North West Archives - Page 32 of 174

Pride & Prejudice* (*sort of) – The Lowry

19Mar

By Scot CunninghamNo Comments

North West

Pride & Prejudice* (*sort of) – The Lowry

After its 2018 debut at The Tron, Glasgow, Pride & Prejudice* (*sort of) enjoyed a stint in the West End as well as a nationwide tour. With ballgown and boombox at the ready, this musical medley of classic meets comedy ventures out to entertain once more. This irreverent adaptation of the Austen novel is delivered by 5 actors soon to portray servants in a “proper” performance of it: think play-within-a-yet-to-start-play. They are tired of being the unsung heroes and so take on the leading roles in their own loud, rough and ready interpretation. Unwavering passion from an all-female troupe ensures that the utmost humour is squeezed out of every interaction, every song, every gesture. Emma Creaner delights as a pompously charismatic Charles Bingley, later slaying the audience as hi...

19Mar

By Bev ClarkNo Comments

North West

Dear Evan Hansen – Storyhouse Chester

An Emotional Roller-Coaster - It’ll Make Your Spine Tingle! There’s no doubt that composers Benj Pasek and Justin Paul have a formula for success with The Greatest Showman and Lala Land as part of their catalogue and Dear Evan Hansen is another award-winning musical hit. It premiered on Broadway in 2016, followed by a film and endless theatre tours and it has found a solid following of fans, of which there were many in the audience last night. A standing ovation to rapturous applause. It’s an emotional rollercoaster with moments of grief, love, laughter and sympathy and those ‘sweet spots’ in the melodies make the hairs on your arm stand up and your spine tingle. For those who haven’t stumbled across this wonderful show before, it’s the story of a socially anxious teenager who fee...

19Mar

By Max EdenNo Comments

North West

Handbagged – The Lowry

Moira Buffini’s Handbagged has been revived and brought back to the stage and is currently at The Lowry as part of its UK Tour. Directed by Alex Thorpe; this revival is as sharp, funny, and thought-provoking as ever. Exploring the imagined private conversations between Queen Elizabeth II and Margaret Thatcher, the play deftly balances political satire while exploring power, duty, and legacy from these two iconic women in UK’s history. The brilliance of Handbagged lies in its unique dual-casting, with two actors playing each of the leading figures at different points in their lives. Morag Cross delivers a commanding performance as the older Thatcher, bringing both steely determination and flashes of vulnerability to the role. Emma Ernest, as the younger Mags, captures the rising polit...

17Mar

By Adam WilliamsNo Comments

North West

The Flying Dutchman – The Lowry

I’m afraid this production of The Flying Dutchman, an opera about a man cursed to wander the oceans forever, was itself all-at-sea, lacking direction, and one feared, at times, would sink under the weight of its sadly misguided reimagined central conceit. It was kept afloat by the excellence of the cast, but the production itself did not seem to know where it was going because the basic idea behind it did not work. In their own words, they “have re-imagined The Flying Dutchman to take place on the ‘ship of state’: the Home Office. Daland is the ‘Home Secretary’ and the Dutchman and his crew become displaced people seeking refuge.” This analogy just did not work and whilst it was a noble effort to make The Dutchman a man seeking asylum it did not fit with the opera and became confusin...

17Mar

By Angela KellyNo Comments

North West

The Magic Flute – The Lowry

The Magic Flute is arguably an opera that welcomes many newcomers to the world of an opera performance for the first time. Directed by James Brining for Opera North, this particular opera is certainly aimed at all ages. With singing and spoken dialogue, plus screens at the side of the stage to follow the words, it is a reassuringly easy opera for all to follow. The Magic Flute is an opera with two acts and with music by Mozart. The story is essentially about Prince Tamino who is yearning to discover love. It relays his quest to do so and provides audience with a story centred in a world of make belief. Prince Tamino is given various trials to ensure he can gain the love of Princess Pamina. He is accompanied by Papagano, the bird man and the two completely opposite characters share ...

Klezmer: Old and New – Manchester Jewish Museum

13Mar

By Mark DavorenNo Comments

North West

Klezmer: Old and New – Manchester Jewish Museum

Out with the old and in with the new? Well, sometimes it’s actually better to bring together the best of them which in this case resulted in a wonderful evening of klezmer, performed by Susi Evans and Szilvia Csaranko – a klezmer clarinet and accordion duo – with support from the Michael Kahan Kapelye, in the beautiful surround of this former Spanish and Portuguese Synagogue. Evans and Csaranko perform tunes from old manuscripts, collected in Jewish villages in Ukraine between 1912-1914 and only recently rediscovered in Kyiv. With no defined chords, these are melodies played by generations of klezmer musicians at Jewish weddings and other celebrations, contemporaneous with the likes of Beethoven and undoubtedly influencing the operatic opus of Offenbach and Verdi, and these informed the...

12Mar

By Hannah EsnoufNo Comments

North West

Blood Brothers – Liverpool Empire

A centenary celebration is a milestone in itself, but having Liverpool’s iconic musical back in the city’s legendary theatre for its one-hundredth birthday is a new level of special. Audience members may have watched Blood Brothers countless times, I being not from the city, have only studied Willy Russell’s play, never seeing it performed. So, I had all hopes this would live up to expectation. Bringing Sean Jones back to re-imagine Mickey was a stellar move by Bob Tomson and Bill Kenwright. He was at home in that character and his ease in the role from age seven to eighteen is nothing but smooth and effortless. Together with Joe Sleight’s equally natural and charming Eddie, they make a magnicent pair, full of vivacity until the very end. This musical will never die. Just like the Em...

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang – Palace Theatre

12Mar

By Max EdenNo Comments

North West

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang – Palace Theatre

A Truly Scrumptious Spectacle! From start to finish, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang the Musical is a magical and thrilling ride that captures the heart and imagination of audiences of all ages. Currently at the Palace Theatre Manchester. This spectacular production, directed by Thom Southerland, brings to life the beloved story with dazzling production values, an outstanding cast, and the timeless music and lyrics of Richard and Robert Sherman. The show’s true star, of course, is the flying, floating Chitty Chitty Bang Bang itself—a breathtaking piece of stagecraft that left the audience gasping in awe. The technical wizardry behind the car’s seamless movements was simply outstanding, adding an extra layer of wonder to an already enchanting production. Complementing this spectacle were the ...

12Mar

By Kevin EcclestonNo Comments

NEWS, North West

Ghost Stories – Liverpool Playhouse

Prepare for an unparalleled theatrical experience. Running until March 15th Ghost Stories is an extraordinary production brimming with moments of shock, suspense, and psychological tension that will deeply unsettle even the most fearless theatre goers. This chilling performance is strictly unsuitable for individuals under 15 years of age. Those sensitive to disturbing or anxiety-inducing experiences should carefully heed this warning before securing their tickets. Brace yourself; spine-tingling thrills await! After captivating audiences worldwide with record-breaking, sold-out performances and an acclaimed film adaptation, Andy Nyman and Jeremy Dyson’s Ghost Stories stands as a landmark achievement in horror theatre. Lauded by the Sunday Times as “genuinely scary fun,” this masterfully ...

12Mar

By NewsdeskNo Comments

North West

Do I Love You? – Octagon Theatre

During the mid-1970’s a curious phenomenon was taking place in obscure nightclubs of northern Britain; in Cleethorpes and Blackpool and from Manchester to Wolverhampton young men and women were donning braces, tank tops and red star vests and gyrating all night to the melancholy lyrics and upbeat tempo of Soul music imported from the United States. This movement became known as Northern Soul and one of its disciples John Godber has taken it as the inspiration for this terrific piece of theatre, which examines the loss of community and identity in our post-Covid world, all to the soundtrack of some of the sweetest songs ever recorded. The Mecca of this scene was undoubtedly Wigan Casino and fifty years later just eleven miles down the A58 the packed press night clearly has stalwarts from...