North West Archives - Page 83 of 178

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory – Liverpool Empire

14Nov

By Jenn McKeanNo Comments

North West

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory – Liverpool Empire

If you want to view paradise, simply look around and view it. Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you have probably read the Roald Dahl story of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, or at least watched one of the two films based on the book (team Gene Wilder over here!). It tells the story of Charlie Bucket, who comes from a poor family and never dreams of winning one of the five golden tickets to enter Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory – until it happens. We then get to go on a magical journey as Charlie and the other four golden ticket winners (and their parents) get to see the wonderous and sometimes scary, workings of Wonka’s factory. If you are used to the book or either film, then make sure you go into the musical with an open mind. Bar two songs from the 1971 film (The Candyma...

9Nov

By Katie LeicesterNo Comments

North West

The Wedding Singer – The Grange Theatre

The award-winning musical theatre group ‘The Zodiac’ presents its 102nd production, founded in 1968 they have been entertaining and wowing audiences for over five decades. ‘The Zodiac’ is a registered charity that aims to bring theatre and the arts to their local community making it accessible to all. I was delighted to meet Matt Weaver the Chairman of this superb theatre group who spent time explaining about ‘The Zodiac’ and their training programme. It was heart-warming to hear how the group had evolved and the way they pride themselves on the family ethos. There are honorary life members in the theatre group/cast including Valerie Ball who is the President of ‘The Zodiac’ and was also up on stage as the character Angie in ‘The Wedding Singer’! I had not seen a Zodiac production be...

Rogers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella – Waterside Arts Centre

8Nov

By Katie LeicesterNo Comments

North West

Rogers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella – Waterside Arts Centre

Junior Stage 80 (JS80) presented their adaptation of the classic Rogers + Hammerstein’s ‘Cinderella’ at the beautiful Waterside Arts Centre. It was clear from the buzzing audience that there were many family members and friends of the cast present for the opening night. I hadn’t heard of Junior Stage 80 before this evening, but I believe it to be a well-established group with over 37 previous productions dating from 1985. Julie Besbrode and Tanya Temkin are the JS80 producers who state in the brochure that: “Community is at the heart of JS80 and it always has been and will remain so. It is one of their key founding principles and what glues them together. Their rehearsals are a microcosm of the wider Jewish community where they gather twice weekly for 6 months of the year, as one big...

Breaking the Castle – Old Red Lion Theatre

8Nov

By Aditi DalalNo Comments

North West

Breaking the Castle – Old Red Lion Theatre

There must be something special about a one-man show relating to addiction and mental illness if it has toured multiple venues across Australia and the UK. With outstanding reviews and audiences engaging with the show, it is clear that the dark, heavy and sensitive themes of the play are skillfully dealt with by writer and actor Peter Cook. The audience enters to a stage littered with some props, chairs and stools. These are creatively used across the settings that the play traverses through. Cook is a great storyteller, both with his words and performance. He tirelessly braves through the 75-minute play, sharing his own experiences with addiction and rehabilitation through the fictionalised character of David. The writing is crisp and conversational - and in a space as intimate as the ...

8Nov

By Ezzy LaBelleNo Comments

North West

The Mousetrap – Floral Pavilion

What do you get when you combine masterful storytelling and captivating characters? Agatha Christie's The Mousetrap, that's what! The world's longest running play - currently 70yrs old - is still going strong, thrilling theatres and keeping audiences on their toes. It's a classic. Lights dim and the curtains pull back on a stupendously wide set. Time rolls back to reveal the living room of a guesthouse in 1950s England, the ideal setting for a good old-fashioned whodunnit to take place. Christie's unparalleled ability to craft a suspenseful and engaging narrative quickly makes its impact felt. There is a chilling atmosphere of intrigue and mystery from the very first scene. As the tension builds and secrets unravel, the audience is on the edge of their seats, eagerly anticipating the...

7Nov

By Rebecca CaseyNo Comments

North West

The Bodyguard – Opera House, Blackpool

What a fantastic night at Winter Gardens, Blackpool, at the opening performance of The Bodyguard Musical, Based on the 1992 Oscar nominated movie of the same name, starring the household names Kevin Costner and the late great Whitney Houston in the leading roles. The West End production was nominated for 4 Olivier awards and was followed by a sell-out 18-month UK and Ireland tour. The show has played to over 3.6 million people in 15 countries and 45 US cities. Producers, Michael Harrison and David Ian alongside director Thea Sharrock brought us a dazzling line up of talent and a show that sells itself with a score full of Houston’s greatest hits. The story tells of a vocal superstar Rachel Marron, who is dealing with an unknown stalker. Frank Farmer, former Secret Service agent is...

The Signalman – Metal Culture, Liverpool

6Nov

By Mark DavorenNo Comments

North West

The Signalman – Metal Culture, Liverpool

From ArtsGroupie, the producers of Kitty: Queen of the Washhouse and A Portrait of William Roscoe, comes a slice of winter terror with a new adaptation from David Griffiths, who also directs, of the much-loved Charles Dickens supernatural classic, The Signalman. Following the arrival of a somewhat lost and larger than life visitor (John Maguire) at a remote signal box on a dark winter night, the solitary railway signalman (Zoran Blackie) tells him of a spectre that has been haunting him with each appearance preceding a tragic event on the railway on which the signalman works, a deep cutting near a tunnel entrance on a lonely stretch of the railway line where he controls the movement of the passing trains and is alerted to danger by his fellow signalmen via the telegraph and alarms. T...

4Nov

By Bev ClarkNo Comments

North West

Betty Blue Eyes – Gladstone Theatre

A pig, a chiropodist and a lot of SPAM might seem unusual ingredients for a musical but WKMTC’s Betty Blue Eyes is a charming, funny and heart-warming show that delighted the packed house at the Gladstone Theatre last night. Adapted from the Alan Bennett play and film A Private Function, this was another great choice for the Wirral musical society. Like last year’s Christmas Carol, these character musicals suit them so well, not only showcasing their superb singing but also some gems of character acting. Set in 1947, the town are celebrating the Royal wedding but only the well-connected folk of the town council are invited to the private function like the doctor, the lawyer and the accountant. Poor chiropodist Gilbert Chilvers and his aspiring wife Joyce are not included. There’s lit...

2Nov

By Damian RiverolNo Comments

North West

Beautiful Thing – HOME Mcr

As part of its 30th Anniversary tour, Jonathan Harvey’s Iconic, coming-out and coming of age story comes to HOME Manchester. Set in the 90s, we delve into what it’s like to be 16 and in love in a time when the subject was not talked about, where the British Government brought in a legislation banning homosexuality being promoted in schools and educators were silenced. Following struggles of three teenagers, Jamie, a young boy who is bullies at school for being gay. Ste, a football fanatic who is always at the brunt of his brother and Father’s temper. And Leah, a misunderstood Mama Cass fan who has been excluded from school and struggling to find her way through life, seemingly alone. When things become too much at home, Ste takes refuge at Jamie’s flat, and this is where the boys str...

2Nov

By Katie LeicesterNo Comments

North West

9 to 5 – The Grange Theatre, Hartford

I had not seen a Salt & Pepper Production before tonight, however I can assure you this will not be my last visit, as this theatre company is most definitely a first-class polished group of exceptionally talented individuals. I was honoured enough to meet Sue Chatt the mother of the Artistic Director and Choreographer Joanna Milborne-Chatt, who passionately informed me of the creation of Salt & Pepper, which was born out of a personal tragedy and became Milborne-Chatt’s focus to produce on stage magic and support Headway’s charity. This is Salt & Pepper’s third stage production, the first being ‘Rock of Ages’ which was an award-winning success and the second being ‘Calendar Girls’ in 2021, both generating funds for Milborne-Chatt’s chosen charities Headway and Blood Cance...