North West Archives - Page 20 of 173

Boys from the Blackstuff – Regent Theatre, Stoke

12Jun

By Angela KellyNo Comments

North West

Boys from the Blackstuff – Regent Theatre, Stoke

This week the Regent Theatre is host to an Alan Bleasdale classic. Directed by Kate Wasserberg and with a new adaption by James Graham, the BAFTA winning "Boys from the Blackstuff" is currently touring directly from the West End. A show that maybe familiar with some of the audience from its success as a TV series almost 40 years ago, it was curious to see how the story would translate on stage. The story is set in 80s Liverpool and depicts the lives of a group of workers who are desperately trying to provide for themselves and their loved ones. In many ways it could almost be a commentary on recession during the reign of Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher because with little money around, the story highlights how life at this time for many in Liverpool was one long, arduous strug...

12Jun

By Brian MaddenNo Comments

North West

Pride and Prejudice – Octagon Theatre

Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice is celebrated for its wit and insight into gender and class. Kate Hamill’s stage adaptation reframes Austen’s story through a fast-paced, farcical lens — one that’s lively and inventive, if not always emotionally resonant. The plot is familiar: Elizabeth Bennet is one of four unmarried daughters in a financially precarious household. Her sharp wit and scepticism about marriage bring her into conflict — and ultimately connection — with the aloof but wealthy Mr. Darcy. Meanwhile, younger sister Lydia throws herself into romantic entanglement with the roguish Mr. Wickham, while Jane, the eldest, quietly pines for Mr. Bingley. Hamill’s script leans heavily into broad comedy and slapstick. Some choices are entertainingly bold; others verge on caricature. ...

Thick and Tight: Natural Behaviour – The Lowry

12Jun

By Helen JonesNo Comments

North West

Thick and Tight: Natural Behaviour – The Lowry

Thick and Tight were established in 2012 by Rambert trained friends Daniel Hay-Gordon and El Perry. Since then their combination of LGBTQ+ friendly dance, mime and cabaret performances have been wowing audiences across the UK and into Europe. Now out with their latest show Natural Behaviour, they have put together a collection of performed portraits of both human and non-human life forms. They open with a short five minute piece entitled The One Horseman of the Apocalypse, Here Daniel and El share the stage as a bright orange pantomime horse with a blond combover and a red tie. Light-hearted, surreal and fun, it will be impossible to listen to the seventies track Disco Inferno in the future without picturing this horse. Annie Edward’s segment Ode to the Last Nightin...

Only Fools and Horses the Musical – Liverpool Empire

11Jun

By Kevin EcclestonNo Comments

North West

Only Fools and Horses the Musical – Liverpool Empire

From the creative minds of Paul Whitehouse and Jim Sullivan emerges a vibrant musical adaptation of the beloved classic TV sitcom Only Fools and Horses. This production is packed with clever humour, nostalgic charm, and entertaining performances and opened at Liverpool Empire on 9th June to a packed audience and runs until Friday 21st June. Under the adept direction of Caroline Jay Ranger, the show boasts a charming cast that forms a solid foundation for the narrative. The central trio is particularly well-cast, embodying the quintessential Cockney charm that fans adore. Sam Lupton shines as Del Boy, effortlessly channelling his character's cheeky wit and relentless ambition. Tom Major portrays the endearing and somewhat hapless Rodney, injecting delightful warmth into the role, while P...

11Jun

By Katie LeicesterNo Comments

North West

Scouts! The Musical – Hope Mill Theatre

Scouts! The Musical returns to the beautiful Hope Mill Theatre in the heart of Ancoats, after its huge successful tour in 2023 its back even bigger and better! Scouts! The Musical is the creation of Sam Cochrane and David Fallon of Gigglemug Theatre in partnership with The Scouts. Sam Cochrane wrote the book and lyrics, directed the show, and provides the musical direction. David Fallon provided the music and lyrics, Rob Gathercole serves as the musical director all creating a magnificent family musical for all ages. Gigglemug was established in 2018 by a group of Warwick university students, and as a company their aim is to create entertainment which will leave audiences grinning for the rest of the day! Their goal has certainly been achieved with this wonderful creation of Scouts! ...

7Jun

By Codie WrightNo Comments

North West

Improv on Demand – The King’s Arms

The second show of the evening for me was Improv on Demand, another short-form game-based show, using various television show formats as a vehicle for classic games. This was a really fun take on classic games, many of which played on nostalgia to their success. We were led through the games by the captivating hosting of James Monaghan who kept the show’s pace, gathered ideas from the audience, and added in dry wit and humour between each game. He really was a very likeable and watchable host. Many of the shows were based on familiar games, interspersed by theme music (thanks to Kath Marvelle on tech), and with a well-thought-out TV twist. For example, the Alphabet Game (where each sentence had to start with the next letter of the alphabet) being the game for Sesame Street, teach...

7Jun

By Codie WrightNo Comments

North West

Ladies Who Improv – The King’s Arms

This weekend (6th - 8th June) marks the very first Greater Manchester Improv Festival, running at the Kings Arms, Salford. To open up the weekend of improv shows and workshops was the wonderful Ladies Who Improv, an all-female troupe consisting of Millie Thorne, Ieva Bockute-Losjuk, Ursy Ambrose-Simpson and Ocean Cohen. This was a short-form game-based show, which included many improv favourites such as Pillars, Four Corners and New Choice, as well as their own creation Father Tom. The group were genuinely a joy to watch and worked well together and were very quick-witted even during a game of pillars with an audience member who seemed only to have one thing on his mind… As anyone who has played the game with an audience pillar will know, a lot rests on the suggestions they give you. Fo...

Totally Improvised Musical – Greggs: The Great Takedown – King’s Arms, Salford

7Jun

By Brian MaddenNo Comments

North West

Totally Improvised Musical – Greggs: The Great Takedown – King’s Arms, Salford

Performed without a script and built entirely on audience suggestion, Totally Improvised Musical at the King’s Arms in Salford delivered an inventive and riotously funny 45-minute whirlwind of spontaneous storytelling, songs, and surreal humour. The night’s improvised show—brilliantly titled Greggs: The Great Takedown—centred around a dystopian northern England where the beloved high street bakery chain had collapsed, leaving the nation starved of sausage rolls, steak bakes, and purpose. What unfolded was a musical odyssey of longing, resistance, and puff pastry politics. Original numbers like the haunting The North Is Barren and the stirring anthem The Heart of England showcased the cast’s quick wit and vocal chops. Each song, conjured on the spot, was surprisingly tuneful, cleverly...

7Jun

By Helen JonesNo Comments

North West

Liz Richardson: Local – The Lowry

As the deviser, writer and performer of Local, Liz Richardson, takes the audience on a very personal trip into her own past. A forty something mum living in the Peak District, the announcement by her parents that they are putting the family home in West Cumbria up for sale, prompts a trip back and a reflection on who she was and how living there shaped her. Examining how it feels to be local and how it changes when you move away, Liz Richardson catches up with her old headmaster and a couple of friends to explore their thoughts and experiences as well. Her arrival back at the family home and being back in her childhood bedroom with its view of the hills of the Lake District, triggers memories and emotions that are normally suppressed in the practicality of everyday life, but...

Terminal 2 – Shakespeare North Playhouse

7Jun

By Stephanie WiswallNo Comments

North West

Terminal 2 – Shakespeare North Playhouse

Terminal 2, is a short play written by the very talented writer and director David Payne. It explores the very important topics of sexuality, grief, life and death, but don't be fooled into thinking you're in for a hard hitting evening, I can guarantee you'll be pleasantly surprised. Taken on a rollercoaster of emotions, this performance had me laughing and crying all the way through. Terminal 2 explores the topics in a sensitive but light hearted way which equally gives you time to soak up every emotion and leaves you thinking about what really matters. Two strong characters lead you for the entire journey. Lynda (played by Janice Fryett) was a bubbly, lovable character who exudes care, love and compassion. Fryett portrayed Lynda brilliantly with excellent comedic timing and tone, g...