North West Archives - Page 25 of 174

14May

By Stephanie WiswallNo Comments

North West

Shrek the Musical – The Brindley

Step into the magical mythic tale of Shrek the Musical and follow him and his band of fairytale creatures on a journey with his beloved sidekick Donkey and his enchanted Princess Fiona as they save the Kingdom of Duloc from the evil Farquaad and find true love. Directed by Dean Callow. This performance, although it may be performed by an amateur company, is anything but amateur. A show which is guaranteed to have audiences laughing, singing and shouting for more. Audiences are captivated from the moment they enter the auditorium as the staging and set are eye catching and transport you into a magical wonderland. Then, you are hit with the most stunningly enchanting costumes which perfectly identify each individual character easily, full of colour, sparkle and pizazz. The Musical D...

13May

By Leanne RushtonNo Comments

North West

& Juliet – Regent Theatre, Stoke

The Regent Theatre was packed out with eager theatre goers ready to watch &Juliet on its first UK tour. The audience was full of people of all ages. On entering the auditorium, the spectacle that this show draws you in instantly. Projecting London landmark names onto all walls and playing instrumental versions of the music your ears will be graced with throughout the rest of this show. The ensemble cast entering the stage and engaging with the audience before curtain up was a really sweet touch. The second you stepped foot into the auditorium you knew that this was going to be a special night and the show lives up to these expectations and more. This Jukebox musical mixes the traditional story of Romeo and Juliet and adds Modern twist. With Shakespeare (Jay McGuiness) and Anne...

Simon Boccanegra – Royal Liverpool Philharmonic

13May

By Mark DavorenNo Comments

North West

Simon Boccanegra – Royal Liverpool Philharmonic

Director PJ Harris’ dramatic concert staging of Verdi’s 1881 version of Simon Boccanegra for Opera North is an absolute joy, a true sensory delight for the ear and eye. A Prologue establishes that Boccanegra (Roland Wood), a plebeian, is about to become the first elected Doge of Genoa. But he loves – and has secretly had a child with – Maria, the daughter of his political rival and sworn enemy, Jacopo Fiesco (Vazgen Gazaryan), a patrician. When Maria dies, the baby disappears. Fast forward 25 years and Fiasco is in hiding under the alias Andrea Grimaldi and plotting his revenge against Boccanegra who is still in power. He has become guardian to an orphan girl named Amelia (Sara Cortolezzis) who it later transpires is his missing granddaughter. She wants to marry Gabriele Adorno (Andr...

Cavalleria rusticana / Pagliacci – St George’s Hall, Liverpool

13May

By Mark DavorenNo Comments

North West

Cavalleria rusticana / Pagliacci – St George’s Hall, Liverpool

North Wales Opera Studio’s welcome return to Liverpool to perform a one-act verismo pairing became a little disjointed as director Anne Williams-King was unable to take full advantage of the venue’s performance space. Cavalleria rusticana and Pagliacci or, more familiarly, Cav and Pag is an archetypal one-act opera pairing, and it’s hard to imagine two more closely matched pieces even though it was not the result of any concerted strategy on the part of the two composers, Mascagni and Leoncavallo. Composed just two years apart, these two dramas of jealousy, passion, and murder, show obvious similarities as early exponents of Italian Opera’s Verismo movement towards greater theatrical reality involving supposedly realistic settings and the dramas of ordinary people as an...

Ní Liomsa an Teach Álainn Seo (This Is Not My Beautiful House) – Shakespeare North Playhouse

10May

By Mark DavorenNo Comments

North West

Ní Liomsa an Teach Álainn Seo (This Is Not My Beautiful House) – Shakespeare North Playhouse

Described as a story of myth, legend, and identity, whilst Anna Ní Dhúill's play is certainly ambitious in exploring what it means to be non-binary, it ultimately comes up short. Cult Collective’s show revolves around an unnamed artist (Seoirsín Bashford) as they wait in their studio for their partner to come home so that they can reveal their secret and finally come out as non-binary. As they wait, they begin to delve into their recent obsession with an old Irish legend about a bull that caused an all-island war many centuries before. When the bull comes alive, a battle of monologues begins, as they fiercely debate whether it is better to live as your true self and potentially be alone for it, or to exist only in other people’s expectations and remain a legend. Whilst the pre...

10May

By Carole BaldockNo Comments

North West

Hamilton – Liverpool Empire

I had intended to open with a merry quip: who has my eye-teeth? Unfortunately, although that did apply, this show ultimately left me somewhat underwhelmed. Unlike the rest of the audience, at one point, the girl behind us got so excited, her drink flew out of her hand down my companion’s back. But I remained confused: history, story and characters; it’s not as if Mr Google is a new acquaintance, I just didn’t expect to have to call on him quite so much and still can’t match some of the name and faces from the cast list. Yes, there’s no denying Lin-Manuel Miranda’s was a brilliant idea, so original it’s like a beautiful, expensive, brand new sportscar compared with yet another weary, worn out bandwagon. He does justice to the under-rated man who was one of the founders of America, and wi...

Of Mice and Men – Altrincham Garrick Playhouse

9May

By Harry AltyNo Comments

North West

Of Mice and Men – Altrincham Garrick Playhouse

A classic literary tale, often studied by many British students as part of the GCSE syllabus, Of Mice and Men tells the story of George and Lennie as they traverse California in search of work during the Great Depression. Based on John Steinbeck’s novel, originally released in 1937, this production spotlights a typical ranch filled with migrant farmworkers who simply needed to survive the economic landscape. Despite the historic setting, the play’s themes of hope, misunderstanding and brotherhood still resonate with a modern audience, making the piece as poignant now as it was when first performed nearly 90 years ago. Upon entering the theatre, audiences are immediately transported to the Salinas Valley, with a quote from Robert Burns acting as a precursor for the story due to follow. F...

8May

By Hannah EsnoufNo Comments

North West

Making It! – Liverpool’s Royal Court

You know what to expect when you take your seat in front of the Royal Court stage. As ever, this production was overtly scouse, laugh-a-minute and easy watching. If you weren’t looking closely at the show poster, you would be surprised to learn that the entire production is a duologue. A hefty feat for any actor, but a challenge Cath Rice and Andrew Schofield executed with ease and maturity. No matter what character he played, and various he did, Schofield always exudes charm and professionalism on stage. His versatility in this production was as hilarious as impressive as he had to juggle a mixture accents, costume changes and exuberant stage entrances. But I’d expect nothing less from him. Due to the two-hand nature of this production, it was at times extremely dialogue heavy, almo...

Priscilla Queen of the Desert – Waterside Arts

8May

By Helen JonesNo Comments

North West

Priscilla Queen of the Desert – Waterside Arts

Priscilla, Queen of the Desert was originally a 1994 film starring the sublime Terence Stamp, Hugo Weaving and Guy Pearce. Some years later it was converted into a stage musical, and it is one of the campest but fun musicals around. Sale Nomads have this year brought it to Waterside Arts for a four-day run. The plot takes two drag queens and a transgender woman as they travel together across the Australian Outback from Sydney to Alice Springs to perform at a resort there. One of the drag queens, Tick, has a more important reason for organising the trip. The resort is run by his wife and the six-year-old son he has never met is there. Buying an old bus they name Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, their journey is an experience of rejection, acceptance and frien...

Beauty and the Beast – Empire Theatre, Blackburn

6May

By Stephanie WiswallNo Comments

North West

Beauty and the Beast – Empire Theatre, Blackburn

Glitter, bubbles, laughter and love, this performance of Beauty and the Beast has it all. It was an absolute honour to review this production by Blackburn Musical Theatre Company, directed by Tony Fry. I can honestly say it's one of, if not THE best amateur production I have seen. Definitely get yourselves down to the Empire Theatre in Blackburn to witness this magical production, I'm sure you won't be disappointed. The audience were enchanted and engaged from start to finish, I spoke with many people and not one had a bad word to say about this sparkling production. I'll start with the wonderful Belle (Leanna Wharf) who encompassed the role beautifully and whose vocals shone. She was a delight to watch and listen to and her solos were incredible, hitting some very difficult an...