North West Archives - Page 35 of 174

20Feb

By Philip EdwardsNo Comments

North West

Beautiful Thing – Harpers Theatre Cafe

It is hard to believe that Jonathan Harvey’s play is 30 years old. Despite the progress made in some areas of LGBTQ life, there are many elements that are just as difficult and for that reason, if nothing else Beautiful Thing is still worth performing in 2025. A company like The Drama Department is to be applauded for staging a piece of theatre that is both heart breaking and humorous, often at the same time. To achieve both of those elements is a bit of a juggling act, and one that was sometimes missed in Michael McCaw’s production. When some of the humour comes from an angry situation, as it does in this play, it needs balance in pitch and tone to bring the elements through and here there was a bit too much shouting to convey anger, and that masked the humour within. A bit of quiet...

20Feb

By Anne PritchardNo Comments

North West

Rave On – Floral Pavilion

Rave On is a musical show which loosely relates the history of Rock ‘n Roll during the 1950’s and 1960’s. It’s popularity relies heavily on nostalgia of the songs featured and the audience aged mainly 60+ with a few exceptions attending, reflected this. The performers in the six piece band are talented musicians and singers, lead vocalist Olliver Seymour Marsh and female soloist Victoria Bass taking the lead on vocals throughout. Seymour Marsh’s looks and gyrating hips, aka Elvis, Billy Fury etc., lend themselves to the 1950’s genre whilst Bass pulls off the looks and vibrant traits of the 50’s and 60’s iconic style with her costumes and effervescence. The opening number, Eddie Cochran’s ‘C’mon Everybody’ set the mood for the evening with Seymour March on vocals and three gu...

19Feb

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

North West

Beauty and the Beast – Grange Theatre

Mid Cheshire Musical Theatre Company (MCMTC) are back with their annual musical offering bringing Disney’s Beaty and the Beast to the wonderful Grange Theatre. Beauty and the Beast is a stage adaptation of Disney's beloved animated film. The musical, with music by Alan Menken, lyrics by Howard Ashman and Tim Rice, and a book by Linda Woolverton, first premiered in 1994. It tells the timeless story of Belle (Gemma Chapman), a bright, independent young woman who is dissatisfied with her small village life and yearns for adventure. The story unfolds when Belle's father, Maurice (Bill Shardlow), gets lost in the woods and stumbles upon the Beast's enchanted castle. The Beast (Ben Vaughan), a prince cursed by an enchantress, imprisons Maurice. Belle offers to take her father's place and b...

The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe – Liverpool Empire

19Feb

By Bev ClarkNo Comments

North West

The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe – Liverpool Empire

Since the 1950s C S Lewis’ Christian allegory of the Chronicles of Narnia has been delighting children, most especially The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe. With many spin offs in Tv and film- it is a children’s classic. The current touring stage show, based on the book and Sally Cookson’s original production, is a journey through a portal to another world of wonder with spectacular sets and costumes in Tom Paris’ design, beautiful music (Race/Bower) and engaging performances. The three main components that bring this to life are - an imaginative concept with a team of ingenious creatives, amazing illusions lighting and sound and a versatile multi-skilled ensemble who sing, dance and play, becoming many different characters. The magic that is created before our ...

19Feb

By Harry AltyNo Comments

NEWS, North West

Dear Evan Hansen – Palace Theatre

After debuting a decade ago, audiences are elated to see the hit modern-day musical Dear Evan Hansen finally grace the Manchester stage as part of a UK national tour. With an impressive cast, innovative staging and a host of earworm hits – it was clearly worth the wait. The musical follows Evan (Ryan Kopel) struggling to traverse his high-school days, he is an awkward outsider who struggles to form friendships in his often-cruel teenage years. In his efforts to fit in, Evan gets caught up in a web of lies that sees him finally be the one thing he had always desired – important. Over the runtime the show explores a range of topics from mental health, family roles and friendship all against the backdrop of a generation growing up completely immersed in the world of social media. Set de...

Queen Extravaganza – Manchester o2 Apollo

17Feb

By Lou SteggalsNo Comments

North West

Queen Extravaganza – Manchester o2 Apollo

50 years ago, the late, great Freddie Mercury and his fellow Queen bandmates put the finishing touches to a bombastic six-minute piece of prog rock, featuring one of the most famous moments of rock falsetto that, despite mixed critical reaction, would go on to top the UK charts not once but twice. Tonight, Queen Extravaganza, the official tribute band with members hand-picked by Roger Taylor and Brian May, roll into Manchester as part of a UK tour to celebrate Bohemian Rhapsody’s Golden Jubilee, alongside a set-list crammed with other greatest hits. To pay homage to a band like Queen is like picking low-hanging fruit, in that you are assured of a fantastic catalogue of music that weaves through hard rock, heavy metal and operatic sensibilities. Queen Extravaganza, to their cre...

Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 6 – Liverpool Philharmonic

16Feb

By Anna Ní DhúillNo Comments

North West

Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 6 – Liverpool Philharmonic

On a very cold February night, the cozy Liverpool Philharmonic hall proved a glorious respite for more than one sense. The evening’s layout began with Missy Mazzoli’s River Rouge Transfiguration, followed by Brahms’ Violin Concerto in D major, and finished off with Shostakovich’s Symphony in D minor. Lidiya Yankovskaya conducts the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra on this occasion. Photo: Karen Almond Mazzoli’s contemporary River Rouge Transfiguration is given an introductory explanation by conductor Lidiya Yankovskaya, warming us up to the shop floor of the Ford factory in Detroit that the music will soon transport us to. Mazzoli, deemed ‘Brooklyn’s post-Millennial Mozart’ by Time Out Magazine, brings the factory floor to us with an awe and holiness. Indeed, she says tha...

14Feb

By Harry AltyNo Comments

North West

One Punch – HOME Mcr

Everything can change in a moment, sometimes to devastating effect. Demonstrating that is the ambition of ‘One Punch’, a unique one-hour production from the John Godber Company in partnership with the charity One Punch Hull. Opening on minimalist staging, a square outlined with police tape symbolic of a boxing ring, our story is narrated by three NHS paramedics Corey (Ellis Basford), Sarah (Camille Hainsworth-Staples) and Jack (George Reid) detailing the stresses of their jobs. Setting the scene for the story ahead, it is clear from the beginning this is a cautionary tale. Our narrators smartly guide the audience through the oncoming scenes making up the events of this poignant but fatal day. The company of three performers switch through multiple characters as they tell the story of...

14Feb

By Abigail PendleburyNo Comments

North West

Shirley Valentine – Octagon Theatre

Heartfelt, Humorous, Honest The Octagon Theatre Bolton's production of Shirley Valentine offers a refreshing and deeply relatable take on Willy Russell's classic one-woman play. The Lancashire setting offers a subtle but effective change that makes Shirley’s story feel even more personal and relevant, infusing the narrative with local charm. Directed by Lotte Wakeham with warmth and sensitivity, the play follows Shirley Bradshaw (née Valentine), a middle-aged housewife who finds herself stuck in a monotonous routine of cooking tea for her unappreciative husband. As she reminisces about her younger, more adventurous self, she receives an unexpected opportunity to escape to Greece, where a simple holiday becomes a journey of self-discovery. Mina Anwar, best known for her work on tel...

14Feb

By David S ClarkeNo Comments

North West

Teechers – The Forum Theatre

Before I set off to watch this show this evening, I was trying to remember previous occasions when I had seen NK put on this play by John Godber (who is one of the authors who they seem to visit on a regular basis, having seen “Bouncers and Shakers” a number of times also) and if my memory is correct, I think this is the third time I have seen it in the past 8 years or so. Previous casts have utilised more adult actors, but this production is much more realistic in that all the cast are still in their teens so are genuinely playing characters of their own age. Teechers is actually a play within a play, which the students perform for their teachers, taking on twenty or so different roles throughout the show. The stage setting is very basic, consisting of a noticeboard, blackboard, a coup...