REVIEWS Archives - Page 153 of 552

Now That’s What I Call Armageddon – Daneside Theatre

14Sep

By Angela KellyNo Comments

North West

Now That’s What I Call Armageddon – Daneside Theatre

The idea of a ‘Now’ album highlighting the songs you'd want to listen to before the end of the world is certainly an intriguing concept. Although it’s easy to forget what ‘Now’ album we are up to, this performance by Trinity Amateur Operatic Society is clearly informing us that this is the final one! This album is badged as ‘the ultimate play list for the end of the world’ and directed by Simeon Green and Simon Matthews it is undoubtedly an innovative idea. The premise of the show is essentially about the songs that the public would want to hear as the end of the world approaches. The songs are entered into different categories such as ‘Ultimate song for singing in the shower’,’ …for motivation’, and even ‘…for driving with the window down.’ The backdrop to the stage displayed a T...

London City Ballet’s Resurgence at Sadler’s Wells

13Sep

By Alan Stuart MalinNo Comments

London

London City Ballet’s Resurgence at Sadler’s Wells

After nearly three decades, London City Ballet made a triumphant return to its former home at Sadler’s Wells with ‘Resurgence’, a performance that feels both like a heartfelt tribute to its past and a confident step into its future. Under the careful eye of Artistic Director, Christopher Marney, the evening offered a mix of classic and contemporary pieces that beautifully highlighted the company’s range and passion. The evening kicked off with Ashley Page’s Larina Waltz, a vibrant and traditional work set to Tchaikovsky’s famous waltz from Eugene Onegin. This charming piece, which celebrates its 30th anniversary, saw five couples in constant, flowing movement. Whilst there were moments where the synchrony faltered, and the timing between dancers felt slightly off, the dancers’ grace and...

Barista the Musical – The Capitol Horsham

13Sep

By Zain RussellNo Comments

London

Barista the Musical – The Capitol Horsham

Barista is the latest hit musical that beautifully blends romance, humour, and vibrant culture. The show tells the captivating love story between expat Isabella, played by the ever-charming Sara Bartos and a coffee entrepreneur, portrayed by the charismatic George Crawford. Their chemistry forms the emotional heart of the production, set against the backdrop of coffee, culture, and unexpected connections. The performance kicks off with high energy, featuring powerful vocals, dynamic choreography, and an infectious sense of humour that sets the tone for the entire show. Right from the opening number, the pacing is swift and seamless, with each scene flowing naturally into the next, never allowing a dull moment. It's a refreshing change of pace, offering a story set between the contrastin...

13Sep

By Scot CunninghamNo Comments

North West

Gwyneth Goes Skiing – Hope Mill Theatre

It’s barely been a year since Awkward Productions tickled and perplexed Manchester audiences through Diana: The Untold and Untrue Story, yet this queer little theatre company is back at Hope Mill with another not-entirely-accurate story of a style icon to tell. Adversity strikes for the otherwise carefree actress-turned-entrepreneur Gwyneth Paltrow (Linus Karp) after a ski crash with optometrist Terry Sanderson (Joseph Martin) leads to a court battle. The real-life incident occurred in 2016 but wasn’t brought to trial until 2023. An understanding of goop-founding Gwyneth’s background helps to appreciate the humour of this part-musical, part-comedy, as references come hurtling down the Deer Valley slopes thick and fast. The script confidently covers it all, from her incalculable f...

The Girl on the Train – The Brindley Theatre

13Sep

By Codie WrightNo Comments

North West

The Girl on the Train – The Brindley Theatre

Wow. As someone who went into this show not having seen the film or read the book (I read a book called A Girl on A Train, which I didn’t realise until weeks later was not the bestselling novel by Paula Hawkins that everyone else had read), I had no idea what to expect, and I left the theatre feeling utterly blown away! Directed by Clare Littlemore, the show follows Rachel Watson, a well-meaning woman with an alcohol problem (side note: I felt a little uncomfortable at some of the audience’s reactions to Rachel’s drinking. It’s clear that she has an issue with drinking, but there was a lot of laughing in the audience which felt a bit misplaced. Occasionally it felt as though lines were delivered deliberately to evoke a laugh, but other times it was clear that this was not the time, so t...

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...