North West Archives - Page 67 of 174

22Mar

By Mark DavorenNo Comments

North West

Opera North: Cosi fan tutte – The Lowry

As the programme notes, Mozart is one of those rare creative beings who comes to disturb the sleep of the world., and certainly mischief and misunderstandings are everywhere in this revived adaptation in English of Mozart’s famous two-act comic opera, and on the whole this good-humoured production from Director Tim Albery does not disappoint. The story begins with an old cynic and philosopher, Don Alfonso (Quirijn de Lang), betting two young soldiers, Ferrando (Anthony Gregory) and Guglielmo (Henry Neill), that their respective fiancées, sisters Dorabella (Heather Lowe) and Fiordiligi (Alexandra Lowe) will not stay faithful if put to the test. The two young men accept the bet and pretend to depart for the front line whilst secretly returning in disguise and under the direction of Don Al...

21Mar

By Emma WildNo Comments

North West

Jekyll and Hyde – Hyde Festival Theatre

Hyde Festival Theatre proved to be the ideal location for Hyde Musical Society’s production of Jekyll and Hyde the Musical. Not only are there the obvious parallels with the name of the theatre but this historic building, which dates back to the early 1900’s, is the perfect setting for this atmospheric story which begins in 1888. With gas fixtures still in place from the original gas lighting and a beautiful ornate original balcony, I cannot praise this gem of a theatre enough. On arrival, the outside was appropriately illuminated red and white, this attention to detail extended throughout the theatre and to the upstairs bar which was beautifully decorated with creative centrepieces matched to the show. Tom Williams (in his first leading role with the Society) presented the audience wit...

21Mar

By Luke StephensonNo Comments

North West

Come Together – Liverpool’s Royal Court

Liverpool came together last night at the Royal Court Theatre to hear the Lennon and McCartney songbook. Written by Tom Connor and Mark Newnham who were playing The Beatles frontman, they came on to the stage and immediately included the audience with their relaxed approach and engaged with us as if we were all friends on the famous rooftop having a chat about how the lads came up with the songs that are famous among the Liverpool streets and the world. The lads gave us an insight into how Epstein was an influence on their career as well as how the songs almost sounded before Epstein tweaked it for example, ‘love me do’ Lennon was meant to sing the titled line. However, John couldn’t play the harmonica and sing it at the same time so gave the line to Paul and the rest is as they say his...

Opera North: Cavalleria rusticana / Aleko –The Lowry

21Mar

By Mark DavorenNo Comments

North West

Opera North: Cavalleria rusticana / Aleko –The Lowry

Mascagni’s Cavalleria rusticana is usually paired with Leoncavallo’s Pagliacci but director Karolina Sofulak has made an inspired choice to pair it with Rachmaninov’s rarely heard Aleko with some subtle and intricate linking of the two pieces which by and large comes off. In Cavalleria rusticana, it transpires that Turiddù (Andrés Presno) and Lola (Helen Évora) were once lovers, but when he left to join the army, Lola married another man, Alfio (Robert Hayward). Although Turridù finds consolation in the arms of Santuzza (Giselle Allen), his obsessive passion for Lola still burns fiercely as he supports his mother Lucia (Anne-Marie Owens), setting the stage for a tale of faithlessness, jealousy and violence, set in a rural community where the church maintains an iron grip on the souls of...

A Taste of Honey – Royal Exchange Theatre

21Mar

By Paul WilcoxNo Comments

North West

A Taste of Honey – Royal Exchange Theatre

In 1958, a 19-year-old Salford girl called Shelagh Delaney went to watch 'Variation on a Theme' by Terence Rattigan at Manchester’s Opera House. Incensed at the portrayal of homosexual relationships in the play, she came out of the theatre thinking she could do something far better, inside two weeks she had written 'A Taste of Honey'. This raw and powerful story of poverty, race and sexuality quickly became a crucial part of the 'British New Wave’ and later supplied Morrissey with half the lyrics on the debut Smiths album. The beating heart of this play is the relationship between Helen (Jill Halfpenny) and her teenage daughter Jo (Rowan Robinson), they are first seen arriving in squalid lodgings in a Salford backstreet with little money and even less hope. Helen is described by Dela...

20Mar

By Philip EdwardsNo Comments

North West

My Beautiful Launderette – The Lowry

For those of us who lived through the 1980’s much of the story told in My Beautiful Launderette is familiar. The need to achieve at all costs gripped much of society and some people gave up principles for the chance to get rich quick. There was a growing middle class, not least in people who settled here from different countries. It was also a time of advancing rights in the gay community despite the long shadow of HIV/AIDS. Put that lot together as Hanif Kureishi did in 1985 and you have a very successful movie on your hands which went a long way to explore Britain becoming a multi-cultural society, those who embrace it and those who resent it. The story has now been brought to the stage and once again we meet Omar as he seeks to make a success of his uncle’s rundown launde...

Unravelling the Ribbon – Altrincham Garrick Playhouse

20Mar

By Paul WilcoxNo Comments

North West

Unravelling the Ribbon – Altrincham Garrick Playhouse

At a time when life in the real world presents significant strain, spending an evening at the theatre is seen by many people as an opportunity to escape the stress of their everyday lives. Therefore, ‘Unravelling the Ribbon’, a play dealing with a diagnosis of cancer and its effects on the lives of three women may seem a difficult subject with which to tempt people away from the comfort of hearth and home. However, should they choose to do so they will be rewarded with a production that both tugs at the heartstrings and tickles the funny bone despite its dark premise. Director Lou Kershaw takes the helm for the first time in the tiny Lauriston Studio and brings an intimacy borne of personal experience to the story of Rose (Caroline Giles), Lola (Alex Saint) and Lyndsey (Holly O’Malley) ...

School for Scandal – Theatre By The Lake

19Mar

By Karen Morley-ChesworthNo Comments

North West

School for Scandal – Theatre By The Lake

Style with great content arrived at Keswick's Theatre by the Lake as Tilted Wig brings School for Scandal to the main auditorium, writes Karen Molrey-Chesworth. This adaptation of RB Sheridan's comedy of scandal and gossip, written in 1777, is now set in the late 1950's early 1960s. And the costume department has really taken the brief and run with it. The styling of this production is second to none. The stage is set with three plinths holding three telephones, that are integrated into the spreading of society gossip. The luxurious deep red tones of the set create the background glamour to this high society tale. Sir Peter Teazle has recently married, after a long life as a dedicated bachelor. His new wide is the social climbing, money-motivated Lady Teazle. Joseph Marcell ...

19Mar

By Jan MellorNo Comments

North West

Sister Act – Palace Theatre

Arriving at the bustling theatre, where red carpet welcomed many an actor from the phenomenon that was Coronation Street, the evening started with fans in awe, the atmosphere electric and everyone ‘giddy’ with excitement for the show ahead. The Coronation Street actors had come along in their numbers to support their colleague the nominated favourite female soup star Sue Cleaver who for this epic show of female comradeship was playing the Mother Superior. Many people may know the film of Whoopi Goldberg played the husky blues singer Deloris Van Cartier desperate to make it big but in falling for a married mobster ends up, after watching this crook Curtis murder a gang member, is on the run for her own life. For this show, the threatened disco diva is played amazingly by Britai...

17Mar

By Paul WilcoxNo Comments

North West

American Buffalo – King’s Arms, Salford

As a reviewer, five star shows appear in many guises; last night I sat in the cavernous surroundings of Manchester Opera House with 1,919 other hardy souls watching Sir Ian McKellen give a bravura performance as Falstaff in a four hour adaptation of Henry IV. Now, less than 24 hours later a sold out audience of just 35 are privileged to witness a very different, but equally compelling production in entirely different surroundings. Lisa Connor combines the job of Director of the Greater Manchester Fringe with her role as owner of The Kings Arms in Salford, in the latter capacity she has pulled off something of a coup by tempting legendary Director David Thacker to stage a production of David Mamet’s ‘American Buffalo’ in the tiny theatre that nestles above this backstreet Salford boozer....