REVIEWS Archives - Page 146 of 545

13Sep

By Maani WayNo Comments

London

Why Am I So Single? – Garrick Theatre

Brand new to the West End, and from the writers of the ever-growing popular musical “Six”, comes this story within a story answering the burning question for those singletons in their twenties: “Why Am I So Single?” From the opening, it is clear what this show intends to be. With its Brechtian set up and constant breaking of the fourth wall, this show is immersive from the off. Particularly clever is the role the ensemble takes on throughout the performance, most notably as parts of the furniture in the stylish flat. Aside from being comically hilarious as the pieces of furniture join in and become a part of the action on stage, the actors perform their roles artistically and cleverly, evoking plenty of laughter. The talent of the cast is bursting at the seams. The ensemble moves eff...

Now that’s What I Call a Musical – Sheffield Lyceum

12Sep

By Tracey BellNo Comments

Yorkshire & Humber

Now that’s What I Call a Musical – Sheffield Lyceum

Now that’s what I call a…. trip down memory lane for an 80’s kid! I was smiling until my jaw ached as the now 40 year old ‘Now That’s What I Call’ music CD phenomenon blasted out the songs of my youth. The music is prominent in Now, That’s What I Call a Musical as the name implies…The production is unapologetically nostalgic and a little lacking in depth at times, but the soundtrack of a generation takes centre stage as the story underscores the songs for once. And it works a treat! Penned by comedian Pippa Evans and inspired from the screenplay ‘The Video Help Service’ by Ian W Brown, Lotte Mullan and Natalie Malla, the story starts in 2009 and thrusts us back into 1989. Cleverly directed and choreographed by Craig Revel Horwood, we are greeted by two simultaneous time eras as we se...

12Sep

By Olivia CoxNo Comments

London

Kim’s Convenience – Riverside Studios

London’s theatre scene has no shortage of productions inspired by TV shows, from Stranger Things to Fawlty Towers. Kim’s Convenience, on the other hand, is the rarer example of a successful play that spawned an even more successful TV adaptation. Over 13 years since its first debut at Toronto Film Festival (and nearly six since the premiere of the Netflix sitcom it inspired) Ins Choi’s Korean-Canadian family comedy has debuted in London, transferring to Riverside Studios after a sell-out run at Park Theatre. In this Esther Jun directed production, Choi takes on the role of patriarch Mr. Kim, fondly known as Appa, who owns and runs a neighbourhood convenience store with the reluctant help of his daughter Janet (Jennifer Kim). With new condos springing up across the area and the impend...

The Marriage of Figaro – Royal Ballet and Opera

12Sep

By Mark DavorenNo Comments

London

The Marriage of Figaro – Royal Ballet and Opera

The name may have changed but the production values remain as high as ever, with the optimism and energy of Mozart’s satirical and deeply human four-act comic opera, an adaptation with Da Ponte of Beaumarchais’ banned 1778 play about warring masters and servants, offering the perfect start to a new season, and is delightfully brought to life in director David McVicar’s latest revival of his own 2006 production, conducted this time by Julia Jones. As the day of Figaro (Luca Micheletti) and Susanna’s (Siobhan Stagg) wedding arrives, it becomes clear that their master, Count Almaviva (Huw Montague Rendall), is keen to exercise his ‘droit du seigneur’ – his right to bed a servant girl on her wedding night – and they conspire with the forsaken Countess (Maria Bengtsson) to outwit her husband...

Rebus: A Game Called Malice – Festival Theatre, Edinburgh

12Sep

By Greg HolsteadNo Comments

Scotland

Rebus: A Game Called Malice – Festival Theatre, Edinburgh

Rebus, the mega-popular paperback sleuth created by Ian Rankin in an Edinburgh bedsit back in 1985, is back, but not in print. No, this time he is a walking, talking, breathing creation, brought to vital life by actor Gray O’Brien. Given that this is only the second incarnation of Rebus on stage, following Long Shadows in 2018, which Ranking co-wrote with Rona Munro, A Game Called Mallice is bound to appeal constant readers of the taciturn detective, who all inevitably have their own ideas of how he sounds, looks and moves. As a constant reader myself, I was more than a little intrigued to see if Rankin could pull this off and if O’Brien could fill the very sizeable shoes of Edinburgh’s finest DCI. The setting is an opulent and art filled Heriot Row townhouse Drawing Room, Paul and H...

12Sep

By Damian RiverolNo Comments

North West

Beautiful Thing – Storyhouse, Chester

Disley Theatrical Productions return for their third production, this time making their debut at Storyhouse, Chester. The Garrett Theatre is usually a bare studio space, so it was nice to see it used in a different way with a set that brought the piece to life. Designed by Phil Cross and built by Mark Disley, the main set is the front of three flats in which the characters live, and the communal area outside the front of the flats is where the story is played out, where issues are aired and dealt with. We are occasionally taken to Jamie’s bedroom where a bed is brought to the centre of the stage area and where some tender scenes take place. Beautiful Thing follows the story of three teenagers struggling with their own issues. Jamie who is being bullied at school for being gay, Ste who i...

12Sep

By Louise KershawNo Comments

North West

I Bought a Flip Phone – HOME Mcr

Have you every stopped to wonder what would happen to you if you dumped your smart phone? No more WhatsApp groups, no social media, no googling, no maps. Just a phone for calls and text and nothing else. This is the question Panos Kandunias asks in his one man show which tells the story of Charlie, an almost 27-year-old gay man who has become sick of shuffling and buys himself a flip phone in an attempt to address his 5 hour a day addiction to his now ditched smart device. I Bought a Flip Phone is a passionate exploration of modern digital burnout and the perpetual feeling that life is on hold. It is the very engaging story of a young man searching for deeper and more personal connections with his fellow humans. The staging is sparse. An empty stage with a simple bench and table a...

Murder on the Orient Express – The Lowry

11Sep

By Brian MaddenNo Comments

North West

Murder on the Orient Express – The Lowry

The current touring production of Murder on the Orient Express, presented at The Lowry in Salford, is a resounding success, perfectly capturing the timeless charm of Agatha Christie’s classic mystery while bringing fresh energy to the familiar tale. Directed by Lucy Bailey and adapted by Ken Ludwig, this version pays homage to the original while offering a modern twist that feels both invigorating and faithful to the source material. It’s no small feat to revitalise a story so well-known, yet this production does so with ease. Set in the 1930s, the plot follows Hercule Poirot as he investigates a murder aboard the famed Orient Express, which has become stranded by snow in Yugoslavia. Michael Maloney delivers a standout performance as Poirot, portraying the detective’s methodical nature ...

Margaret Thatcher: Queen of Soho – Lowry Theatre

11Sep

By Louise KershawNo Comments

North West

Margaret Thatcher: Queen of Soho – Lowry Theatre

Currently playing in the Lowry’s Quays Theatre and following four sell-out runs at the Edinburgh Fringe is the ‘smash hit drag extravaganza’ Margaret Thatcher Queen of Soho. This big gay odyssey about LGBT rights and the Section 28 amendment to the Local Government Act of 1988 is pretty much a whistle stop tour of the 1980s and the homophobic battle within the Conservative Party to push the legislation through. Our hero in this battle, the then Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher; our villain, the then MP for Birmingham Edgbaston. Jill Knight. As battle commenced, pantomime style and accompanied by the hi energy hits of the time, a punk Peter Tatchell, the ghost of Winston Churchill, the kids from Grange Hill, The A Team and the Weather Girls, the joyous chaos that followed kept the ...

Hugh Panaro: Man Without a Mask – Crazy Coqs

9Sep

By Michelle KnightNo Comments

London

Hugh Panaro: Man Without a Mask – Crazy Coqs

He is not shy about sharing his feelings about the roles he didn’t get before becoming one of Broadway’s greatest stars. This show is perfectly pitched at a level to introduce the Broadway greats of time gone by and bring on ‘The Girls’. In this production Hugh sings with Christina Bianco an American actress, singer and impressionist, best known for her theatre work and impersonations of the stars like Barbara Streisand, Judy Garland and Lady Gaga. She has received acclaim in the role of Fanny Brice in the Paris premiere of Funny Girl. She duets A Little Fall of Rain with Hugh in a touching tribute, followed by a rendition of her unique style of comedic impersonations bringing to the stage; Liza Minnelli, Julie Andrews to name a few. Offering a flavour of true American cabaret to th...