REVIEWS Archives - Page 180 of 343

Half Measures – Shakespeare North Playhouse

3Oct

By Lou SteggalsNo Comments

North West

Half Measures – Shakespeare North Playhouse

War. Corruption and power plays. Women fighting for autonomy. All very Shakespearean themes but all still very much identifiable in today’s society. Tonight, we are asked if “life itself is always worth more than the way it is lived”. One Hour Theatre has re-visited its 2016 debut play, Half Measures, written by Tim Prentki and directed by Victor Merriman. The piece melds together selected scenes from Shakespeare’s Measure for Measure, with the modern tale of Nadia, an Eastern Ukrainian illegal immigrant, who seeks a better life away from her war-torn country. When Nadia catches the eye of a married hotshot footballer Angelo, she must decide how far she is willing to go to get the happiness and security she craves. By then focusing on the Measure for Measure storyline of Isabella...

Steptoe and Son – Birkenhead Little Theatre

3Oct

By Ezzy LaBelleNo Comments

North West

Steptoe and Son – Birkenhead Little Theatre

Perfectly timed, well-staged and loaded with laughs, the Carlton Players production of Steptoe and Son is not to be missed. Performing three episodes of the legendary TV series, the company revived the art of performance. The audiences have previously suggested which shows should be included and these are the ones that are brought to life on stage. There is a feel of the audience being part of the production as you view. Steptoe and Son, directed by Steve Youster, includes Desperate Hours; Seance in a Wet Rag and Bone Yard; and Live Now P.A.Y.E later. Before attending I wasn't a Steptoe and Son fan - I didn't think the jokes landed very well and am too young to enjoy the nostalgia factor that a show like this can bring. However, seeing the episodes brought to life on stage in thi...

Dave Gorman: Powerpoint to the People – Liverpool Philharmonic Hall

1Oct

By Anne PritchardNo Comments

North West

Dave Gorman: Powerpoint to the People – Liverpool Philharmonic Hall

Dave Gorman entered the stage greeted with a round of tumultuous applause from the audience; it was a full house of mainly 35-year-olds upwards eagerly awaiting Gorman’s characteristic brand of comedy and enlightening statistical information. He was dressed in his usual attire of checked shirt denim jeans and trainers, his trademark laptop, stage right. Gorman is known for his popular acclaimed TV series, ‘Modern Life Is Goodish’ where he has proved himself to be an exemplar, brutally revealing life’s incongruities in comedic fashion. In a show lasting just over two hours he delivers an enormous amount of interesting information in his characteristic manner; he is both fast-talking and slick, often laughing uncontrollably at his own jokes. From the offset he proceeds to ask everyone...

30Sep

By Damian RiverolNo Comments

Wales

The Famous Five – Theatr Clwyd

Theatr Clwyd have done what they do best and brought us an original piece of theatre in the form of a fantastic musical, The Famous Five. Made Famous by the stories by Enid Blyton, Elinor Cook has created the book for this musical telling us how the Famous Five met and became who they are. With George, her dog Timmy and three cousins, Julian, Dick and Anne, we are taken on an adventure over the Summer on Kirran Island. Theatr Clwyd's Artistic Director, Tamara Harvey, has worked her magic once again, and with the help of a hugely talented cast and team, brought a wonderful story to life. And by looking around the audience tonight, it was hugely enjoyed by a wide range of people of all ages. The pre-set is fantastic with a projection of Kirran Island and the key places that we will...

Royal Philharmonic Orchestra: Film Music Gala – Hull City Hall

30Sep

By Jackie FoottitNo Comments

Yorkshire & Humber

Royal Philharmonic Orchestra: Film Music Gala – Hull City Hall

It takes something special for my goosebumps to reveal themselves but, my goodness, on Thursday night, the minute the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra struck up the opening chords of the main theme to The Big Country movie, my skin erupted in ‘em. The animated conductor, Stephen Bell, was the person responsible for my eruptions, as he was the one wielding the baton, looking like he was enjoying every minute for the couple of hours the orchestra performed. This extremely talented bunch of musicians launched the hall’s Classics Season and the programme, as the title suggests, was bursting with well-known themes from blockbuster movies of the past five decades. The beautiful City Hall stage was the perfect backdrop for the immaculately dressed ladies and gentlemen and their gleaming ins...

30Sep

By Riana HowarthNo Comments

London

Brown Boys Swim – Soho Theatre

Brimming with excitement and the promise of the future, Kash and Mohsen are unwittingly each other’s lifeline during their isolating adolescence. Mohsen, the more reserved and cautious of the two plans to study at Oxford university and shies away from leaving his hometown. In spite of his banter and humorous nature, he is constantly guarded and aware of how he navigates the world as a young, Muslim man. Kash serves as his polar opposite, uninhibited and blissfully ignorant of others’ perceptions of him and even interprets them to suit himself. When a pool party is on the cards Kash, forever the optimist decides to learn how to swim, much to Mohsen's reluctance. Arguments and clashes arise as they explore tensions surrounding their friendship and their different attitudes to life. Karim...

29Sep

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

London

House of Flamenka – Peacock Theatre

Arlene Phillips' spectacular new show, co-created by flamenco star Karen Ruimy, is a feast of passion and fantasy through the medium of dance. This is a production full of heart, demonstrating skill, athleticism and physicality that is a pure joy to watch. Fusing flamenco and contemporary styles might sound odd, but it works remarkably well. Francisco Hidalgo's flamenco choreography (and his lead performance) are off-the-scale, as is the contemporary choreography of James Cousins and the performances of the entire ensemble. There's a narrative of sorts. A goddess collects these astonishingly beautiful, muscular and accomplished dancers who perform for her pleasure, in a house dripping with extravagance and wealth. The unseen gods take umbrage at this decadence and punish the Hous...

The Scousetrap – Liverpool’s Royal Court

29Sep

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

North West

The Scousetrap – Liverpool’s Royal Court

It’s press night for the Royal Court once again as they pack the auditorium and welcome to the stage their latest slice of comedy “Scousetrap”. This play was written by Kevin Fearon during the pandemic and has been adapted by the director Cal McCrystal (and most likely the cast!) to add their own stamp and humour. The show is set in Liverpool (of course) in 1940 when the war is in full flow. The people of Liverpool fear that the Germans are turning their attention to their beloved port and docklands. The only saving grace is that Adolf Hitler used to live in the city, but is this enough to stop the bombing? The storyline follows the city’s greatest private detective, Miss Inga Marble (Eithne Browne) in her quest to discover any German spies and indeed she has her work cut out for he...

Twopence To Cross The Mersey – Theatre Royal, St Helens

28Sep

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

North West

Twopence To Cross The Mersey – Theatre Royal, St Helens

A novel by Helen Forrester that sold over a million books had been adapted for stage and is now on tour. This particular adaptation was created by Rob Fennah, produced by Bill Elms and directed by Gareth Tudor Price. The synopsis of the story is that it is set in 1931, Helen’s family we’re made bankrupt and decided to start a new life in Liverpool, this was because Liverpool was where Helen’s father John Forrester (Mark Moraghan) made his fortune originally. In the 1930s there was the Great Depression so many people were out of work and those who had work were unlikely to give it up. Helen (Jenny Murphy) was in her teens and wanted to go to school but as her parents needed to find work she had to look after the baby whilst her brothers went to school. What was nice in this show was that e...

Saturday Night Fever – Palace Theatre Manchester

28Sep

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

North West

Saturday Night Fever – Palace Theatre Manchester

Producer and Director Bill Kenwright has taken the iconic 1977 film Saturday Night Fever that originally starred John Travolta and made a successful hit jukebox musical that has toured since 1999. 23 years later and the musical is still a crowd pleaser, the Manchester audience was a prime example of the pleasure this show brings with its feel-good factor pushed to its limit and pure disco tunes of the 70’s by a well-deserved standing ovation at the end. The songs mostly consist of songs that were featured in the film's soundtrack, which in turn were mostly written and performed by the Bee Gees. Throughout the performance AJ Jenks, Drew Ferry, and Oliver Thomson, were dressed as the Bee Gees and stood on a platform above the stage whilst belting out the iconic tunes we all love from thi...