North West Archives - Page 38 of 178

Oppenheimer – Altrincham Garrick Playhouse

25Feb

By Angela KellyNo Comments

North West

Oppenheimer – Altrincham Garrick Playhouse

This week The Altrincham Garrick Playhouse bravely take on the beast that is ‘Oppenheimer’. Most will have first become aware of Oppenheimer in 2023, as it was Christopher Nolan’s award winning movie. It is likely then, that in relation to its film success that this version, directed by John Cunningham and Carole Carr will naturally cause audiences to compare the two, although it seems that both offer something very different. Written by Tom Morton-Smith, the play depicts the years between 1930 and 1945 and centres around the lead character, J Robert Oppenheimer. It essentially relates to the legacy he left in the world of physics in his development of the atomic bomb. However, more specifically, the story is very much a personal one and relays the human behind the science. ...

25Feb

By Mark DavorenNo Comments

North West

La Traviata – Opera House

Ellen Kent’s current revival of her original production relishes its traditional 19th Century roots and delivers a truly musical feast to dine upon at whose heart lies a love story that draws upon Alexandre Dumas the Younger’s real-life doomed love affair with well-known courtesan, Marie Duplessis. We open with Violetta (Viktoria Melnyk), aided by her friend Flora (Yelyzaveta Bielous) hosting a lavish party where she is introduced by Gastone (Ruslan Pacatovici) to his friend, Alfredo Germont (Davit Sumbadze), a fervent admirer, who is more concerned for her failing health than her escort, Barone Douphal (Vitalii Cebotari). When Alfredo declares his love for her she wonders if he could be the one amidst her desire to be free to live her life. A year on and Alfredo and Violetta have be...

25Feb

By Adam WilliamsNo Comments

North West

Madama Butterfly – Opera House

Every betrayal begins with trust and curiously this production of Madama Butterfly became more powerful simply because of where the orchestra came from. As they say on the telly when the football scores come on look away now if you don’t want to know the essential twist in the plot of this opera. Many will be aware of how this story unfolds but if you don’t want to know, stop reading now. I usually avoid giving the plot away in my reviews but the intersection of life and art that this production unwittingly brought means I have to mention it to do it justice. At the centre of the play is a betrayal by an American and the music for this production was played by the Orchestra of the Ukrainian Opera and Ballet Theatre, Kyiv. I hate to bring politics into a work of art but the betray...

22Feb

By Mark DavorenNo Comments

North West

La Bohème – Opera House

Ellen Kent’s current revival of her original production perfectly captures the emotion and drama at the heart of Puccini’s timeless masterpiece of unforgettable music that tells of love, friendship, and death, under the direction of maestro Vasyl Vasylenko. Set in the Latin Quarter of Paris in about 1830, it is Christmas Eve when we meet four struggling bohemians living in a garret: a poet, Rodolfo (Davit Sumbadze); a painter, Marcello (Iurie Gisca); a philosopher, Colline (Valeriu Cojocaru); and a musician, Schaunard (Vitalii Cebotari) who arrives having had some good fortune and they agree to celebrate by dining at Café Momus. They are interrupted by their landlord, Benoît (Eugeniu Ganea) but cleverly trick him into revealing he has been playing around which allows them to throw him o...

22Feb

By Codie WrightNo Comments

North West

Bing’s Birthday – The Lowry

If you have little ones who love Cbeebies, you’ll know of Bing - the bunny who often gets things wrong (and let’s be honest, is a pretty accurate portrayal of toddlerhood), who lives with the tiny and endlessly patient Flop. (I was partially hoping that today’s show would explain a) what animal Flop is and b) what his relationship is with Bing. But spoiler alert: that did not happen). This show brings the joy of the cartoon favourite onto the stage under the guise of it being Bing’s birthday. I have seen quite a few children’s favourites on the stage, and they don’t always hit the mark. Some of them seem rushed, created without care, or love for the source material and are nothing more than an overstimulating cash grab. Thankfully, Bing is not one of those. As soon as we walked in...

20Feb

By Grace AnnabelNo Comments

North West

The Parent Agency – Storyhouse

This evening, I had the immense privilege of watching the world premiere of ‘The Parent Agency’. A BRAND-NEW musical at The Storyhouse based on the best-selling book by David Baddiel with music by Dan-Gillespie Sells and direction by Tim Jackson. The hilariously entertaining production follows the story of eleven-year-old Barry Bennett who dreams of having “better parents”, those who give him everything he has ever wanted! Barry’s wishes come true, and he is transported to the United Kid-dom, where he is taken to the Parent Agency to find the mum and dad of his wildest dreams - however he quickly finds out that all of this is easier said than done and we follow his trials and tribulations along the way. The set and staging by Jon Bausor was spectacular, yet minimalistic in certain as...

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 ...