North West Archives - Page 57 of 174

Tell Me How It Ends – Liverpool Everyman

14Jun

By Damian RiverolNo Comments

North West

Tell Me How It Ends – Liverpool Everyman

Set in Liverpool in the late 80s, Tell Me How It Ends follows the lives of two Queer people who are polar opposites, brought together during the AIDS epidemic, when they realise the community have no one else to turn to but themselves. Luke Sookdeo as Marc and Emmy Stonelake as Aster take us on a journey of love, truth, and heartbreak. As Marc lies in his hospital bed, trialling numerous concoctions of drugs to try and combat HIV, Aster is a volunteer who gives up their time visiting the men in hospital who are going through the same thing. Offering an ear, a laugh and joke or just some silent company and a book, Aster and Marc become the closest of friends. Written by award winning Tasha Dowd, the story is told with care and love, injected with humour throughout to give the piece a ...

13Jun

By Bev ClarkNo Comments

North West

Sweet Charity – Theatr Clwyd

A musical delight with an extremely talented cast. Sweet Charity, Cy Coleman and Dorothy Fields’ seminal 60’s musical with book by Neil Simon, isn’t produced as much as it should be, so it was a rare opportunity to see it at Theatr Clywd. The talented company of TIP TOP did a wonderful job and presented an amateur production with a professional feel. Under Steve Davies’ imaginative direction, Rhian Lyon’s dynamic choreography and Tim Jones’ excellent musical direction this was a delightful, entertaining evening. Most will remember the film with Shirley MacLaine – the shy, generous, dance hostess who loses her heart too easily and always ends up with it broken. Shirley brought a quirky vulnerability to the role which was memorable and hard to follow. Here, Rebecca Snowden in the title...

Twelfth Night – Shakespeare North Playhouse

12Jun

By NewsdeskNo Comments

North West

Twelfth Night – Shakespeare North Playhouse

As we approach the second anniversary of the opening of the Shakespeare North Playhouse, we can begin to assess its impact both within the local area and upon the wider northern theatrical scene. By teaming up with Not Too Tame, an independent theatre company based in Warrington for this version of ‘Twelfth Night’, we can see their intent to use of local voices to retell Shakespearean stories in an accessible way, an endeavour that was only partially successful in this production. Shakespeare’s tale of misunderstanding and cross dressing has undergone a renaissance in its popularity over the last decade, with the opportunity for directors to overtly queer the storyline and allow LGBTQ+ themes to be explored in the writing in an effective and sympathetic way. Whilst Director Jimmy Fairhu...

12Jun

By Adam WilliamsNo Comments

North West

Long Story Short – King’s Arms, Salford

The issue of crime and punishment has been discussed by writers and thinkers for thousands of years. There is, of course, Dostoevsky’s famous novel but it is a subject whose very nature makes it ideal for drama. Where there is a crime, there is a victim, a perpetrator and the associated emotions of for each of guilt, remorse, sadness and heartbreak. These five short plays by Ward J Harries were all linked by this theme, and each had a differing perspective on the issue. They all came across as work-in-progress pieces, that do need some fine tuning, but the basic ideas behind each play were engaging. There were times when some of the writing veered too much towards melodrama and theatrical artifice. Yet there were some genuinely powerful moments of theatre when a true emotion or conflict...

12Jun

By Katie LeicesterNo Comments

North West

Chicken – Pyramid Arts Centre

Soup Productions proudly presented an intimate and original piece of Warrington Theatre at the versatile Pyramid Arts Centre. Writer and Director Mike Pirks recently caught my attention with his phenomenal script of ‘Smiler’ in February this year. So, I was thrilled to be asked to return and review his latest creation of ‘Chicken’ alongside ‘The Pride Monologues’. Pirks stated that’s his latest works were the most important stories he had ever told and that he was honoured to have been given the chance to put these pieces together. The show runs during Warrington Pride month and has been chosen as a part of the Culture Warrington’s Pride Programme running for two nights only. Jake Liken is the creative producer for communities at Culture Warrington who felt that this creative piece w...

Being Mr Wickham – Jermyn Street Theatre

11Jun

By Kira DanielsNo Comments

North West

Being Mr Wickham – Jermyn Street Theatre

What makes a seductive storyteller? Is it the charm that derives from easy confidence or perhaps the anxious titillation induced by performed vulnerability? Being Mr Wickham, one ought to learn one way or another. A character as easy to hate on second reading of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice as he is tempting to root for in one’s first exposure to the novel, if any version of George Wickham knows one thing, it’s how to arouse a reaction in an audience. This play, itself by Adrian Lukis, who played Wickham in the BBC’s iconic Pride and Prejudice at 38 and now reprises the role in a script of his own genius at 67, works hard to flesh out the irredeemable rake and cast him in new light. Neither dastardly villain nor tragic hero, Lukis’ vision of Wickham on the night of his 60th ...

Why I Stuck A Flare Up My Arse For England – The Lowry

9Jun

By Paul ClarkeNo Comments

North West

Why I Stuck A Flare Up My Arse For England – The Lowry

There is something faintly absurd about spending loads of money to watch 22 players kick a football round a pitch, and I speak from experience going all the way to Istanbul to watch my team do exactly that. So, I know what footballing passion is all about, but like all fans I was bemused by the bizarre photo of an England fan who stuck a lighted red flare up his backside before the last Euros final at Wembley. Alex Hill was also inspired by the lengths some thick fans will go to try and give the national team a boost, so he created his own totally fictional character Bum-flare Man to look at what happens when football becomes the only thing you have in your life In reality Bum-flare is actually called Billy, and like so many of the tiresome morons who follow England home and away he ...

7Jun

By Mark DavorenNo Comments

North West

The Dumb Waiter – Hope Street Theatre

Moxie on Fire are certainly that with their production of Harold Pinter’s classic one-act play, considered to be one of his best, and certainly one open to much interpretation depending on who you talk to, with director Kaitlin Howard successfully navigating the potential pitfalls whilst still leaving us with plenty to reflect on at its conclusion. Gus (Gareth Llewelyn) and Ben (Richard Cottier) are hit men who are holed-up in a dingy basement kitchen, waiting to be sent out on their next job. Even from before the start of the play it is clear that Ben is the more senior of the two as they lie on their respective beds – Ben reading the newspaper, Gus seemingly asleep. The unravelling scene captures the uneasy frustration between them as they wait for instruction on their next victim ...

Di, Viv and Rose – Altrincham Garrick Studio

5Jun

By Louise KershawNo Comments

North West

Di, Viv and Rose – Altrincham Garrick Studio

Opening tonight at Altrincham’s Garrick Studio, the final play of their all-female season, Amelia Bullmore’s Di Viv and Rose explores the theme of female friendship; those relationships found in the formative years of a woman’s life when she meets those women who become her sisters in life, the family that she choses and with whom she grows and develops. Di, Viv and Rose meet in their first term at university, thrown together in a hall of residence and then bonding into housemates as they experience their first taste of independence, follow dreams, have crushes, share secrets and desires and study for their degrees. It follows them through many highs and lows and into womanhood, motherhood, careers and explores their loves and their losses. Eleanor Herdson (Di), Georgina Brame ...

5Jun

By Brian MaddenNo Comments

North West

2:22 A Ghost Story – The Lowry

I recently had the pleasure of watching "2:22 - A Ghost Story," and I can confidently say it was an enthralling experience that kept me on the edge of my seat. The premise revolves around a woman determined to uncover the truth behind the strange occurrences in her home. To prove to her sceptical husband, Sam, that she’s not imagining things, she convinces a couple who came over for a dinner party to stay up until 2:22am to witness the phenomena for themselves. The show’s pacing is impeccable, making the entire performance feel swift and engaging. One of the standout features is the use of digital clocks, which progressively heighten the tension as they tick closer to the pivotal moment. This clever device not only builds suspense but also drives the narrative forward, constantly remind...