North West Archives - Page 60 of 174

And Then There Were None – Rainhill Village Hall

17May

By Mark DavorenNo Comments

North West

And Then There Were None – Rainhill Village Hall

Agatha Christie’s most popular novel from 1939 – and apparently the bestselling crime novel of all time – is a quintessentially English affair with almost as many copies of it in circulation as The Bible and in too many languages to count. The perfect vehicle for the array of talent that makes up Rainhill Garrick Society, and with the action all taking place in the living room of a house on an island off the coast of Devon, it had the added benefit of the real sound effects from a stormy windblown night outside to add to the suspense on stage. Two servants, Rogers (Rob Williams) and Mrs Rogers (Ruth Proffitt) and eight strangers – secretary Vera Claythorne (Sophie Brogan); adventurer Philip Lombard (Richard Parker); lady-about-town Antonia Marston (Alison Mawdsley); retired police inspe...

16May

By Katie LeicesterNo Comments

North West

West Side Story – Eccleston Theatre

Pendleton School of Theatre continues with its season of shows with their latest production of West Side Story. Pendleton’s Musical Theatre students have a reputation for excellence and considering their age and experiences in musical theatre they never disappoint, by consistently delivering outstanding productions. Tonight’s West Side Story has raised the bar even higher yet again with a sterling cast of excellent performers! I was lucky enough to have watched ‘Chorus Line’ last year and was pleased to see some familiar faces back on the stage. Ian Bennett Director of the 2023 production returned to his role to deliver this magnificent display of West Side Story. West Side Story is a musical conceived by Jerome Robbins with music by Leonard Bernstein and lyrics by the late Stephen S...

Drop The Dead Donkey – Liverpool Playhouse

15May

By Jenn McKeanNo Comments

North West

Drop The Dead Donkey – Liverpool Playhouse

For an up-to-date satirical comedy on stage, look no further than Drop The Dead Donkey – The Reawakening! 34 years after first airing on Channel 4, the cast of Drop The Dead Donkey reunite for the first time, and for their first time on stage. From the GlobeLink newsroom, the team have been hired to be part of the brand-new Truth News channel. The original cast members Susannah Doyle, Robert Duncan, Ingrid Lacey, Neil Pearson, Jeff Rawle, Stephen Tompkinson and Victoria Wicks reprised their roles from the TV show, with a touching tribute to the two late members of the cast, David Swift and Haydn Gwynne and the iconic and award-winning TV show is reimagined in this topical commentary on the world of 24 hours news. With original writers Andy Hamilton and Guy Jenkin (who also wrote Outnumb...

The Phantom of the Opera – Brindley Theatre

15May

By Jan MellorNo Comments

North West

The Phantom of the Opera – Brindley Theatre

I have no words! I will try to express to you all the absolute stunning masterpiece that this production is. The iconic story of a disfigured musical genius, that lives under an opera house in Paris, who is besotted by a talented singer Christine and evokes fear and carries out murderous evil to get his way but whose love is lost as Christine finds love with an old flame, has been an Andrew Lloyd Webber work of genius for nearly 40 years and for the Centenary Theatre Group to have the opportunity to present this phenomenal musical in a local theatre is an opportunity this magnificent company could not resist – and rightly so. The talented cast, whom I have seen in various performances, give every show 100% and constantly show their amazing skills in both singing and dancing at every per...

15May

By Jenn McKeanNo Comments

North West

The Syndicate – Floral Pavilion

Have you ever wondered what it would be like, if you won a share of £24 million? For fans of the late, great Kay Mellor’s television series ‘The Syndicate’ this is the perfect chance to see a new version of the show, created especially for the stage. A story that follows previous series, but with different characters and twists along the way. We are introduced to Denise, Leanne, Jamie, Stuart and Bob who work at a local supermarket, that has just been bought out by a larger chain. In typical The Syndicate style, Stuart is late on his payments for the staff syndicate, and this is mentioned on numerous occasions throughout the first act. Brothers Jamie and Stuart are both struggling for money – Jamie for drug-related purposes and Stuart due to his expanding family. They decide to rob the ...

14May

By Mark DavorenNo Comments

North West

Idlib – Storyhouse Chester

Written and directed by Kevin Dyer, and produced by Laura Duncalf, Idlib started as a piece of prose as a prelude for a play that morphed into a short story before becoming the script for a monologue first performed online in 2021. Based on the story of a Syrian baker who wanted to return home, and real interviews with Syrian refugees and escapees across Europe, it tells the story of a woman (Anoush Kendrick) who has hope, but it is both the prelude to this tale and what follows afterwards as well that make this such a special experience, one that is a mix of conversation, an uplifting story of kindness, making bread on stage, drawing, and sharing personal memories of food and family, eating together and socialising. The making of bread itself is an act so simple and pure that it is ...

14May

By Mark DavorenNo Comments

North West

Krapp’s Last Tape – Unity Theatre

Marking the welcome return of Graeme Phillips to Unity Theatre and the directorial chair, with the support of Assistant Director Izzie Major and Producer Peter Ward, Krapp’s Last Tape, written by Samuel Beckett, holds a firm place in Phillips’ heart. On his sixty-ninth birthday, Krapp (Nick Birkinshaw), as has become his custom, hauls out his old tape recorder to review one of the earlier years, and make a new recording commenting on the events of the previous twelve months. Whilst his younger self speaks to reveal an idealistic fool, will the passage of time reveal the kind of fool he has become? Almost seventy years since it was written, this one-act play remains as relevant – perhaps more so – in 2024, when we all more readily identify with its themes of isolation, reflection, and...

10May

By Louise KershawNo Comments

North West

Tender – HOME Mcr

Supported by Arts Council, England and Derby Theatre, Tender emerged as the new production for Phosphoros Theatre, a London based company running theatre projects for refugees aged 16-25. Featuring young performers from Iraq, Eritrea, Chad, Albania and Ethiopia the work began development in 2021 and is playing at Home, Manchester this week. Given the changes to the Illegal Migration Act and the very recent passing of the disturbing Rwanda Bill it is a timely opportunity to highlight the stories of the young refugees that find themselves between a rock and a hard place with no safety net, no right to work and understandable deep concerns about how they build a future for themselves. Phosphoros Theatre have invited young refugees and artists from around the UK to contribute material...

Accidental Death of an Anarchist – Hope Street Theatre

10May

By Mark DavorenNo Comments

North West

Accidental Death of an Anarchist – Hope Street Theatre

One of Dario Fo’s most loved and renowned works, Accidental Death of an Anarchist is based on the true story of the Piazza Fontana bombing in Milan in 1969 and the subsequent death of Giuseppe Pinelli whilst being held in police custody. Director Dan Meigh’s re-imagination of the play places us in a modern-day police station where a mysterious Maniac (Mat Oliphant) has just climbed through the wrong window to be encountered by Inspector Berlozzo (Phil Rayner) and Constable 1 (Noah Cambridge) who are already in possession of a warrant for his arrest. With a history tied to disruption and disturbance across the ages, the Maniac makes his escape to the fourth floor and an encounter with a Chief Inspector (Eleanor Martin), Inspector Pisoni (Connor Wray), and Constable 2 (Cambridge). With...

10May

By Jan MellorNo Comments

North West

The Sound of Music – Liverpool Empire

Arriving at the bustling Empire theatre at Liverpool where rows of excited people were queuing to see the iconic story of a nun who becomes the mother of seven children, I was delighted to see that my favourite all time musical was still as popular as it was in the 60’s, when I went every weekend without fail, to see the film in my local cinema- ironically, here in Liverpool. So, for opening night to see the story brought to light by the BOST musicals company was, I knew, going to be a real treat. From the start, with the ever changing backdrop – bringing us the convent, the mountains and the exterior and the interior of the grand house ( great work by the projection designed Julian Butler) we were magically transported through this journey of Maria’s self-discovery from the start with ...