North West

Inside Giovanni’s Room by Phoenix Dance Theatre at Liverpool’s Playhouse was close to a five-star night out at the theatre. For the majority of the audience, the tale of Giovanni’s Room – James Baldwin’s 50s literary classic – was familiar. They knew the story of David (played here by Phikolwethu Luke), a young American torn between the world’s expectation of him and his own desires. The audience members who might have been unfamiliar with the book were enlightened with less of the facts and more of the feelings: which, in my opinion, made for an emotional and gripping story of sexuality and shame. Where certain details are lost – David’s relationship with his aunt and father – others are found: Giovanni’s inner world is lit up in a nightmarish dance at the start of the second act, wher...

HER Productions can be commended for taking on what they describe as one of Shakespeare’s most polarising comedies as there is so much more to it than its title suggests, the key to which is its sadly often-omitted Induction when drunken tinker Christopher Sly (Ciara Tansey) is conned by the Hostess (Megan Holland) into believing he is a lord and about to watch a play; it is this ‘play-within-a-play’ that becomes the rest of The Taming of the Shrew. Young noble, Lucentio (Mia Gibson) arrives in Padua to study, much to the chagrin of servant, Tranio (Leah Eddleston). As he quickly falls in love with Bianca (Hope Yolanda), the beautiful younger daughter of wealthy Baptista Minola (Jakki Moore), there is stiff competition from the aged Gremio (Sarah Legg) and younger Hortensio (Nicole Keri...