North West Archives - Page 44 of 128

The Tempest – Liverpool Theatre Festival

31Jul

By Bev ClarkNo Comments

North West

The Tempest – Liverpool Theatre Festival

For the penultimate performance of the Liverpool Theatre Festival, A Place for Us brought its edited version of Shakespeare’s The Tempest. The setting is ideal for open air Shakespeare and the weather managed to hold off the raindrops until the last few minutes. A Place For Us are a professional creative team who work with students, in this case members of Cronton Sixth Form College, delivering this project with only five days of rehearsals and then presenting at Norton Priory woodland, before this performance at the Bombed Out Church. Director Kate Allerton has done a wonderful job bringing this all together in such a short time, with an atmospheric soundtrack, some really good movement sequences and some excellent performances from their cast of twelve young people. The...

Shout! The Mod Musical – Liverpool Theatre Festival

31Jul

By Luke StephensonNo Comments

North West

Shout! The Mod Musical – Liverpool Theatre Festival

At the penultimate night of the Liverpool Theatre Festival, I was invited to review ‘Shout the (mod) Musical’ by Phillip George and David Löwenstein. It was performed by the students at Edge Hill University for their musical theatre course. A short synopsis of the show is that. It’s a show with hits from the 1960s including such hits as Son of a Preacher man, Goldfinger and of course Shout from LuLu. The show was about 5 women making their way through the 60s decade and overcoming stereotypes and prejudice. Each woman portrayed a different type of woman from the 60s and it looked at the personal journey of each of them. Whether questioning sexuality, their marriage and their love of Paul McCartney. We even had agony aunt columns and adverts plucked from the era. The musical was set in L...

30Jul

By Lou SteggalsNo Comments

North West

No Further Action – The Squad House

From the opening audio of news headlines highlighting cases of historical abuse finally coming to light, there is a very clear message in tonight’s show – the system has done a terrible job of supporting victims of abuse, with perpetrators often walking scot-free; prosecutors unable to meet a seemingly impossible threshold of evidence to make a case worth pursuing. Mia Lockley has turned her own experience into a short play, being shown as part of the Manchester Fringe festival. We meet Lottie, a young woman who finally decides to report the abuse she has suffered at the hands of her grandfather, only to hit brick wall after brick wall as she tries to get justice. Mia acts as our narrator, guiding us through Lottie’s story, which is made powerful from being informed by (sadly) person...

30Jul

By Emma LambeNo Comments

North West

Rhythm of the Dance – Floral Pavilion

The National Dance Company of Ireland present a show that has celebrated the beauty of Irish song and Dance for over 20 years now. Performed by an ensemble of flawless professional dancers to upbeat and traditional Irish musicians and live singers. Blending snippets of story without dialogue is a special thing to see, presenting us with Irelands history from the old to the new. You can see why it has been popular for so long. The best moments were certainly when they all danced together in unison, showcasing their dedication to the craft. I can understand how these dancers have done so since a very young age and winning lots of awards along the way. Their dance was brought to life with the talented musicians using traditional Irish instruments such as the violin, drums, or should I say ...

Ahoy! Ballad of the Time Kraken – Salford Arts Theatre

30Jul

By Scot CunninghamNo Comments

North West

Ahoy! Ballad of the Time Kraken – Salford Arts Theatre

A confusion of school disco music, playground lyrics, art room props, nativity choreography and dress-up box costumes make this poorly performed, barely-plotted absurdity of a musical unfit for performance in front of a paying audience in its current state. You wouldn't swab the poop deck with this two-and-a-half-hour shamble. ‘Ahoy! Ballad of the Time Kraken’ continues at Salford Arts Centre until 29th July with tickets available from https://manchester.ssboxoffice.com/events/ahoy-ballad-of-the-time-kraken/ Reviewer: Scot Cunningham Reviewed: 28th July 2023 North West End UK Rating: ★

30Jul

By Katie LeicesterNo Comments

North West

Top Hat & Heels – Pontins Southport

Wayne Billany (aka Miss Kitty) and JoJo the infamous duo from Newcastle Upon Tyne’s Pure Entertainment Group are on the road again to entertain thousands of holiday makers! Starting their lengthy summer tour in Southport Pontins, these two are no newbies to life on the road as they have become seasoned favourites on the holiday/club circuits with their high energy comedy drag act. This summer alone they have over 40 venues booked across the length and the breadth of the UK. For as long as I remember I have loved to watch drag performers, from the pantomime dames to Foo Foo Lammar, Dame Edna Everage, Lilly Savage, Betty Legs Diamond - this flamboyant world has always caught my attention. Remembering the drag performers in history that changed our world such as Coccinelle, Marsha P. Johns...

The Rubbish Shakespeare Company’s Romeo and Juliet – Liverpool Theatre Festival

28Jul

By Bev ClarkNo Comments

North West

The Rubbish Shakespeare Company’s Romeo and Juliet – Liverpool Theatre Festival

The theatre gods smiled on Liverpool’s Bombed Out Church this afternoon and kept the rain away for The Rubbish Shakespeare Company’s Romeo and Juliet. Three actors present this comic tomfoolery with plenty of physicality, energy, adlibs, bad wigs and a packet of sausage rolls. This immersive theatre relies heavily on audience participation and luckily there were lots of young people in the audience willing to get up and be part of the show, so us adults didn’t have to. Lee Hithersay, Alex MacDonald along with Thomas Galashan, who was making his debut this afternoon, showed that underneath all their clowning about and slapstick they can actually act. They are professions as Hithersay reminds us. This funny, accessible, hour-long show gives us the main gist and characters ...

28Jul

By Louise KershawNo Comments

North West

Baggy Bra – The Squad House, Stockport

Meet Barb. Barb loves bras. Her daughter designs and makes them. Together they sell them to grateful women, keen to have something comfortable, stylish and well fitted to wear each day. From Barb’s little shop they welcome women in need of advice, support and a proper fitting. Starting in the bar of this great new venue, Barb (Sian Parry-Williams) welcomes the audience into the space where cabaret style seating awaits, glitter sparkles, Welsh flags proudly adorn, and we enter her world of all things mammary. Parry-Williams takes immediate control of the action and the audience takes to her instantly. A well-rounded character with sharp wit and enormous warmth, she shatters the fourth wall conspiratorially and instantly gains our loyalty, which remains throughout. The play itse...

28Jul

By Max EdenNo Comments

North West

Message In a Bottle – The Lowry

Based on the songs of Sting; Message in a Bottle is a breathtaking dance production that immerses its audience in a captivating narrative of hope, resilience, and human connection. It is really quite incredible! From the opening scene to the final curtain call, this show delivers an emotional rollercoaster that will leave your heart so full, following the story of one family and their three teenage children as they are uprooted and displaced by civil war and go through the harsh reality of fleeing for safety. The choreography by Kate Prince is nothing short of extraordinary. Every movement, every gesture, and every leap conveys a profound story, captivating the audience and creating a powerful visual spectacle. The dance sequences are executed flawlessly, blending contemporary ...

Tick Tick … Boom! – St Mary’s Creative Space, Chester

28Jul

By Damian RiverolNo Comments

North West

Tick Tick … Boom! – St Mary’s Creative Space, Chester

This is the first Productions from Disley Theatrical Productions (the brain child of Luke Disley) and what a show to open with. Tick Tick...Boom! is a Semi-autobiographical musical of writer, Jonathan Larson. It follows the story of Jon who lives in New York in 1990. As he approached his 30th birthday, he begins to question his life choices and career path to be part of the performing arts. Larson began performing this piece as solo work in 1990, but after his death in 1996, it was revamped by Playwright, David Auburn, as a Three actor piece. Tick Tick...Boom! Include incredible songs including 30/90, Therapy and the glorious Louder Than Words. The cast is made up of three fantastic performers, Phil Cross as Jon, Ceri-Lyn Cissone-Hunter as Susan and others and Calum Craine as Mich...