REVIEWS Archives - Page 17 of 545

10Oct

By Katie LeicesterNo Comments

North West

Finding Nemo Jr – Z-Arts

It’s time for the Apprentices to shine! Manchester Musical Youth’s (MMY) latest production, Finding Nemo Jr, swam onto the Z-arts stage this week and what a splash it made. With a 34-strong cast of young performers, this vibrant musical adaptation of Disney and Pixar’s beloved underwater adventure truly showcased the depth of talent within MMY’s apprentices. Directed by Shannon Holland with Sarah Barron as Assistant Director and produced by the ever-fabulous Kimberly and Dave Holden, the production captured the heart and humour of the original film while allowing every performer to sparkle. Finding Nemo Jr features music and lyrics by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez, and a book adapted by Lindsay Anderson. The story follows Marlin, an anxious clownfish father who embarks ...

10Oct

By Paul WilcoxNo Comments

North West

Orphans – King’s Arms Theatre

Over the last few years, Lisa and Colin Connor have quietly built something special in the small pub theatre above the King’s Arms on Bloom Street. As the area rapidly succumbs to gentrification all around it, this beacon of Salfordian working-class culture continues to produce exciting and interesting work, giving voice and opportunity for local creative stage talent to shine. This superb run of form continues with a blistering new production of ‘Orphans’, the 2009 piece by Dennis Kelly exploring urban violence and the moral quandaries that family obligations place us under. Helen (Hollie-Jay Bowes) and Danny (Ryan Clayton) have managed to unload their five-year-old son Shane onto Danny’s mum for the evening and are relaxing into a well-deserved date night together, Helen has discovere...

10Oct

By Savitha VenugopalNo Comments

London

Death on the Nile – Richmond Theatre

This is quintessential Agatha Christie. There’s murder, intrigue, a roomful of suspects, and that Belgian detective whose keen eyes miss nothing. Throw in some brilliant set design and beautiful period costume, and you have a charming little murder mystery unfolding on stage. In this version of Death on the Nile – adapted by Ken Ludwig and directed by Lucy Bailey – an ancient sarcophagus that has been on display at the British Museum is being transported back to Egypt. On this cruise is an ensemble of travellers including benefactors of the museum, an Egyptologist, an MI5 agent, and Hercule Poirot. Also present are the glamorous (and rich) Linnet Ridgeway, her new husband Simon Doyle, and to add drama, his ex-lover Jacqueline de Bellefort. Soon enough there is a smoking gun and a dea...

10Oct

By Paul ClarkeNo Comments

North West

Black Sabbath The Ballet – The Lowry

When you think about a rock band to soundtrack a ballet it's probable rock gods Black Sabbath wouldn’t be the first name that comes to mind. But when Birmingham Royal Ballet’s Director Carlos Acosta was looking for inspiration to commission locally based work, he was drawn to the doomy riffs created by four working class lads from the Black Country who basically invented Heavy Metal as a genre. Acsota clearly felt their huge riffs not only captured the long gone industrial might of Brum, where Sabbath members spent their teens, but also offered the dancers a broad palate to work with. Backed by the Birmingham Sinfonia this three-act show tries to encapsulate the band’s tempestuous five decade long career, and is a million miles away from the lighter music ballets are often performed ...

10Oct

By Jessie MartinNo Comments

Scotland

Cheapo – Traverse Theatre

Cheapo, brought to the Traverse Theatre by Play, Pie and a Pint, follows schoolboy Jamie (known as “Sheldon” to his bullies, played by Testimony Adegbite) as he sets up his travel chess board in KFC, ready for his usual match. Expecting to meet the same friend he plays with every week, Jamie is instead greeted by Kyla (Yolanda Mitchell), one of his bullies. Kyla has a proposition: she wants Jamie to retract his witness statement to the police. In return, her boyfriend and his friends will spare him a beating. As their chess game unfolds, it becomes clear that Kyla is not as cruel as she initially seems—she is frightened, afraid of the consequences of going to court. Likewise, Jamie fears the repercussions of withdrawing his statement, particularly in light of how the police treat young ...

10Oct

By NewsdeskNo Comments

Yorkshire & Humber

Emma – Sheffield Lyceum

Ryan Craig’s adaptation is aptly contemporary in places and unapologetically Georgian in others. The best affectations of Austen’s linguistic prowess are set upon with great effect, creating a poetic environment for the audience to exist in. This shape is shared with characters that feel real, embellished only in earnest moderation. Ceci Calf’s set design is deliberately sparse, leaving director Stephen Unwin with a very minimal arena for the characters to wrestle in. It is adorned only by a backdrop of blue/grey British sky and a couple of trees planted in the recesses of the stage to evoke the abodes of well-off English country families. Despite not being a physically transformative piece either, this feels right for Theatre Royal Bath’s production. So verbose and linguistically remarkab...

10Oct

By Zain RussellNo Comments

London

The Choir of Man – The Arts Theatre

The Choir of Man invites us into “The Jungle” pub, a place where everyone is welcome, and takes us on a lively journey exploring the lives of men in an intricate, authentic pub setting. One of the most unique and memorable features of this production is that the set itself is a fully functioning bar. Before the show begins, audience members are invited onto the stage to immerse themselves in The Jungle, grab a drink, and interact with the cast, whether having a chat or getting caught up in playful pranks around the pub. Throughout the performance, various audience members are also invited to join the cast on stage, further enhancing the immersive experience and making the show feel less like traditional theatre and more like a night out among friends. Even if you’re not one of the...

The Tempest – Shakespeare North Playhouse

9Oct

By Stephanie WiswallNo Comments

North West

The Tempest – Shakespeare North Playhouse

Monsters, sprites, humans, love and angst, sound like a delightful mix of intrigue and mystery. When in fact, you’re witnessing one of Shakespeare's works of art, produced by Tom Dixon and Will Orton. The Handlebards, a group of inspiring thespians who have made it their mission to bring environmentally friendly theatre on a journey to make it accessible for all. The Tempest has a simple set (Ellie Light) which doubles up as different staging props when needed and the group use comedic and creative ways to adapt their scenes and surroundings. The set also has the main protagonist Prospero all over it symbolising his monopolisation of the island and all who inhabit. The music and sound (Guy Hughes) within this production are beautiful and magical, also, a large portion of the music...

8Oct

By Paul WilcoxNo Comments

North West

Power Cut – Olympus Fish & Chips

For one night only, ‘On The Go Theatre Company’ bring their production of “Power Cut’, a new play by Josie Byrne and Lynda Gray, to the salubrious surroundings of Olympus Fish & Chips in downtown Bolton. Unfortunately, what aspired to be a character-based situation comedy with a political edge proved to be more of a broad 1970s farce with a muddled script, both poorly staged and executed. I have often visited ‘thOlympus’ in Bolton before reviewing at the nearby Octagon, revelling in its camp glory. The bright and spacious Dining Room is complete with potted palms and a dinner jacketed pianist playing show tunes on a grand piano, whilst delicious food is served to pensioners by speedy teenagers in smart black uniforms; I always leave smiling. Their decision to convert the restaur...

Opera North & Phoenix Dance Theatre: Susanna – Leeds Grand Theatre

6Oct

By Mark HumphreysNo Comments

Yorkshire & Humber

Opera North & Phoenix Dance Theatre: Susanna – Leeds Grand Theatre

On a night when Storm Amy lashed Leeds with wind and rain, Opera North’s Susanna offered a different kind of tempest — one of moral reckoning, emotional intensity, and artistic boldness. Handel’s oratorio, reimagined through opera and dance, became a mirror for society’s treatment of women, power, and truth. The audience, braving the elements, were rewarded with a production as courageous in its staging as it was timely in its themes. Susanna belongs to a genre born of necessity and ingenuity. During Lent, staged operas were forbidden in 18th-century England, prompting Handel — ever the commercial opportunist — to pivot to oratorios. Though unstaged, these works were operas in all but name: dramatic, character-driven, and rich in musical storytelling. Susanna (1749) is a prime example, ...