North West Archives - Page 32 of 178

Peter James: Picture You Dead – The Lowry

17Apr

By Kathryn GortonNo Comments

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

12Apr

By Mark DavorenNo Comments

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...

12Apr

By Coral MourantNo Comments

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...

12Apr

By Karen Morley-ChesworthNo Comments

North West

King Arthur – Theatre by the Lake

The best of British comedy and tales brings joy to Keswick’s Theatre by the Lake as Le Navel Bete rides into town with their hilarious performance of King Arthur. The trio bring the untold story of how the legend of King Arthur and his Camelot was born with the very best of physical comedy. The Lake District theatre audiences will be familiar with the work of writer and director John Nicholson who has teamed up with Le Navel Bete. Nicholson brought a very unique and comic production of Hound of the Baskervilles to Theatre by the Lake last year. Those who love this style of silliness and insider perspective to a production will not be disappointed by King Arthur. The opening scene sets the tone and high bar for the comedy to follow. The three actors are in the stocks for treason...

One Man, Two Guvnors – The Forum Theatre

11Apr

By David S ClarkeNo Comments

North West

One Man, Two Guvnors – The Forum Theatre

This has to be one of the funniest productions I have seen in a long time. Once I got around the complexes of the plot (which took me until half way through the second act before I could fully comprehend what was going on) it was a joy to watch. The minimalistic scenery and props only added to the overall ambience of the play. I liked the way the scene changes were accompanied by the cast members taking turns at singing songs from the period in which the play was set (early 1960’s) and I was particularly taken with Mike Lamont and Terry Halliday’s vocals. I will do my best to come up with a resume of the plot, but as I’ve said previously, there were many twists and turns in the storyline, but much of this was deliberate and I must apologise to the directors (Jake Martin and Terry Hallid...

11Apr

By Mark DavorenNo Comments

North West

Ladies’ Day – Thingwall Community Hall

Charlotte Holguin delights in her directorial debut with this revival of Amanda Whittington’s highly entertaining and humorous play which tells the story of four fish filleters from Hessle whose lives may be about to change for ever as work becomes play to provide the perfect backdrop for a tale of fractured lives, thwarted ambitions, secrets, hidden heartache, and enduring friendships We meet our ladies suitably bedecked on the fish-packing line: Pearl (Angela McComb) is about to leave – not retiring mind - to spend more time with her husband; Jan (Lorna Pout) is a single mother whose only child is about to leave for University; Shelley (Laura Powell) is a reality TV wannabee; and Linda (Jasmine Oates), the youngest, is cowed from a domineering mother. Cornered into a send-off, and wit...

Pride & Prejudice* (*sort of) – Floral Pavilion

10Apr

By Jenn McKeanNo Comments

North West

Pride & Prejudice* (*sort of) – Floral Pavilion

Think you know Pride and Prejudice? Think again. Pride & Prejudice* (*sort of) is the story you know and love, told through the eyes of the people who know the characters the best, the servants. With the characters you know and love but told in a more up-to-date way with modern language for a more modern audience. It also includes some belters of tunes, including You’re So Vain, Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow, Holding Out For a Hero and more! It was so much fun from a completely unexpected evening. If you’re going expecting an evening dedicated to Jane Austen’s most famous work, then you will be disappointed, but with an open mind, then evening will be one of the most fun you’ve had for a while. It is a small cast of five and there is not a weak link in any of the girls. Emma Ro...

10Apr

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

North West

Abigail’s Party – Royal Exchange

Most of the packed press night audience will have arrived in the Victorian splendour of the Royal Exchange thinking they had a firm idea of what to expect from their evening’s entertainment. This suburban satire is firmly fixed in the collective theatrical imagination, chiefly thanks to the 1977 televised ‘Play For Today’, which confirmed Mike Leigh as a theatrical auteur and launched the stellar acting career of (his then wife) Alison Steadman. However, with this new production, the Royal Exchange has succeeded in demonstrating the bitter and caustic underbelly of this ‘puckish satire on contemporary mores’ without losing the humour at its heart. Director Natalie Abrahami decides to transpose the action in place but not in time, so we are presented with our Richmond Road setting in sub...

9Apr

By Hannah EsnoufNo Comments

North West

War Horse – Liverpool Empire

When a National Theatre production goes on tour, audiences expect a high calibre performance. That expectation increases two-fold when a production has such a celebratory history like War Horse has. Due to its longstanding repertoire, audiences know what to expect when they see this show; the puppets, the story, the wartime setting. However, one only feels the true essence of the performance when it is seen it live. Descriptions won’t do the creative work justice, but one word to describe this production: magic. Considering the tour after tour it has been through, this cast held that sense of first-time performance quality that this show needs to succeed. Like so many reviewers before me, I thought the puppetry was out of this world. Each performer, led expertly by Tom Sturgess as...

9Apr

By Angela KellyNo Comments

North West

Little Women – The Lowry

The novel 'Little Women' by Louisa May Alcott is still amongst one of the most popular novels today. Following the incredible success of the Greta Gerwig film in recent years, it’s safe to say that a stage version of Little Women would have a lot to live up to. Adapted by Anne-Marie Casey and directed by Loveday Ingram, taking on the March Sisters and their story was a brave undertaking. For those unfamiliar with the story, it centres around the March Sisters: Jo, Meg, Beth, and Amy and takes place around the civil war. It tells the tale of their life with their mother at the helm as they are together at home and how at some point they all realise that nothing ever stays the same. With Jo March as the central character, the story moves on to highlight her own challenges about bein...