North West Archives - Page 99 of 128

2Apr

By Clare ChandlerNo Comments

North West

The Oracle – The Future Yard

A building that reimagines the role of a live music venue seems the perfect setting for an arts organisation pushing the boundaries of classical music. Tonight, the collaboration is further enhanced by the contribution of South African cellist Abel Selaocoe, an artist who is redefining the parameters of his instrument. As Selaocoe explains, in South Africa mastering ‘Western’ instruments is a form of protest as you can put your culture on top. This layering of cultures, timbres and sounds is evident throughout The Oracle as pieces by Stravinsky, Rameau and Vivaldi sit alongside Selaocoe’s own compositions. An oracle is a form of divination, providing a message for the wellbeing of the community and there are moments of this programme that are sublime as it explores Afrofutur...

2Apr

By Paul WilcoxNo Comments

North West

Les Misérables – The Lowry

Reviewing 'Les Misérables' is in some ways a useless task. The show is entering its thirty seventh (!) year in production and has been seen by well over seventy million (!!) people during that time. It was famously panned by the critics at the opening but has subsequently proved to be one of the most popular 'critic proof' musicals with sell out audiences all over the world, Now, Boublil and Schonberg's iconic show lands at The Lowry for six weeks having already sold virtually every ticket, once again those visitors will not be disappointed with this fresh staging of a spellbinding masterpiece. The titanic struggle between Javert (Nic Greenshields) and Jean Valjean (Dean Chisnall), set against the backdrop of post revolutionary France, culminating in the Paris Uprising of 1832, forms th...

Ellen Kent: Madama Butterfly – Floral Pavilion

31Mar

By Lou SteggalsNo Comments

North West

Ellen Kent: Madama Butterfly – Floral Pavilion

Puccini may have been a philanderer and scoundrel, with a Hitchcock-like tendency to put his heroines through merry hell, but my goodness, he could write an aria. Madama Butterfly, one of the most widely performed operas in the world, boasts its fair share, and is deemed to be one of the most accessible to audiences. Set in one location - a hillside house in Nagasaki, Japan - we follow Cio-Cio-San, nicknamed ‘Butterfly’, the young bride of an American naval officer, Lieutenant Pinkerton, as her romantic ideals are tested to their limits when he seemingly abandons her, yet she still waits hopefully for his return. The sense of tragedy is embedded from the get-go, as we know as an audience that Pinkerton has no intention of coming back, seeing the match as a short-lived one until he can f...

31Mar

By Anne PritchardNo Comments

North West

Mamma Mia! – Liverpool Empire

Everyone is familiar with the ‘Mamma Mia!’ films but not everyone has seen the stage show upon which they’re based; I’m lucky enough to have seen it many times, the first time being the London premier in 1999 when I was blown away by the production, the songs and the energy of the cast. Based around the songs of Swedish pop legends ABBA, ‘Mamma Mia!’ is now a box-office worldwide musical phenomenon. The feel-good musical is presently playing in both the West End and Broadway and has countless touring versions performing world-wide. The show was originally conceived by English producer, Judy Craymer and written by Catherine Johnson, with director Phyllida Lloyd, these being the collaborative creative force behind what was to become an unprecedented commercial success; it premier...

30Mar

By Hazel BumbyNo Comments

North West

Sheila’s Island – The Lowry

Sheila’s Island is a sharp and charming new piece of comedy writing by Tim Firth (Calendar Girls, Kinky Boots) and is extremely funny and very well written… The Quays Theatre within The Lowry was the perfect setting for this one set play showcasing the talents of four very talented ladies. The set was simple yet very well designed and the sound and lighting never missed a beat. The cast were not wearing microphones but to be honest they didn’t need them. Projected and clear and not a word missed from the back of the stalls. Hair, make-up and costume were all on point for this present day setting. Now, a bit of background….. For Team C from Pennine Mineral Water Ltd, their team building weekend has well and truly been blown way off course. ...

30Mar

By Paul ClarkeNo Comments

North West

Vagina Cake – Hope Mill Theatre

Making friends at university can be a risky business as four friends have found out as they run round the stage pandering to the unreasonable demands of an unseen ‘The Duchess’. In between Laura Harper’s warm, funny but very perceptive new work unpeels the power and complexity of female friendships as Fraggle, Dipsy, Mumps and Mary migrate from their relatively carefree twenties into the much choppier waters of their thirties. Harper has based Vagina Cake on extensive chats with women of different generations, and the regular gales of laughter from the mainly female audience proved she has nailed the inevitable changes in friendships that start when you are essentially still a big child. The first half centres around a disastrous wedding sketching out each of the women’s ro...

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat – Opera House, Manchester

30Mar

By Alison BainesNo Comments

North West

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat – Opera House, Manchester

Andrew Lloyd Webber’s first staged musical ‘Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat’ arrives in Manchester. The iconic duo of Lloyd-Webber and Tim Rice wrote this much-loved production back in 1986 as a school play… little did they know the sensation it would become. The brand-new production is a modern take on a timely classic: it is exactly the star-studded, colourful spectacle you want and expect. Alexandra Burke takes on the leading role of The Narrator, young talent Jac Yarrow takes the title role of Joseph and Jason Donavan returns to the show he once conquered, now as the heartthrob, Elvis-styled Pharaoh. Any musical theatre fan - if not, everyone in the UK - knows the music from this work of art, featuring songs such as Any Dream Will Do, emotional ballad Close Every Do...

30Mar

By Angela KellyNo Comments

North West

The Addams Family – Regent Theatre

The Addams family pay a visit to the neighbourhood of Stoke-on-Trent this week in all their darkest finery. Based on characters created by Charles Addams and with lyrics and music written by Tony Award nominated Andrew Lippa, it was evident from the opening that this kooky musical comedy was going to be something special. Directed by Matthew Wight, the story is essentially about ‘Wednesday’ (Kingsley Morton), daughter of Morticia and Gomez Addams. She has fallen in love with the seemingly ‘normal’ Lucas Beineke (Ahmed Hamad). Lucas and his family are invited to dinner ‘chez Addams’ and spooky dark fun over a dinner ensues. Morton’s role of ‘Wednesday’ was outstanding. With vocals entirely suited to musical theatre she commanded the stage and stomped about being the angry daughter of ...

An Evening without Kate Bush – Waterside Arts

28Mar

By David S ClarkeNo Comments

North West

An Evening without Kate Bush – Waterside Arts

Well, I expected this show to be a straightforward tribute to Kate Bush – how wrong I was, it was so much more. I would probably describe it as more like a comedy show with Kate Bush songs thrown in. It did help if (like the majority of the audience) you were an ardent fan of Kate Bush herself, although this was by no means an essential pre-requisite for enjoying the show. The lights dimmed and a darkly clad Sarah-Louise Young appeared on the stage to the sounds of Hounds of Love and this initiated a section of audience participation where a couple of willing volunteers were enticed onto the stage to sing backing vocals to the song Cloud bursting, which had all the audience waving their arms in time to the music. This was only the start of an evening which emphasised her amazing rapport...

27Mar

By Mark DavorenNo Comments

North West

The Killer’s Conscience – The Black-E

City Theatre’s latest offering is an original psychological thriller written by Joe Gordon and directed by Carly Fisher, where friends Sean (Louis Cashin-Harris) and Elliot (Leo Hewitson) and his girlfriend Toni (Eleanor Smith) hang out at Darrius’ (John Ball) bar. At work, Sean is confronted by his old school bully Lewis (Joe Gordon) looking for a refund but doesn’t receive the expected support from manager Max (Leanne Cooney). It’s clear Lewis’ behaviour runs in his family when we later meet Isiah (Johnny Sedgwick-Davies) before things turn from bad to worse for Sean when he discovers sister Charlie (Demi Wilson) is now dating Lewis. What more could possibly go wrong for him? Well, a disciplinary with area manager David (Kieran Foster) is the least of his worries when things take a...