REVIEWS Archives - Page 15 of 641

Achy Breaky Bride – Theatre Royal, St Helens

27Sep

By Kevin EcclestonNo Comments

North West

Achy Breaky Bride – Theatre Royal, St Helens

‘A wedding, a bridal shop and a whole lot of country-pop fun.’ Forget the traditional wedding bells — Achy Breaky Bride brings guitars, sequins, family drama and plenty of chaos to the Theatre Royal St Helens in a lively comedy that is guaranteed to put a smile on your face. Starring Merseyside favourite Leanne Campbell as Jolene, alongside X Factor star David Heath, Rachel Wood, Conor Barrie and Liverpool drag queen Sania Pain, the production brings together a colourful cast who clearly relish the opportunity to have some fun. Set inside a bridal shop in St Helens, the story follows the increasingly complicated events surrounding a bride-to-be as wedding plans begin to go spectacularly off course. Throw in family tensions, romance, misunderstandings and a generous helping of musi...

24Sep

By Rebecca CaseyNo Comments

North West

We Will Rock You – Winstanley College

Tonight was my first time at Winstanley College and my first time seeing a production by Orrell Musical & Dramatic Society (OMADS). The company was set up in 1967. I have seen the Westend production of We Will Rock You but working it out it must be 20 years ago. We Will Rock You is a jukebox musical Featuring over 20 hit songs by the British rock band Queen formed in the 70s. Story and script by Ben Elton a comedian and writer. Set in a post-apocalyptic future it tells the tale of a world where music and individuality is banned. At the core of the story, the principal cast, Emily Reacher as Scaramouche and Jerome Antony Pargetor as Galileo. Pargetor was the epitome of a triple threat musical theatre performer, his dancing was strong, the vocals flawless. As a pair these too...

24Sep

By Alan Stuart MalinNo Comments

London

Present Laughter – Richmond Theatre

There is something wonderfully appropriate about a comedy concerned with theatrical excess being given a production that barely seems willing to sit still. Lindsay Posner’s ‘Present Laughter’ arrives at Richmond Theatre with energy to spare, giving Noël Coward’s comedy a confident contemporary shake-up without losing the delicious absurdity at its heart. At the centre is Tracy-Ann Oberman as Geri Essendine, a celebrated actress whose success has brought her everything except the possibility of being left alone. Her home is less a sanctuary than a human traffic junction, with friends, employees, admirers, lovers and unwanted visitors passing through while Geri attempts to maintain control over a spectacularly crowded life. The production’s most significant departure from Coward’s orig...

24Sep

By Annette NuttallNo Comments

West Midlands

Twelve Angry Men – Birmingham Rep

Based on the 1957 Academy Award Nominated film of the same name, this production visits Birmingham as part of a National Tour following previous West End success. Following a three-day murder trial, the jury are sent to consider their verdict. Locked in a room, these 12 men from wildly different backgrounds have the difficult task of considering the evidence to convict or acquit the accused. In a State where the death penalty is the mandatory sentence for the crime committed, the decision weighs hard on one man’s mind. Keen to discuss the case and not jump to the ‘obvious’ answer he raises the question of reasonable doubt, the debate begins, and tensions rise. From the moment the lights go up on the jurors in the court room to the end when the final verdict is reached you are transpo...

Unofficial Roxelana – Barons Court Theatre

22Sep

By Gaurav SinghNo Comments

London

Unofficial Roxelana – Barons Court Theatre

It is always exciting to encounter multilingual theatre in London, particularly in a city with such a complex mix of languages, histories and communities. Unofficial Roxelana, performed in Turkish with English surtitles, is an example of the kind of work that can bring a specific cultural history into a shared theatrical space without having to translate away its original language. Written by Turkish playwright Özen Yula, the play tells the story of Hürrem Sultan, one of the most powerful women of the Ottoman Empire. Her journey from concubinage into the centre of the Ottoman court becomes a way of exploring power, gender, political ambition and the ways in which women's histories are remembered and retold. Rather than presenting Hürrem's story as a straightforward historical accoun...

The Opera Boys: The Farewell Tour – Floral Pavilion

22Sep

By Kevin EcclestonNo Comments

North West

The Opera Boys: The Farewell Tour – Floral Pavilion

There are some concerts where you know from the opening notes that you’re in for an evening of big voices and bigger emotions. The Opera Boys – The Farewell Tour, at the Floral Pavilion on 19th September 2026, did exactly that, with Britain’s Got Talent star Paul Potts joining the group for what is billed as a special farewell tour. The combination of The Opera Boys’ operatic crossover style and Potts’ instantly recognisable voice makes for an intriguing pairing, bringing together classical music, musical theatre and popular favorites in a format designed to appeal well beyond the traditional opera audience. The Opera Boys have built their reputation around bringing opera and classical crossover to mainstream audiences, and their performance combined vocal precision with plenty of pe...

CSI: Crime Scene improvisation – Underbelly Boulevard

22Sep

By Alice RoseNo Comments

London

CSI: Crime Scene improvisation – Underbelly Boulevard

Following their success at the Edinburgh Fringe, here comes CSI: Crime Scene Improvisation at the Underbelly Boulevard in Soho London. There’s been a murder and no one knows why, how, what or who did it. It’s up to the audience to decide … everything. Admittedly, I think my audience was a little shy so after some coaxing from our Detective, we finally decided on our scenario and off we go. I wasn’t expecting as much audience participation however it was really welcomed, especially after we had warmed up to a much more involved experience. We followed the actors through the initial discovery, world building scenes to finally coming to the hot seat section where we got to ask our questions. We also got to decide which of our suspects are the most suspicious and therefore definitely did...

The Lover & A Slight Ache – The Questors Theatre

22Sep

By Prateek SonnyNo Comments

London

The Lover & A Slight Ache – The Questors Theatre

Desire, dysfunction, and drama doubled. The Lover & A Slight Ache, directed by David Erdos, is a double bill of classic Harold Pinter plays. While the two plays were written separately, the similarities between their themes create an intriguing convergence when performed together. Erdos' direction and the cast's performances create a sense of continuity between the two plays, making the transition from one to the next feel deliberate rather than a coincidence. The Lover tells the story of Richard (Harry Roebuck) and Sarah (Catherine Luff), a married couple in their thirties. It is soon established that they have settled into a seemingly amicable arrangement where Sarah welcomes her “lover” into their home in the afternoons. Whereas Richard visits his “mistress” after work. It is a s...

22Sep

By Klervi GavetNo Comments

London

Current/y – Coronet Theatre

Current/Y is a genuinely interesting but uneven 50-minute piece exploring our relationship with AI, social media and algorithms. Some sequences offer a genuinely sharp commentary on human experience in the age of technology; others remain so opaque throughout that it becomes difficult to understand what is being watched. Taiwanese dancer Chen Yi performs with motion capture, while an avatar appears on the screen behind her. The opening sequence sees the avatar multiply, followed by a largely silent interaction between performer and screen. Without much framework, it is difficult to know what this interaction is meant to convey: the plurality of our internet presence? Our lack of control over it? The strongest sequence sees Chen Yi become an influencer selling beauty products. Her ava...

Letter to Brezhnev – Liverpool’s Royal Court

22Sep

By Carole BaldockNo Comments

North West

Letter to Brezhnev – Liverpool’s Royal Court

We begin with quite a dilemma because the curtain rises on one of the most intriguing, complex sets I’ve ever seen - but no wish to spoil the impact, so let’s call it multi-level, multi-layered and multi-purpose, covering a lot of ground, from Russia to the UK: ship and Kremlin to a council house, pubs and the Kirkby Chicken Factory. The set ingeniously changes the scene with fittings sliding in and out, back and forth, or even turned around, while manhandling the props is skilfully done. However, considering so much care has been taken, the devil is in a couple of details: Elaine threatening somebody with using her stilettoes as a weapon when she is wearing flats, and Nan’s 80th birthday party – with no sign of Nan. On the bright side, set in 1985, when two Liverpool lasses meet up wit...