sist...

1Aug

By Abigail PendleburyNo Comments

North West

Missed Calls – Hallè St Peter’s

“Missed Calls” is like someone took every unread message, ghosted text, and late-night “are you up?” call and turned it into theatre that actually understands what it's like to be young, a little lost, and trying to connect in a world that’s constantly online but emotionally offline. This beautiful piece brought together movement, silence, and unanswered voicemails to create a thought-provoking masterpiece. Audiences listen to the dialogue through headphones while the two lovers we hear from move and dance around us. Through a series of contemporary movements and mime, they tell their story without speaking. The only time the actors speak is at the end, after a time jump. This moment adds a new dimension to the performance and brings the entire story to a poignant close. Througho...

1Aug

By Harry AltyNo Comments

North West

A Manchester Anthem – Hope Mill Theatre

For a city steeped in music history, it is no wonder those who grew up in and around Manchester see it as an accompaniment to life. That is evident in A Manchester Anthem, a story that sees our protagonist at a crossroads in life where he must decide either to evolve into someone new or continue being the person he is. Written as a birthday gift to our solo performer Tom Claxton, playwright Nick Dawkins creates a comedic and poignant piece on that nervous period in the build-up to leaving for university. What shines in the writing is the authenticity and relatability, especially when it comes to the many characters we meet within this one-act play. Nick Dawkins creates a character that quickly gets the audience on his side, bringing them along for a night into the buzzing heart of Manch...

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe – Winter Gardens, Blackpool

30Jul

By Rebecca CaseyNo Comments

North West

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe – Winter Gardens, Blackpool

The show is based on the classic 1950s novel by C.S. Lewis telling the tale of four siblings evacuated during the war who go on an adventure through the wardrobe and discover the magical land of Narnia. All the classic characters are there but this is a visual masterpiece, a cleverly put together evening of escapism captivating the elements of magic, imagination, nostalgia and a very talented team of creatives and performers. I am not familiar with this show, however I have seen the Narnia movies and so I knew somewhat what to expect. At the centre of the story the four siblings Joanna Adaran as a gentle, thoughtful Susan, Kudzai Mangombe as the cheerful loveable Lucy, Jesse Dunbar as a courageous Peter and Bunmi Osadolor as a mischievous Edmond. I’m going to be candid, at the ...