Friday, December 12

North West

Jungle of Emotions: Liverpool Improvisation Festival – Unity Theatre
North West

Jungle of Emotions: Liverpool Improvisation Festival – Unity Theatre

Day three of the festival opens with a child friendly episode presented by Peng! Impro, where this improv company aims to help young people to be able to express emotions through laughter.  There are opportunities for interaction, so the children feel as though they are collaborating in the telling of the story. In the jungle, this German improv company attempt to re-create the sounds and feel of the jungle by asking the audience for ideas of an animal, and something that the animal can do in its spare time.  The suggestions were a monkey, and the monkey’s interest was to philosophize!   Mary Gerald (the monkey now has a name), is starting a new life a university in a few weeks’ time, but she doesn’t know what to study, her short list consists of philosophy, and engi...
R.A.W.D / Loo Prov – Unity Theatre
North West

R.A.W.D / Loo Prov – Unity Theatre

As a part of the Liverpool Imrov Festival this double bill was opened by RAWD, a company of performers of different ages, genders, backgrounds and abilities. They soon had the audience in raptures of delight with some instant and visual sketches. The show starts with the performers asking for suggestions about a possible title for the show and jobs and places as inspiration for the sketches. Suggestions such as a Police Station, the surface of the moon, a dog walker (which brought spontaneous laughter) and bizarrely an ink squeezer in a squid factory. Interpretations were energetic and spontaneous, and much appreciated by this smallish audience in an intimate small theatre. Lasting for about 30 minutes the show consisted of a number of energetic and highly entertaining sketc...
The Dice House – St Hilda’s Church Hall
North West

The Dice House – St Hilda’s Church Hall

What with cast members in their undies, an unorthodox mix of gore-y horror and Carry-On slapstick, and random acts of murder, the good Lord may have wished to avert his heavenly eyes from the on-stage shenanigans arising in the innocent church hall of St Hilda’s. The Dice House, by Paul Lucas, is a very black comedy in which under the conceit of research, psychiatrist Dr Ratner, pursues ‘Dice Therapy’ – where every decision, from the clothes you eat to the people you choose to be intimate with, is based on the roll of the dice. When a rival psychiatrist, Dr Drabble, attempts to infiltrate the centre to rescue (or kidnap, depending on your point of view) his wife, with the aid of the slightly witless Matthew, all hell quickly breaks loose. What is an intriguing premise, inviting a...
The Clockmaker’s Daughter – The Renaker Theatre, Z-Arts
North West

The Clockmaker’s Daughter – The Renaker Theatre, Z-Arts

During the 11th season of MMY Kimberly and Dave Holden are premiering the youth production of Webborn and Finn’s ‘The Clockmaker’s Daughter’, this highly successful musical has had sell out runs and has been nominated for eleven awards to date. Kimberly fell in love with this musical several years ago after hearing her singing students sing ‘A Story of My Own’, her curiosity led her to explore the musical it belonged to, leading to a dream to bring this magnificent new musical to life on stage. After being granted the performing rights by Webborn and Finn through Keddie Scott North, Kimberly’s dream has become a reality and has enabled Manchester audiences to fall in love with this remarkable musical too. Opening night was made spectacular by having Michael Webborn himself in the...
Boys from the Black Stuff – The Lowry
North West

Boys from the Black Stuff – The Lowry

I was born in the 60’s, so remember clearly and with fondness, the series by the infamous Liverpudlian writer Alan Bleasdale – “The Boys from the Black Stuff”- the Black Stuff being the tar that a high number of men spent tarmacking the expanding roads of Britain in their days of employment. The first showing of the iconic programme was aired on BB2 – then a channel that had low ratings/viewers- on 10/10/82 but through its immediate popularity with viewers, moved to the main channel of the day – BBC1. The series depicted the stark reality of how working-class families were devastated by the lack of employment opportunities (more than 3 million people through this decade were unemployed – the highest figure for over 50 years) in this difficult decade. Alan Bleasdale told the story ...
Jesus Christ Superstar – Buxton Opera House
North West

Jesus Christ Superstar – Buxton Opera House

Buxton Opera House’s staging of Jesus Christ Superstar offers a visually striking and musically impressive take on the iconic rock opera. With memorable performances and thoughtful design choices, this production successfully captures the emotional and thematic weight of the story—while still leaving room for refinement. Louis Moore shines as Jesus, with “Gethsemane” standing out as the emotional high point of the evening. His performance in this pivotal number is both vocally and emotionally powerful, showcasing his ability to convey the vulnerability at the heart of the role. Ross Clifton brings vocal strength and stage presence to the role of Judas, and while his singing is commendable, at times the acting across the cast felt slightly stilted. A touch more naturalism in delivery ...
Guys and Dolls – Blackpool Grand
North West

Guys and Dolls – Blackpool Grand

The Blackpool Grand Theatre's 2025 production of Guys and Dolls, presented by the Blackpool Operatic Players, delivers a vibrant and heartfelt rendition of this classic musical. The show beautifully captures the essence of 1950s Broadway with its dynamic performances and memorable score.​ Set against the bustling backdrop of Damon Runyon's New York, the narrative follows the escapades of gamblers, showgirls, and missionaries. The very talented Leo Appleton plays Nathan Detroit, ever the schemer, who seeks to organize the city's biggest craps game while evading the watchful eyes of his long-time fiancée, Adelaide, played by Claire Gaskell. Gaskell adds some well-timed humour and glamour as Adelaide, who just wants her beloved Nathan to marry her and give up the game. Neil Mcknight’s port...
Peter James: Picture You Dead – The Lowry
North West

Peter James: Picture You Dead – The Lowry

Opening night at the Lowry Theatre’s Lyric Theatre welcomed a full house and a palpable buzz of anticipation as the stage adaptation of Peter James’s Picture You Dead took to the stage. Known for his 20 gritty, pacey crime thrillers about Detective Superintendent Roy Grace and the spin off TV series Grace - James has  built a devoted following through his Roy Grace novels, and this latest adaptation brought that dark, intriguing world vividly to life. I have been an avid James ‘ … Dead’   book reader for years and was excited to see it on the stage as I am not a lover of the TV series finding it flat and lack lustre. The plot is of a struggling couple (the Kiplings) buying a painting from a car boot which turns out to be a lost old master from the 18th century.  ...
Gideon: A Play with Music – Hallé at St Michael’s
North West

Gideon: A Play with Music – Hallé at St Michael’s

This important play, developed by Modalways and written by Daniel Mawson, hits all the right notes under the diligent direction of Sue Dunderdale as we follow the life of a magnetic musician and his family as they face an impossible choice. World War I ends in November 1918 and the world is on the brink of new opportunities. A year later, Gideon Klein (Max Gallagher) is born into a musical Jewish family in Moravia, and displaying a musical talent from an early age, his sister, Lisa (Rosie Hilal), a fantastic pianist in her own right, encourages her parents to let him move to Prague with her when he is twelve. They are eventually joined by their mother, Ilona (Rebecca Scroggs), in spite of her guilt at leaving her sick husband behind. When Gideon’s opportunities are dashed by the rise...
Mary Poppins – Palace Theatre
North West

Mary Poppins – Palace Theatre

Disney’s magical nanny is back delighting audiences all over the UK, and children (even the big kids) are bound to leave the theatre with a smile on their face. Based on the book series by P.L. Travers, this production by Disney Theatricals in collaboration with Sir Cameron Mackintosh, first took the West End by storm over twenty years ago. But just the same as its movie adaptation, I believe that this version is ultimately timeless. The Banks family wish for a nanny to fix all their problems, Jane wants someone fairly pretty, Michael wants someone to play games with, and their parents just want one to stay. Blown in by the wind, the “practically perfect” Mary Poppins appears and takes us all on an amazing adventure filled with colour, magic and a song or two. The twelve-piece orches...